BBC rebrand iconic sports show as part of huge reshuffle following Gary Lineker's Match of the Day exit
Match of the Day 2, the Sunday night companion show to Match of the Day, will have a change of name starting from this weekend.
3
3
It will now be known simply as Match of the Day - the same as its Saturday counterpart.
The change coincides with the start of a new era for the beloved football program.
Gary Lineker, who fronted the BBC show for 26 years, stepped down as the main presenter at the end of last season.
The Leicester icon has since been replaced by Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan.
Chapman is in line to front the program this weekend.
Meanwhile, Cates is slated to present the network's coverage of European football this week.
The 49-year-old, who is the daughter of Liverpool and Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish, will host the highlights show for Tottenham 's European Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Logan's debut on Match of the Day is yet to be confirmed.
She could potentially be in line to present MOTD this Sunday.
Lineker had initially planned to return to the BBC to present overage of next year's World Cup in the United States.
However, he quit working for the broadcaster entirely in May following an antisemitism row.
How Gary Lineker's BBC exit will spark intense rivalry between new Match of the Day hosts to lead BBC's World Cup coverage
3
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds warned football club will make 'bigger and more special' rise than Wrexham
Wrexham have been told that the achievements of a non-league football club could soon eclipse their own, with the owners of Truro City claiming their rise is 'bigger' and 'more special' Wrexham's Hollywood owners have been told that the achievements of a non-league football club could soon overshadow their own. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have guided the Red Dragons to remarkable success over the past four years following three consecutive promotions. The pair of actors have transformed the Welsh side from National League also-rans into a Championship outfit with dreams of Premier League football on the horizon. But the owner of National League outfit Truro City has now insisted their ascent is "bigger" and "more special" than Wrexham 's. Canadian entrepreneur Eric Perez assumed control of the club in November 2023 as part of the Ontario Inc consortium. Truro clinched the National League South crown in April this year during the new ownership's maiden full campaign at the club. By doing so, they became the first Cornish side to secure promotion to non-league's highest division, with Perez believing that makes their achievements more significant than Wrexham's. "I think what we're doing is even more special than what they've done," Perez told BBC Radio Cornwall. "There are, at the end of the day, five league clubs from Wales. There's only one club in Cornwall that's even close to the Football League. If we could get there, it would be something that would change Cornwall forever. "It would weave a patch into the cultural tapestry of a place that has been alive and vibrant for 3,000 years. To be able to do something like that is, to me, what life is all about, so I actually feel like this is bigger than Wrexham could ever be." Alongside securing triumph on the field, Perez and Truro's other backers have been working hard to enhance the club's facilities. A new stadium was constructed on the city's outskirts approximately 12 months ago to stage the side's fixtures, with additional development occurring this summer. In contrast to Reynolds and Mac, Perez brings prior expertise in managing sporting organisations, having previously owned Cornwall's rugby league outfit and maintained connections with Toronto Wolfpack. Whilst Wrexham's remarkable rise may have captured King Charles's interest, prompting his visit to the Racecourse Ground in December 2022, Truro boast their own royal fan. Perez said: "It's just been such a journey. I remember when we first took over the club and we set out some goals, no-one really paid attention. I think everyone's paying attention now, because we are really on the cusp of something huge here playing our first home National League match. "It's been a super hectic off-season. First of all, we've had a stadium renovation that we've done, building a new main stand to accommodate what is now the requirements for this league. Then obviously transitioning the club from hybrid to full-time professional, that's been massive." Whether Truro can emulate Wrexham's success is yet to be seen. However, Perez is content with the club maintaining its position in the National League for now. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
Wales Online
25 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Kneecap bring surprise guest on stage at Green Man
Kneecap bring surprise guest on stage at Green Man Irish rap trio Kneecap addressed the BBC's decision not to live stream their Glastonbury Festival set as they welcomed Welsh cafe owner Helen Wilson on stage at Green Man The trio performed at this year's Green Man festival in Bannau Brycheiniog (Image: Parri Thomas - @photo_parri) Irish rap trio Kneecap launched a scathing attack on the BBC during their Green Man Festival performance on Thursday evening, with the group chanting "f*** the BBC". The band slammed the broadcaster after it refused to air their Glastonbury Festival set live. Throughout their politically-charged show at the festival, the Belfast-based group also spoke about their continued backing for Palestine and band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh's forthcoming court date. Thousands of festival-goers packed their Far Out stage performance, with crowds overflowing beyond the venue. The trio also brought Helen Wilson onto the stage - the Welsh café proprietor