Either Radio 5Live cares about football - or it doesn't. The vainglorious 'more live football than anyone else' trails (one day someone will pay more) are infuriating, and, perhaps with fewer other trails (Jill Scott's Coffee Club podcast at the stroke of 5pm), there might have been space for the 'classified football results', at around 5 minutes of much-loved radio. But now there isn't.
'With the addition of the 5.30pm live Premier League match to our coverage, Sports Report has been condensed into a shorter programme. We will still offer a comprehensive goal service throughout the day on air and on the BBC Sport website as well as Final Score on BBC One. We would like to thank everyone who has read the classified football results on 5 Live over the years.'
Actually, dotted through the 30-minute show, Mark Chapman DID read out football results down to the National League and Scottish Division Two levels, but the appointment to listen is gone.
OK, so only 130,000 do 'pools' (online now), but many more punters rely on obscure results in accumulators etc. And, dare I say, many of us have loyalty to, or interest in, the clubs in the lower divisions around the country, or like teasing their mates about the results. Close to 250,000 went to Premier League matches on Saturday, with another 150,000 at Championship fixtures - how many by car, with car radios ?
Even the Talksport presenters are complaining. With enemies like these who needs friends.
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