Who Mark Chapman supports and how he'll hide feelings hosting Match of the Day
Mark Chapman was already set to share Match of the Day presenting duties next season and could possibly fill the vacant position of hosting coverage of the 2026 World Cup after Gary Lineker's exit
Mark Chapman once revealed how he remains impartial on Match of the Day despite being a Manchester United fan. Chapman, along with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, will split presenting duties for Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 from the start of next season.
It comes after it was announced last year that Gary Lineker would be stepping down from his iconic role after 26 years in the chair at the end of this season. The BBC 's plan was that Lineker, 64, would still host the broadcaster's coverage of the FA Cup next season and the 2026 World Cup.
But those plans were scrapped as the former England striker bowed out by mutual agreement on Sunday, leaving his role and the BBC at the conclusion of this season this weekend. The announcement came in light of the huge backlash against Lineker after he reposted a video on social media which criticised Zionism and included an illustration of a rat.
Chapman, Logan and Cates were initially meant to have supporting roles alongside him at his swansong in next summer's World Cup, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico. But his departure means the BBC now need to find a lead replacement for the tournament, with the aforementioned trio believed to be the key names in the running.
It is also possible that they could rotate in the role of lead presenter, though only one of them can present the highly coveted World Cup and FA Cup finals. Chapman, 51, will slot in seamlessly if selected, having anchored BBC Two's sister football highlights show Match of the Day 2 since August 2013.
His professionalism cannot be questioned either, with the majority of football fans still in the dark over which football team Chapman supports after all these years. However, Chapman, who grew up in Sale, Greater Manchester, has been open in the past about being a fan of Premier League giants Manchester United.
The way he avoids showing favouritism is testament to his impartiality, though he recently joked that he hides his true feelings by venting all frustrations about the Red Devils' dire form and poor results before going on air.
During his appearance on Catchphrase earlier this month, Chapman revealed: 'By the time we go on air, I've had enough time to stop being a sore loser. So by then I'm fairly impartial.'
Chapman began his career at the BBC as a continuity announcer doing voice-overs between programmes before spells as a local cricket reporter and doing 'jokey stuff' on Radio 1 for nearly a decade. He has since become one of the most recognisable faces – and voices – in British sports broadcasting after joining 5 Live and taking over as presenter of the weekly MOTD2.
Chapman was born in Rochdale but moved to Sale at a young age. United were and are still his local team.
'It's not my fault that I support a big team!' he told the iPaper in 2018. Chapman went on to add authenticity to his claim that he's not a 'glory hunter' by saying: 'I had to put up with a lot of poor, if at least entertaining, stuff in the 1980s. I am a genuine Manchester United fan.'
It is understood that BBC executives, headed by new director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, are eager to move the show in a fresh direction with the appointment of Logan, Chapman and Cates.
When asked what to expect from MOTD in the 2025/26 season, Chapman, whose appointment was announced in January, insisted: 'Nothing different. I know people keep saying, 'Oh this will change or that will change.' I genuinely don't think anything will change.
'It will still be showing all the highlights and having a bit of a chat. So, if you're wanting a lot of change, I suppose you're going to be a bit disappointed by it.
'I think we are still just going to do the same thing and talk about football and have a laugh and that will be that.'
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Scottish Sun
31 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
My stars were hurt & angry after Iceland shock – I trust them to put on a show in World Cup qualifiers says Steve Clarke
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Advertisement 'Teams maybe come here and win but not too many come and score four goals. So that's nice.' Clarke believes his side are ready to face Denmark and Greece in the World Cup qualifiers which begin in Copenhagen on September 5. He added: 'Look at the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain. 'The best two teams in Europe competing in a final - but we have shown we can compete. Advertisement 'In recent times, this Scotland team has shown how competitive they can be against that kind of side. 'What we have to do is make sure when it comes to the qualifiers that we are very competitive again. Scotland boss Steve Clarke reflects on shock Nations League defeat to Greece 'This game wasn't about a feelgood factor because it's still a disappointing camp as we lost the home game. 'I am certainly going to carry that into the summer. Advertisement 'But I know my players and I trust them. 'They have always shown resilience when they've had to bounce back. 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It's nice to get these players on the pitch at an early age where you can start to give them international experience. Advertisement 'It's all about building the squad for the future. 'We have the boys we rely on now but you look at the team that finished the game and there were a lot of inexperienced players at this level. 'Hopefully in the coming years, they pick up more caps.' Clarke will now begin the search for a new number two with long-serving assistant John Carver stepping down to concentrate on his post at Pole Lechia Gdansk. Advertisement He took a bow before the Tartan Army after the victory in Vaduz. Clarke said: 'John's wave goodbye to the crowd was probably a giveaway. 'He's leaving, he's got a three-year contract in Gdansk. 'He's been a fantastic assistant to me. Advertisement 'When I approached John five years ago to come and help us, I didn't think we'd have him that long because he's such a talented coach. 'We came across each other way back in 1998 at Newcastle when I was a young coach and John was an even younger coach. 'He was looking after the younger players at Newcastle. 'We always said that we'd try and work together and it took us a long time to get there. Advertisement 'He's been outstanding for us and the only surprise to me is that it's taken five years for somebody to take him off me. 'We're pleased he's been here with us for so long and we wish him all the best in Gdansk. How they rated Ross Doohan - Scotland debut after dashing from a beach in Turkey over the weekend to answer Steve Clarke's keeper SOS. Could have played with his flip flops on. 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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Scotland reaction: 'Hurt and anger' response as Steve Clarke hails 'big prospect' and confirms final goodbye
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Tennis fans slam BBC live coverage of Queen's after Emma Raducanu snub ahead of Wimbledon
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