Ford Super Sunday
Encyclopedia
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. The main live game will typically kick off at 4pm, often following a 1.30pm game, on Sky Sports 1.
It had been presented since its debut in August 1992 by former TV-am
host Richard Keys
, alongside a variety of guest match pundits until January 2011. From the 2005-2006 season, former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp
joined Keys as a regular pundit. The commentary team of Martin Tyler
and former Scotland
striker Andy Gray became synonymous with Sky's football coverage until Gray was sacked in January 2011, although other commentators may be used. In April 2011, Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville
was confirmed as his replacement.
and Liverpool
on 16 August 1992, a match Forest won 1-0. This first broadcast featured a digital on-screen graphic
(DOG) throughout the game showing the score and match time. It was the first time a UK broadcaster had done such a thing and, despite a few initial complaints, DOGs are now part of coverage of virtually all televised sports worldwide.
- used to start at 2pm, giving viewers two hours build-up before the slightly untraditional kick-off time of 4pm, as opposed to a Saturday kick-off at 3pm. Eventually, Sky decided this was a bit too much, and decided to start the programme at 3pm instead. From the 2004-05 season, some Super Sunday coverage started as early as 1pm if two live games were shown that day. From the 2005-06, coverage began at 3.30pm if only one live game was shown.
Sky advertise Ford Super Sunday as showing the Premier League's biggest match of the weekend, but, although they have first pick of live Premier League games on any weekend, there are numerous restrictions which mean the best game does not necessarily kick off at 4pm, or is even broadcast on Sky. Police restrictions mean many derby matches must kick off earlier while there are restrictions on the number of times Sky can show each team per season. Additionally, Sky can not move a game to take place on Super Sunday if one of the teams is playing in the Champions League
the following Tuesday, in order to give the team time to recover.
The programme is typically broadcast on Sky Sports 1 although occasionally it may move to Sky Sports 2 to avoid clashes with the Ashes
or Ryder Cup
.
had hosted the programme from one of the grounds alongside Jamie Redknapp
and at least one more guest. The panel often introduce the first game with an empty stadium behind them because of the staggered kick-off times. This was until Jamuary 27 2011 when Keys resigned from Sky Sports following allegations of sexist remarks and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
Martin Tyler
and Andy Gray have been the most regular commentators on Super Sunday, appearing either as a team or split over two matches. When there were two matches, Gray would commentate on the main match and act as a studio pundit for the other game as well as appearing on The Last Word discussion programme alongside Keys immediately after Super Sunday on Sky Sports 1.
However, following sexist comments towards assistant referee Sian Massey in a conversation prior to a match between Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and Liverpool on saturday, 22 January; Andy Gray was sacked by Sky and soon after on 26 January, Richard Keys
handed in his resignation. Keys said "It would be impossible to go on without Andy". Keys has been permanently replaced by Ed Chamberlin
for the 2011/12 season,after Sky liked his presenting on the Survival Sunday coverage at the end of the 2010/11 season. Gray has not yet had a permanent replacement. The Last Word discussion programme has been dropped since Keys and Gray's departures.
Along with Tyler, Rob Hawthorne
and Alan Parry
are also regularly used as commentators, while Alan Smith
is now usually the main co-commentator.
winning 46 games as a result of a European Commission recommendation, Sky retained the rights to all 4pm kick-offs as part of their renewed £1.4 billion contract. The vast majority of games on Sunday are still broadcast on Sky Sports, with the former Setanta rights now owned by ESPN
typically showing Saturday evening games.
From the 2010/11 to the 2012/13 seasons, Sky will have the vast majority of live Sunday Premier League fixtures, in addition to Saturday lunchtime kick-offs, Monday night games and exclusive rights to midweek fixtures. ESPN can show 23 live games for each season of which 18 must be shown on a Saturday evening.
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...
' flagship live football programme, broadcasting live Barclays Premier League football on most Sundays over the course of a season. The main live game will typically kick off at 4pm, often following a 1.30pm game, on Sky Sports 1.
It had been presented since its debut in August 1992 by former TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
host Richard Keys
Richard Keys
Richard 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....
, alongside a variety of guest match pundits until January 2011. From the 2005-2006 season, former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
joined Keys as a regular pundit. The commentary team of Martin Tyler
Martin Tyler
Martin Tyler is an English football commentator who was voted as the FA Premier League Commentator of The Decade...
and former Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
striker Andy Gray became synonymous with Sky's football coverage until Gray was sacked in January 2011, although other commentators may be used. In April 2011, Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville
Gary Neville
Gary 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....
was confirmed as his replacement.
