Match of the Seventies is a British sports documentary television series broadcast on BBC1 in two series between 26 July 1995 and 2 September 1996. Presented by Dennis Waterman it featured highlights of the English football seasons during the 1970s.Hunt p.7 It begins in the summer of 1970, shortly after England's defeat in the World Cup in a season in which Arsenal won the double and concludes at the end of the 1979-1980 season with an increasingly dominant Liverpool side retaining their league title.

Each episode featured a string of pop and rock songs which were released around the same time as the footballing events which were being recalled.

The series was able to utilise the BBC's Match of the Day archives. It was part of the growing boom in nostalgia for the decade. Waterman, a football fan, had become a television star during the decade in The Sweeney and remained closely associated with that era. It was subsequently followed by Match of the Eighties, presented by Danny Baker, which for legal reasons did not cover the whole decade.

Production The series could not include certain matches because no footage was available.Jim White, "Over the next year or so, Des Lynam is set to become a sort of cathode tube King Lear, presiding over a lost empire", The Independent, 23 December 1995

Episodes Series 1 This series was broadcast on Wednesdays. This series has six episodes: Episode 1: 26 July 1995. This episode covers the 1970–71 season.For reviews of this episode, see Thomas Sutcliffe, "review", The Independent, 27 July 1995; and Giles Smith, "Soccer age when menswear was menswear", The Independent, 29 July 1995. For other commentary, see "This Week", Radio Times, Issue 3731, 22 July 1995, p 12.Radio Times, Issue 3731, 22 July 1995, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. Episode 2: 2 August 1995. This episode covers the 1971–72 season.Radio Times, Issue 3732, 29 July 1995, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. See also Andrew Duncan, Interview with Dennis Waterman, Radio Times, Issue 3732, 29 July 1995, p 16. Episode 3: 9 August 1995. This episode covers the 1972–73 season.Radio Times, Issue 3733, 5 August 1995, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. Episode 4: 16 August 1995. This episode covers the 1973–74 season.Radio Times, Issue 3734, 12 August 1995, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. Episode 5: 23 August 1995. This episode covers the 1974–75 season.For a review of this episode, see Giles Smith, "Same old team shake off nostalgia show", The Independent, 26 August 1995Radio Times, Issue 3735, 19 August 1995, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. Episode 6: 30 August 1995. This episode covers the 1975–76 season.Radio Times, Issue 3736, 26 August 1995, reprinted at BBC Programme Index.

Series 2 This series was broadcast on Mondays. This series has five episodes: Episode 1: 5 August 1996. This episode covers the 1976–77 season.The Times, 5 August 1996, p 39 Episode 2: 12 August 1996. This episode covers the 1977–78 season.The Times, 12 August 1996, p 39Radio Times, Issue 3785, 10 August 1996, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. Episode 3: 19 August 1996. This episode covers the 1978–79 season.The Times, 19 August 1996, p 43Radio Times, Issue 3786, 17 August 1996, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. Episode 4: 26 August 1996. This episode covers the 1979–80 season.The Times, 26 August 1996, p 39 Episode 5: 2 September 1996. The title of this episode is Greatest Hits.The Times, 2 September 1996, p 47Radio Times, Issue 3788, 31 August 1996, reprinted at BBC Programme Index.

Reception Jim White said that Match of the Seventies is "superb".Jim White, "Quite why England's most precious asset was allowed to settle north of Hadrian's Wall is one of those mysteries", The Independent, 4 August 1995

Journalists watching the series noticed the players' sideburns.Genevieve Fo, "it's that time of the decade again", The Independent, 9 September 1995

Match of the Eighties Match of the Eighties covers English football between the summer of 1980 and the summer of 1986, supplemented by television comedy broadcast, and recorded music released, between those dates.For reviews of this series, see Andrew Baker, "Sport on TV: Lights, cameras and nothing like enough action", The Independent, 26 July 1997; "Review: Match of the Eighties" (1997) Animal, No 2: The Football Special, p 6; and The Sunday Times, 27 July 1997, section 2, p 17, first column. For other commentary, see Jeff Evans, The Penguin TV Companion, 4th Ed, Penguin Books, 2011, ISBN 9780241952917, p 57. The series has six episodes: Episode 1: 21 July 1997. This episode covers the 1980–81 season.The Times, 21 July 1997, p 47 Episode 2: 28 July 1997. This episode covers the 1981–82 season.For a review of this episode, see Chris Maume, "Sport on TV: Luge suits, togas and Georgie on the ivories", The Independent, 2 August 1997Radio Times, Issue 3834, 26 July 1997, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 3: 4 August 1997. This episode covers the 1982–83 season.The Times, 4 August 1997, p 43 Episode 4: 11 August 1997. This episode covers the 1983–84 season.The Times, 11 August 1997, p 43 Episode 5: 18 August 1997. This episode covers the 1984–85 season.The Times, 18 August 1997, p 43; Alan Hansen, Radio Times, Issue 3837, 16 August 1997, p 39. Episode 6: 25 August 1997. This episode covers the 1985–86 season, including the Heysel Stadium disaster.The Times, 25 August 1997, p 43; Radio Times, Issue 3838, 23 August 1997, reprinted at BBC Programme Index. Alan Hansen, Radio Times, Issue 3838, 23 August 1997, p 37.

David Prentice called this series "outstanding".David Prentice, "Here We Go: Peter Reid reveals the secrets of Everton's title-winning team", Liverpool Echo, 9 August 2016 This series was followed by Match of the Nineties.

Match of the Nineties Match of the Nineties was broadcast in 1999, and covers English football between the summer of 1989 and the summer of 1999.For a review, see Graham Snowdon, "Football: Sport on TV: Pub performers given final push by a safe pair of hands", The Independent, 24 September 1999. For other commentary, see "Mark and Lard to make TV debut with Match of the 90s", Broadcast, 18 June 1999 This series was presented by Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley, and has ten episodes: Episode 1: 30 July 1999. This episode covers the 1989–90 season.Radio Times, Issue 3936, 24 July 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 2: 6 August 1999. This episode covers the 1990–91 season.Radio Times, Issue 3937, 31 July 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 3: 13 August 1999. This episode covers the 1991–92 season.Radio Times, Issue 3938, 7 August 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 4: 20 August 1999. This episode covers the 1992–93 season.Radio Times, Issue 3939, 14 August 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 5: 26 August 1999. This episode covers the 1993–94 season.Radio Times, Issue 3940, 21 August 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 6: 2 September 1999. This episode covers the 1994–95 season.Radio Times, Issue 3941, 28 August 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 7: 9 September 1999. This episode covers the 1995–96 season.Radio Times, Issue 3942, 4 September 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 8: 16 September 1999. This episode covers the 1996–97 season.Radio Times, Issue 3943, 11 September 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 9: 20 September 1999. This episode covers the 1997–98 season.Radio Times, Issue 3944, 18 September 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index Episode 10: 27 September 1999. This episode covers the 1998–99 season.Radio Times, Issue 3945, 25 September 1999, reprinted at BBC Programme Index

References

External links Hunt, Leon. British Low Culture: From Safari Suits to Sexploitation. Routledge, 2013. Vahimagi, Tise. British Television: An Illustrated Guide. Oxford University Press, 1996. "Match of the Seventies", Diomedia "Match of the Seventies". The Capri Magazine. (Capri Club International). Volume 12. Number 4: September 1995. Andy Beckett. "1970s". The Guardian. 26 May 2007. David Aaronovitch, "Television: Classic TV - it's a good little runner", The Independent, 26 July 1997