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Grandstand was at its best circa 1990 when Chezza could be seen lurking in the background, sat next to the late, great, Len Martin, the immortal voice of the racing and football voices.
Chezza always got in early – certainly earlier than Des Lynam, but then uber cool Des seldom showed up into literally a minute before the broadcast began – so he could give the subsidised BBC canteen lunch a good seeing to.
Happy days, but they didn’t cover anything like the number of races ITV Racing have screened this year.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Some detail on frequent racing coverage on ITV in the 70’s on this old thread:
Fascinating stuff, Alan, and taken from the very first year I ever went racing (at Beverley in the April, aged 14).
I must confess I didn’t realise coverage was ever quite that intensive, even over the course of a week or two.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Loved grandstand with racing, cricket, rugby and loads of other sports. Racing had a sense of ocassion then which it doesn’t seem to have now with so much racing and outlets to see it. Watch racing now on the betting shop apps or sporting life. No utterly banal and annoying commentary. I just can’t watch Itv now. It’s not racing but light entertainment. Wish it wasn’t but its a poor relation to how it used to be. Each to their own.
I used to enjoy Grandstand and the World of Sport, and midweek racing with John Rickman and one tooth in his head John Tyrel.
There are a number of issues with ITV Racing, but not as many as C4 racing and the death knell of racing on the BBC when Balding finished them off.
I am slightly surprised there has not been much if any criticism of ITV showing the Welsh National on ITV4. The biggest race of the year in Wales and one of the season’s most popular betting heats reduced to being shown on a minority channel which some viewers probably do not know how to find.
All because the main ITV channel is showing “E.T” for what must be the hundredth time.
“I am slightly surprised there has not been much if any criticism of ITV showing the Welsh National on ITV4.”
Prob because most of the UK pop aint got no interest whatsoever in horse racing.
I’m sure CAS means here and in other racing-related discussions areas of the internet.
IMO, it’s valid comment from CAS – BBC1 always made room for it, ITV1 not only doesn’t, but doesn’t have anything particularly appealing (a serial repeat) in its stead.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"My username probably gives the game away however, my bigger gripe with ITV Racing’s coverage of the Welsh National is that it’s reduced to second billing behind Kempton’s card. If the same is true as with previous years, the programme will come from Kempton, with Luke Harvey the roving reporter in Wales. This doesn’t exactly promote the race. I understand the logistics of the broadcast operation being at Kempton for Boxing Day, but to me at least – and as I say, maybe I’m biased – it feels like they can’t be arsed driving 2hrs or so down the M4 to bring the show live from Chepstow racecourse itself.
Poor old ITV. They put an absolute feast of racing on over Christmas, and are still in the wrong! 😉
Re the use of ITV4, possibly they are mindful that there will be numerous people off work at the time, and the likely family audience would prefer to see ET (again). Racing is lucky that even the King George is on the main channel in my view.
In its latter years, the BBC only showed the Welsh National begrudgingly because it had to give the impression it was interested in the countries that weren’t England.
ITV’s commitment to racing is fantastic; the sport is very lucky to have its ongoing support.
Cymro- ITV are at Kempton on both Boxing Day and the following day. That has probably played a part in their decision making process.
Showing “ET” on ITV1 will attract more large advertisers at the breaks than “Racing” will.
It is all about revenue.
I live in South Wales and can’t see any reason to criticise ITV. ITV4 is fairly easy to find on most platforms. Certainly a lot better than when C4 racing had to make way for anything S4C decided was of greater interest to the viewers in Wales.
Christmas is all about family and for the general population horse racing is not high on their list of things that a family can all sit down to watch together….granted showing ET at Christmas does seem a bit of a strange choice of movie to pick but then there is always a newer generation of children that might not have seen the film and would enjoy it more than watching our presenters waffling on about things young kids likely have no interest (or understanding) in at this time in their life and then have a few minutes of horses racing mixed in.
The fact that ITV now does have a number of channels that can still allow it to have horse racing on terrestial TV is a gift horse (excuse the pun) that should not be overlooked, rather than like in the past with ITV having one channel in which it would have bumped racing off and resigned it to not being televised at all – I guess that was a good thing with having CH4 Racing previously in that it would always show the King George and with it being very much an alternative channel at that time it would not bump its coverage for more family orientated viewing during the festive period.
Yes ITV Racing has it faults (of which the members of TRF have in lively posts highlighted very succinctly) but then to be fair and honest so too did every other iteration of horse racing that has been shown on terrestial tv, be it BBC/ITV World of Sport/CH4 Racing etc.
The fact that we can discuss and/or complain about coverage in this manner means we (as lovers of the sport) are in a most fortunate position (especially when compared to other popular sports that barely get a fraction of the TV time we do) to have access to every race run in UK/Ireland be it via terrestial or cable/satelite tv is very much a blessing for us fans.
Fortunate times indeed!
“I’m sure CAS means here and in other racing-related discussions areas of the internet.”
Yes, that is what I meant.
I fully accept that yet another screening of “E.T” will appeal more to the advertisers that fund ITV.
But from a racing point of view, it is a pity that one of the big races of the year is relegated to a minority channel. ITV4 will not attract the same amount of viewers as ITV’s main channel. Plenty of casual viewers still just watch BBC and ITV.
Then again, I suppose we should be grateful that the King George card is on ITV1. I am sure some ITV executives would prefer to show a film instead.
Totally about making as much money as possible. Folk crammed into shops and moaning. Too old for that nonsense now. Itv I’m sure are doing their best but it’s now beyond my interest. I’ll watch the King George on an app. Racing TV is as close as youll get to what as class as decent coverage but I won’t pay for it. As I said every body can choose how they watch it. Maybe I’m getting an old bah humbug.
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