Innovation
The first match shown on Ford Super Sunday was between Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 16 August 1992, a match Forest won 1-0. This first broadcast featured a digital on-screen graphic
Digital 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...
(DOG) throughout the game showing the score and match time. It was the first time a UK broadcaster had done such a thing and, despite a few initial complaints, DOGs are now part of coverage of virtually all televised sports worldwide.
Broadcast times
In the first couple of years of the programme, Ford Super Sunday - the title due to major sponsorship by the Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
- used to start at 2pm, giving viewers two hours build-up before the slightly untraditional kick-off time of 4pm, as opposed to a Saturday kick-off at 3pm. Eventually, Sky decided this was a bit too much, and decided to start the programme at 3pm instead. From the 2004-05 season, some Super Sunday coverage started as early as 1pm if two live games were shown that day. From the 2005-06, coverage began at 3.30pm if only one live game was shown.
Sky advertise Ford Super Sunday as showing the Premier League's biggest match of the weekend, but, although they have first pick of live Premier League games on any weekend, there are numerous restrictions which mean the best game does not necessarily kick off at 4pm, or is even broadcast on Sky. Police restrictions mean many derby matches must kick off earlier while there are restrictions on the number of times Sky can show each team per season. Additionally, Sky can not move a game to take place on Super Sunday if one of the teams is playing in the 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...
the following Tuesday, in order to give the team time to recover.
The programme is typically broadcast on Sky Sports 1 although occasionally it may move to Sky Sports 2 to avoid clashes with the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
or Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
.
Commentators
Richard KeysRichard Keys
Richard 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....
had hosted the programme from one of the grounds alongside Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
and at least one more guest. The panel often introduce the first game with an empty stadium behind them because of the staggered kick-off times. This was until Jamuary 27 2011 when Keys resigned from Sky Sports following allegations of sexist remarks and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
Martin Tyler
Martin Tyler
Martin Tyler is an English football commentator who was voted as the FA Premier League Commentator of The Decade...
and Andy Gray have been the most regular commentators on Super Sunday, appearing either as a team or split over two matches. When there were two matches, Gray would commentate on the main match and act as a studio pundit for the other game as well as appearing on The Last Word discussion programme alongside Keys immediately after Super Sunday on Sky Sports 1.
However, following sexist comments towards assistant referee Sian Massey in a conversation prior to a match between Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and Liverpool on saturday, 22 January; Andy Gray was sacked by Sky and soon after on 26 January, Richard Keys
Richard Keys
Richard 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....
handed in his resignation. Keys said "It would be impossible to go on without Andy". Keys has been permanently replaced by 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...
for the 2011/12 season,after Sky liked his presenting on the Survival Sunday coverage at the end of the 2010/11 season. Gray has not yet had a permanent replacement. The Last Word discussion programme has been dropped since Keys and Gray's departures.
Along with Tyler, Rob Hawthorne
Rob Hawthorne
Rob Hawthorne is a football commentator currently working for Sky Sports. He is most notable for his commentating alongside Andy Gray in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul.He was born in Dudley, Worcestershire now West Midlands...
and Alan Parry
Alan Parry
Alan Parry is a British sports commentator, born and raised in Garston, Liverpool, concentrating on football and athletics. He has commentated for all three main broadcasters of football in the UK - the BBC, ITV and Sky TV, as well as for both BBC and commercial radio.Starting his career at BBC...
are also regularly used as commentators, while Alan Smith
Alan M. Smith
Alan Martin Smith is an English former football striker. He played for Leicester City and Arsenal at professional level, and won thirteen caps for England.-Leicester City:...
is now usually the main co-commentator.
Television contract
Although Sky has lost its monopoly on broadcasting the Premiership from 2007–08, with Setanta SportsSetanta 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...
winning 46 games as a result of a European Commission recommendation, Sky retained the rights to all 4pm kick-offs as part of their renewed £1.4 billion contract. The vast majority of games on Sunday are still broadcast on Sky Sports, with the former Setanta rights now owned by ESPN
ESPN (UK)
ESPN is a sports television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland owned by American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc. The channel launched on 3 August 2009...
typically showing Saturday evening games.
From the 2010/11 to the 2012/13 seasons, Sky will have the vast majority of live Sunday Premier League fixtures, in addition to Saturday lunchtime kick-offs, Monday night games and exclusive rights to midweek fixtures. ESPN can show 23 live games for each season of which 18 must be shown on a Saturday evening.