who livestreamed their Glastonbury appearance on TikTok to millions of viewers. The band hailed Helen as their "hero". "Diolch," they said to the Green Man audience. "It's not a bad crowd for our first time playing in a festival in Wales.", they went on: "We recently played Glastonbury and the BBC wouldn't live stream our set. F*** the BBC." They continued: "So the BBC, they said that they wouldn't show Kneecap live... but there was one woman. Do you know who we are talking about?". Article continues below "There was one hero who decided to TikTok live our gig, and she's from Wales. Can we have a massive round of applause for Helen?". The café owner appeared alongside the trio on stage and was spotted embracing band member Móglaí Bap as the audience erupted in cheers. In June, demands emerged to cancel their Glastonbury appearance, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer declaring the planned performance at Worthy Farm was not "appropriate", following charges against band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, for a terror offence related to displaying a Hezbollah-supporting flag during a 2024 gig. Mo Chara has rejected the allegations, branding the terror offence charge a "political" manoeuvre intended to "silence" the group. Festival organisers at Glastonbury declined to axe the trio's slot on the West Holts stage. The BBC opted against live streaming their set, though they subsequently made a largely uncut version available on BBC iPlayer. From right to left: Kneecap members Liam Og O Hannaigh (Mo Chara), JJ O'Dochartaigh (DJ Provai), and Naoise O Caireallain (Moglai Bap) who performed at Green Man festival on Thursday (Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved) Helen,rom Swansea, live streamed Kneecap's performance on TikTok, attracting interaction from over two million viewers. The BBC stated at the time: "Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. "We don't always live stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets." During their appearance on the Far Out stage at Green Man Festival, the band also referenced Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh's forthcoming court date, mentioning he would return to court "next Wednesday", apparently confirming the hearing would occur on Wednesday, August 20. On stage, the rapper declared his intention to challenge the British government in court once again, stating: "to beat the British government in their own court for the second time". He further explained: "they stole our funding two years ago, and we went to court and we won," referring to the band's previous legal victory against current Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch, who had blocked an arts grant to the band in 2023. Liam added: "And this time, we are going back to their court and we're going to beat them again." The band revealed that it was their debut performance at a Welsh festival, referring to the audience as their "Celtic brothers". They expressed: "Celtic brothers have to stand together as we can't trust the British government". The band later emphasised the importance of "international solidarity" in the current times. "We are from west Belfast and Derry. Places that know colonialism all too well, as you know yourselves," they shared with the crowd. The band pledged to continue speaking out about Palestine, describing the situation as a genocide and leading the crowd in a "Free, Free Palestine" chant. Article continues below Green Man Festival is set to wrap up on Sunday, August 17. This year's Bannau Brycheiniog event will feature performances from the likes of Underworld, Wet Leg, CMAT, Perfume Genius, John Grant, Wunderhorse, Gwenno and English Teacher.
Belfast Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland forward hopes League One switch will ignite international career: ‘I just want to get as many caps as I can'
Northern Ireland forward Dale Taylor has revealed that his move from Nottingham Forest to Blackpool was motivated by his ambition to earn more caps for his county. The striker quit the Premier League club to sign a four-year deal at Bloomfield Road for fee believed to be north of £1m. The League One star has earned nine caps for Northern Ireland, making his senior debut in 2021. He explained: 'It's a big factor in my move. 'It all comes down to how well you are playing for your football club. Getting the call-up for Northern Ireland is massive. There's no better feeling than playing for your country - I've said it plenty of times. 'A boy from Belfast playing for Northern Ireland at Windsor Park is unbelievable - there's no better feeling than that. 'I'm young. I'm inexperienced but experienced at the same time. I just want to get as many caps as I can.' Several League One clubs were keen to land Taylor after a successful loan stint with Wigan Athletic in the division last term. He said: 'There were a few clubs in there, and Blackpool were one of them. I spoke to the manager (Steve Bruce) and some of my friends, and they all had good things to say about this club and where it's going, so that made it really easy. 'When people speak good about the club, it just stands out. Steve Bruce is a great manager and everything he's done in his career is unbelievable, so it gave me that hunger to work under him. I can't wait to get going and to improve. 'I'm here to do the best I can for the club, myself, my teammates, and the fans. I've been around League One for a couple of years now on loan, and I've really enjoyed it. Every loan got better and improved. 'The goal here is to aim to get to the Championship and get promoted. That's every player's aim, the manager and the staff - hopefully we can do that.' Taylor made his Blackpool debut during Tuesday night's 1-0 loss to Port Vale in the Carabao Cup. He will hope to make his league debut on Saturday when the Seasiders host Huddersfield Town.
