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Emily Sergeant - 8th April 2020

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BBC’s Football Focus to end after more than half a century

Danny Jones

Football Focus cancelled and ending after 52 years

In a fairly shocking bit of broadcasting news, Football Focus is ending after more than half a century on our screens.

Announced on Thursday, 23 April, the once flagship show and weekly TV guide staple for countless British households is set to be cancelled after 52 seasons’ worth of coverage.

With BBC Sport confirming the tough decision in a lengthy statement, the long-running show will be taken off the air at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

Most programmes like these have seen declining audiences across the board in the era of streaming and digital packages across various platforms, but this is truly the end of an era.

An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end.

Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season.

First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have… pic.twitter.com/bmHQqQdf6J
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 23, 2026

An official social media post reads: “An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end.⁣ Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season. ⁣
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“First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have worked on it over the years and, of course, the audience. The programme has been a staple of the BBC’s football coverage for decades, providing fans with interviews, analysis and stories from across the game ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

“But changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways, and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent.⁣”

Second only really to Match of the Day (MotD), which first began a whole decade prior to its once equally popular spin-off, Gary Lineker, Manish Bhasin, Alex Scott and others have all enjoyed varying periods hosting the regular weekend watch.

While even MotD has seen steadily dipping viewing figures, not just following the Lineker departure/saga, but ever since YouTube highlights and the social media era.

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A post shared by Alex Scott MBE (@alexscott2)

The statement goes on to say: “Fans are accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing, and as viewing habits continue to evolve, it is right that BBC Sport adapts how it brings football coverage to the widest audiences across television, radio, online and to its extensive social platforms.
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BBC Sport boasts a strong football rights portfolio and is set to significantly expand its digital output this year, growing content across BBC platforms, as well as a bold new slate of exclusive shows on YouTube.

“Featuring fresh formats, big personalities and more frequent, always-on content tailored for digital audiences, the expansion will bring fans closer to the game than ever before, delivering more high-quality, accessible and engaging football coverage at scale. We will release further details on these plans in the coming months.”

Will you miss it? Perhaps more to the point, do you still watch Match of the Day, Soccer Saturday and the like on terrestrial telly?

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Featured Images — BBC

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Aldi is looking for curious kids to become its first-ever ‘toy tester’

Emily Sergeant

Curious kids, this one’s for you… Aldi is currently looking for little ones to become its first-ever wooden toy tester.

With the sun showing its face more regularly now, and the temperatures heating up by the day, summer is very much on its way, and it won’t be long before the mini Mancs are getting to spend more time playing outdoors than in – which is why Aldi is now on the lookout for one lucky child to become its official Wooden Toy Tester.

The supermarket retailer is calling on children across the country – including here in Greater Manchester – to apply by explaining why they should be chosen and what make-believe dish they would cook up in their very own toy kitchen.

The successful winner will receive a selection of Aldi’s latest wooden toys for free to make sure they have everything they need to feel like they’re the head chef of their own garden.

Aldi is looking for curious kids to become its first-ever ‘toy tester’ / Credit: Aldi

All Aldi is asking in return is a short review of each of the toys, rating them on performance and fun factor to help guide the supermarket’s Buying Team on future product development.

In previous years, Aldi’s wooden toy launches have been so popular that the retailer has had to put a ‘two per shopper’ limit on purchases, so as you can imagine, this makes this adorable new job role even more in-demand.

“The nation’s love for our wooden toy range is undeniable, and our littlest shoppers are our most important critics,” commented Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK.

“We’re excited to appoint our first ever Wooden Toy Tester, to capture their experience and find out what makes the perfect playtime set-up, guaranteeing lots of giggles and fun.”

Fancy it then? For a chance to win the role of a lifetime, little hopefuls simply need to send a one-minute-long video to [email protected] with their name, age, location, what makes them the perfect fit for the role, and what dish they wood make in their wooden kitchen.

Applications close on 5 May, and Aldi’s Summer Wooden Toy range will be available in stores from 17 May.

Featured Image – Aldi UK