Alan Hansen, the leading football pundit on the BBC for over 20 years, is expected to exit Match of the Day at the end of next season.
Hansen, who will be 59 in June 2014, has one year remaining on his BBC contract and there seems no great wish on either side to renew a contract that expires after the World Cup.
BBC are likely to give the Match of the Day show a much-needed shake-up after the departure of Hansen, who has been the main analyst on the programme for so long.
Early days: Hansen with Des Lynam and Sir Trevor Brooking Key men: Hansen and Gary LinekerCurrent line-up (L-R): Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, Hansen and Mark Lawrenson
It is understood the offer of a three-year contract to Everton’s Phil Neville, which he rejected with plenty of other options to consider, was part of that long-term planning for MotD.
Hansen, who was earning a staggering £1.5million a year, had to take a considerable pay cut when he signed his current two-year deal — eased by the BBC’s move from London to Salford, much closer to his Southport home.
Despite growing criticisms of Hansen being a tired pundit compared to fresher faces, the former Liverpool star has done remarkably well to remain the BBC’s commanding football opinion maker for two decades.
Departing: Alan Hansen is likely to leave Match of the Day at the end of next season Not for me: Phil Neville has rejected the chance to be a part of the new-look MotD Familiar face: But Hansen's time with the BBC is coming to an endRoy Hodgson announces his England squad on Thursday at Vauxhall’s headquarters in Luton. This gives England’s sponsors the right setting to announce their contract renewal worth an improved £7m a year up to 2018.
Vauxhall are also expected to continue their support of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. That combined cost is less than half the expense of backing England.
News to share: Roy Hodgson is to announce his latest England squadThe FA Legends team, including Gary Neville, Gareth Southgate Graeme Le Saux, Paul Merson and Matt Le Tissier, playing the Army at Reading on Saturday as part of the FA’s 150th anniversary, will rock up at the Madejski Stadium having had no previous get-togethers.
In contrast, the Army side have had a number of training sessions with coach Stuart Pearce who will stay the night before the game with the soldiers.
The extra spice around the clash is that Pearce, who is expected to leave the FA after the European Under 21 Championship next month, will be keen to put one over a Roy Hodgson-led team having cut a relatively isolated figure at Wembley since the England manager’s arrival.
Competitive: Stuart Pearce, Matt Le Tissier, Graeme Le Saux and Gary Neville will feature at the charity game
It hardly sets the right tone that Leicester racecourse, where tarnished jockey Frankie Dettori is due to return to riding next Monday after a six-month drugs ban for cocaine use, have named the first race on the card the Welcome Back Frankie Maiden Stakes.
Sky hit back in BT fight
The obsessive battle with BT Sport was clearly evident in Sky Sports’ reaction to their international match rights deal with UEFA for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland qualifying games for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. ITV get the plum England fixtures, with UEFA wanting to keep their major territories on terrestrial TV.
Sky were most keen to stress the wider deal across Europe, an unprecedented 500 live internationals over three years, that complements their ‘unrivalled portfolio of rights’.
The good news for football’s coffers is that this latest deal will make it even more likely that BT, who desperately need content, will bid heavily for the FA Cup, England friendlies, the Football League and what will be a blockbuster Champions League auction in the autumn.
UEFA’s Champions League final hijacking a Football League play-off date — for which they have a 20-year contract with Wembley — has proved less of a legal minefield than two years ago. But Wembley will still have to pay around £750,000 compensation to the Football League, similar to the figure paid last time.
Compensation: Wembley Stadium is to host the Champions League for the second time in three yearsThe Lions tour of Australia may cost as much as £14m but management still balked at being quoted an alleged £200,000 for a training week at England base Pennyhill Park in Bagshot.
England are at Pennyhill again in preparation for the Barbarians game on May 26, although it’s understood the RFU, who have a long-term agreement with the hotel, do not pay anywhere near the sky-high rate wanted from the Lions.
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