'I'm a long-time Match of the Day viewer - but for one thing. Here's a post-Gary Lineker tweak to be welcomed'

For what it’s worth, my favourite memory comes from 1996. I was working in an off-licence and had to leave at about 4.45pm to walk there for my 5pm Saturday night shift. At the time, Man United were 2-0 up against Wimbledon, and after dashing home after work was done I settled down to the highlights - only to be amazed by David Beckham’s injury-time goal from the halfway line. (A separate subject, but oh for the days of few mobile phones and living in blissful ignorance of things like this, only to enjoy them more fully when they arrive).

I don’t hold with any anti-Lineker grumbling either. Firstly - he’s very good at his job. On football he’s knowledgeable, experienced, articulate, and happy to be opinionated when need be. And as for his political views - fine. The same right-wing media that is obsessed by freedom of speech seem to be the ones who reach for the smelling salts when he dares say anything about asylum seekers. I - and I suspect most people - really don’t mind, and would only object if he brought in political opinions on small boats during an analysis of whether Casemiro is now too slow for the Premier League or the reason behind Danny Welbeck’s resurgence at Brighton .

But there’s one aspect of Match of the Day that really needs to change, and I’d welcome a change as the post-Lineker era gets going.

And I’m sure I’m not the only 40-something dad of young children who would beg the BBC and the Premier League... please come to an arrangement for it to be shown earlier in the evening. There is no earthly way I am going to be able to stay awake until midnight while sitting on a settee, even on a Saturday night, without mainlining coffee - or even something stronger - throughout the evening.

Yes, I appreciate that the licensing of highlights dictates the start time, yes I believe that Sky have rights too, but given that you can go on Twitter and find almost any goal scored anywhere, within about five minutes of it hitting the back of the net, isn’t it time to relax the arrangement?

Please, for the sake of those of us who start work at 6am and (more pertinently) can’t handle the pace any more, please bring Match of the Day forward. On any channel, we’re not choosy. And no, there is no time to watch it on catch-up in the following days.

Let’s face it, Lineker’s successor is staring us in the face and unless the BBC is desperate to have a former footballer at the helm again, Mark Chapman is a shoo-in. But if he were to come on air at 9pm, I’d have far more chance of actually watching him.

Who could replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day?

Alex Scott

Scott enjoyed a successful playing career with Arsenal and England before moving into broadcasting after her retirement in 2017. She has presented The One Show and has also worked alongside Lineker as a presenter of the BBC’s Sports Personality Of The Year programme. Scott was a contestant on one of the corporation’s flagship entertainment shows, Strictly Come Dancing, in 2019 while more recently she has presented Football Focus.

Gabby Logan

Former gymnast Logan has presented MOTD in Lineker’s absence on many occasions while she also fronted the BBC’s coverage as the Lionesses stormed to glory in the Euros in 2023. She has also been involved in the BBC’s coverage of Six Nations rugby, and the last four summer Olympic Games.

Kate Abdo

The British broadcaster presents the US network CBS Sports’ coverage of the Champions League, reportedly signing a four-year deal in 2023, and has presented boxing as well. She is on the CBS Sports panel alongside football stars Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards, and they have been praised for their entertaining analysis.

Mark Chapman

‘Chappers’ is the regular presenter of Match Of The Day 2, which shows highlights of Premier League action on Sunday evenings. He is also a key part of the BBC’s coverage of football on radio, presenting Sports Report on 5 Live and the Monday Night Club on the same channel, and is also fronting the Global podcast The Sports Agents with Logan.

Jason Mohammad

Mohammad started to work for the BBC in 1997 and remains host of the organisation’s Final Score show on Saturday afternoon. A regular deputy for Lineker and Chapman on both Match Of The Day shows, the Welsh presenter has been among the BBC’s highest earners.

Kelly Somers

Somers became the sixth woman to present an edition of Match Of The Day in 2020 and has held a variety of roles across the BBC. A frequent face during covering of England men’s matches at the 2020 Euros and the World Cup in 2022, Somers has fronted Channel 4’s coverage of the national team over the last two years.

Alan Shearer

A long-standing collaborator with Lineker, the Premier League record goal scorer has regularly appeared on Match Of The Day to offer his analysis, along with being part of The Rest Is Football podcast alongside the BBC presenter and Richards. He is often part of the BBC’s coverage for the Euros and World Cups, and a member of the Football Focus line-up.

Micah Richards

The former Manchester City and Aston Villa player has appeared across broadcasters including the BBC, CBS Sports and Sky Sports as a pundit. The 36-year-old is a regular panellist on sports comedy show A League Of Their Own, as well as hosting a podcast with Lineker, and appearing on MOTD. When Lineker discussed speculation over his departure on The Rest Is Football, he referenced the odds given to Richards to take over, saying: “Four to one? Blimey. I’d love to see you take over. I think you’d be brilliant in the chair.”

Gary Neville

Neville could be a controversial choice, as he is a prominent backer of the Labour Party and made political remarks while hosting ITV’s coverage of the World Cup final in 2022. He has appeared as a guest entrepreneur on BBC business show Dragon’s Den, and the corporation’s comedy panel show Have I Got News For You as well as being a pundit on Sky Sports. Lineker has previously said that he wished “we’d had him on MOTD”, and praised the ex-Manchester United player’s analysis.

Eilidh Barbour

The Scottish presenter has stood in for Chapman on Match Of The Day 2 as well as being part of the Women’s World Cup coverage, and fronting Premier League broadcasts on Amazon Prime Video, and Football Focus when Dan Walker was absent. In 2022, she walked out of the Scottish Football Writers’ Awards over what she called “degrading” remarks about women.