Ford Monday Night Football
Encyclopedia
Ford Monday Night Football (MNF) is a football programme on Sky Sports
which broadcasts live English football
generally from the Premier League.
s (DOG) and Monday Night live games. The first Monday Night Football game was between Manchester City
and Queens Park Rangers
on 17 August 1992. To give the broadcasts a different look to the Ford Super Sunday
broadcast Sky introduced the Sky Strikers, a dance troupe similar to American cheerleaders
. This pre-match and half-time entertainment was dropped after the first season.
The show had a number of different formats after its launch. The first change led to the merging of Andy Gray's Boot Room format into the show; analysing the previous weekends football matches utilising the latest computer technology combined with analyses from Andy himself. As the UEFA Champions League
gained in importance for Premier League clubs, the number of games played on Monday night declined. Sky Sports
then reverted to a format similar to that of Ford Super Sunday with a presenter (Jeff Stelling
) and studio guests.
In 2004–05, the analysis section was then incorporated into an additional programme shown after Ford Super Sunday called Ford Super Sunday: The Last Word.
The show ended after the 2006–2007 season when Setanta
and subsequently ESPN obtained the rights for Monday night Premier League games.
Before the departures of Richard Keys and Andy Gray, the programme had a different appearance to Super Sunday, presented by Keys and Gray from a purpose-built studio with Andy Gray's analysis also returning from its Sunday evening slot. Since the pair left Sky in January 2011, the first half hour of analysis has been dropped, and for the remainder of the season the show was presented from the stadium in largely the same format as Sunday or midweek Premier League matches with a rotation of presenters and pundits, although the distinct "MNF" branding and graphics were retained.
Ed Chamberlin
has been given the presenting role for the 2011–12 season, with Gary Neville as the new analyst. The show also returned to its previous format in the purpose-built analysis studio, with Chamberlin and Neville carrying out the same roles as Keys and Gray the previous season.
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
which broadcasts live English football
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
generally from the Premier League.
Original run
Sky television's acquisition of rights to broadcast live Premier League football from the start of the 1992–93 season saw them attempt innovations such as digital on-screen graphicDigital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
s (DOG) and Monday Night live games. The first Monday Night Football game was between Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
on 17 August 1992. To give the broadcasts a different look to the Ford Super Sunday
Ford Super Sunday
Ford Super Sunday is Sky Sports' flagship live football programme, broadcasting live Barclays Premier League football on most Sundays over the course of a season...
broadcast Sky introduced the Sky Strikers, a dance troupe similar to American cheerleaders
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
. This pre-match and half-time entertainment was dropped after the first season.
The show had a number of different formats after its launch. The first change led to the merging of Andy Gray's Boot Room format into the show; analysing the previous weekends football matches utilising the latest computer technology combined with analyses from Andy himself. As the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
gained in importance for Premier League clubs, the number of games played on Monday night declined. Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
then reverted to a format similar to that of Ford Super Sunday with a presenter (Jeff Stelling
Jeff Stelling
Robert Jeffrey "Jeff" Stelling is an English sports journalist and sport television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown...
) and studio guests.
In 2004–05, the analysis section was then incorporated into an additional programme shown after Ford Super Sunday called Ford Super Sunday: The Last Word.
The show ended after the 2006–2007 season when Setanta
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
and subsequently ESPN obtained the rights for Monday night Premier League games.
Current run
Monday Night Football returned from the 2010–2011 season after BSkyB regained the rights to Monday Night Premier League games. It will also be the first time the show is broadcast in High Definition on Sky Sports HD. Due to the structure of the broadcasting packages for the 2010–13 seasons, Sky will show a minimum of 12 live Premier League games on Monday nights.Before the departures of Richard Keys and Andy Gray, the programme had a different appearance to Super Sunday, presented by Keys and Gray from a purpose-built studio with Andy Gray's analysis also returning from its Sunday evening slot. Since the pair left Sky in January 2011, the first half hour of analysis has been dropped, and for the remainder of the season the show was presented from the stadium in largely the same format as Sunday or midweek Premier League matches with a rotation of presenters and pundits, although the distinct "MNF" branding and graphics were retained.
Ed Chamberlin
Ed Chamberlin
Edward Chamberlin is an English sports broadcaster currently working for Sky Sports.-Presenting career:He joined Sky Sports in August 2000 and is considered one of their elite presenters. Ed regularly presents in the summer when Gillette Soccer Saturday is replaced with Sports Saturday...
has been given the presenting role for the 2011–12 season, with Gary Neville as the new analyst. The show also returned to its previous format in the purpose-built analysis studio, with Chamberlin and Neville carrying out the same roles as Keys and Gray the previous season.
Presenters
- 1992-1995 Richard KeysRichard KeysRichard Keys is an English radio presenter best known for his time with British sports channel Sky Sports from 1991 until 2011. In February 2011, Keys along with fellow Sky presenter, Andy Gray signed with talkSPORT....
- 1995-2003 Richard KeysRichard KeysRichard Keys is an English radio presenter best known for his time with British sports channel Sky Sports from 1991 until 2011. In February 2011, Keys along with fellow Sky presenter, Andy Gray signed with talkSPORT....
and Andy Gray - 2003-2005 Ian PayneIan PayneIan Payne is a British television broadcaster who has appeared on Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports News and Sky Sports. He is the son of Peter Payne, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist.-Early career:...
- 2005-2007 Jeff StellingJeff StellingRobert Jeffrey "Jeff" Stelling is an English sports journalist and sport television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown...
- 2010–2011 (January) Richard KeysRichard KeysRichard Keys is an English radio presenter best known for his time with British sports channel Sky Sports from 1991 until 2011. In February 2011, Keys along with fellow Sky presenter, Andy Gray signed with talkSPORT....
and Andy Gray - 2011 (January) - 2011 (August) Various (including David Jones, Ed ChamberlinEd ChamberlinEdward Chamberlin is an English sports broadcaster currently working for Sky Sports.-Presenting career:He joined Sky Sports in August 2000 and is considered one of their elite presenters. Ed regularly presents in the summer when Gillette Soccer Saturday is replaced with Sports Saturday...
and Ben ShephardBen ShephardBenjamin Peter "Ben" Shephard, also known as "Sheps" is an English television presenter who currently works for Sky Sports, as well as ITV.-Personal life:...
) - 2011 (August) - Present Ed ChamberlinEd ChamberlinEdward Chamberlin is an English sports broadcaster currently working for Sky Sports.-Presenting career:He joined Sky Sports in August 2000 and is considered one of their elite presenters. Ed regularly presents in the summer when Gillette Soccer Saturday is replaced with Sports Saturday...
and Gary NevilleGary NevilleGary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....