Warmth and passion: Chappers ushers in new era for Match of the Day

The Guardian

16 hours ago

He's spent years sitting on the bench, playing second fiddle to one of England's best ever strikers. But now that Gary Lineker has hung up his boots and bid farewell to Match of the Day after 26 years, Mark Chapman can finally have his moment.
While more casual fans won't be aware of what the veteran broadcaster – affectionately known as 'Chappers' – will bring as the new focal point, to the diehards he's long been a known quantity.
Widely respected for his relaxed manner and astute questioning, Chapman, 51, has hosted Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights since 2013 (while occasionally covering for Lineker) and also presents a number of sports programmes across BBC Radio 5 Live.
But before establishing himself as one of the top broadcasters in the country, he began his career more than five decades ago, as a continuity announcer on BBC television in 1996. He then became the cricket correspondent for BBC North East radio, before joining BBC Radio 1 as a Newsbeat sports reader on the Sara Cox and Scott Mills shows – where he developed the nickname 'Chappers'. He later joined BBC Radio 5 Live to host 5 Live Sport on Mondays.
Alongside his run on Match of the Day 2, he was also BBC Sport's chief rugby league presenter, fronting its coverage of the Rugby League World Cup and RFL Challenge Cup matches.
Chapman is one of Match of the Day's three new hosts, alongside Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan. While Cates will present a UEFA Super Cup highlights show on Wednesday and Logan will present the newly rebranded Match of the Day on Sunday, the three will rotate across the shows throughout the season.
He's always been passionate about the game, declaring early in his career that he spent his time off 'playing football and watching football'. When asked to describe himself in three words, he opted for 'stroppy, moody and temperamental'.
Appearing on the Scott Mills Breakfast show on Friday alongside the other two hosts, Chapman joked with Mills about their time working together. 'He never took off his coat,' Mills reminisced, 'he was there for a good time, not a long time.'
Mills also highlighted one of his BBC diary entries from the early noughties, when the pair went to Magaluf with Jo Whiley. 'We went to dinner with DJ Sammy in Palma except for Chappers, who decided to shun a swanky celebrity dinner in order to do research on the Magaluf bar scene. Apparently, when you walk down the street, there are people who physically drag you into bars and force you to drink two pints for two euros with a free shot. Poor Chappers never stood a chance,' the entry read.
Others have also said it is Chapman's warmth, humour and experience that make him a joy to work with. 'He's somebody that knows the game very well, is deeply passionate about it and is very good at providing a space where all the different pundits and people involved feel comfortable,' said Nedum Onuoha, who worked with Chapman on Planet Premier League.
'He tries to get the best out of you. He is very good at being able to create a show that's enjoyable, and I think that goes a long way in punditry.'
Onuoha said Chapman was 'really funny and dry with certain things'. He said the presenter always remembered 'that it is a game' and wanted people to have fun.
'He knows that laughing brings people together, as opposed to arguing about things that honestly don't really matter. His personality is a great one, he's fun to be around and that can really make a difference, especially for new people entering the industry.'
Chapman lived with his wife, Sara, in Hale, Greater Manchester until her death from cancer in 2020. The couple had three children together.
One of the things that will undoubtedly be welcomed by BBC bosses is Chapman's approach to social media. He hasn't posted on X since January 2021, which sets him apart from his predecessor, who quit the BBC after an antisemitism row and never shied away from expressing his views on topics from the war in the Middle East to the UK government's immigration policy.
Asked about the principal duties of a pundit in an interview with the Guardian in 2018, Chapman said: 'To inform, entertain and give an opinion. They don't always have to do highbrow analysis or be controversial – there's a balance to be found.'
Match of the Day's new rotating line up, featuring two women, is a far cry from the days of Jimmy Hill and Des Lynam at the helm. But while leaning in to the change, Chapman and his co-hosts have worked to avoid comparisons to their predecessors.
'It helps that we're all really different from Gary [Lineker], in that he does it with a profile of his own as an England legend,' Cates has said. 'It's a very different career path. An ex-player taking over would be more of a direct comparison.'