Soccer Aid is back for another year as World Cup legends and top celebrities go head-to-head in an England versus The Rest of The World football match in aid of UNICEF and its partners.

With Ant and Dec at the helm, this year’s event takes place live on the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is stepping up to manage England and his squad includes football legends Jamie Redknapp and Alan Shearer, as well as celebrities Kyran Bracken, Ben Shephard, Gareth Gates, Jamie Theakston, and Jonathan Wilkes. Read more & comment »

Former Take That star, Robbie Williams has pulled out of this years Soccer Aid event due to a painful knee injury.

The event will take place on the 7th of September at Wembley stadium and will be presented by Ant and Dec.

Speaking about his withdrawal, Williams told The Sun: “I’m gutted that this time around my knee isn’t up to it – but unfortunately I’m out of the game. Read more & comment »

Sky One today (Friday 27 June 2008) confirmed that it will, for the first time in the event’s three year history, televise the ‘Coke Zero’ Street Striker event. Titled ‘COKE ZERO’ PRESENTS… WAYNE ROONEY’S STREET STRIKER’ the three part series will see the England and Manchester United superstar combine three of his passions; music, football and street skills in a one-off event to be broadcast exclusively on Sky One and Sky One HD this autumn.

Donna Taberer, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment and Features, Sky One, Two and Three, comments, “It’s a fantastic coup to bring Wayne Rooney to Sky One. The competition is brilliant and we will undoubtedly uncover some amazing new talent.”

The series is being made by Plum Pictures and was commissioned by Donna Taberer, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment and Features, Sky One. The series will be exec produced by Taberer, and Plum Pictures creative director Stuart Cabb (Louis Theroux, Mischief).

Full launch details will be available mid-July and will be accompanied by a nationwide PR and marketing campaign.

Hailed as the world’s toughest race, ITV4 has exclusive access to a select group of this year’s Marathon des Sables competitors. Chosen from over 2000 entrants, 800 runners from 32 countries muster all their strength, skill and stamina to cross 150 miles of Saharan desert in less than one week. Read more & comment »

Hailed as the world’s toughest race, ITV4 has exclusive access to a select group of this year’s MARATHON DES SABLES competitors. Chosen from over 2000 entrants, 800 runners from 32 countries muster all their strength, skill and stamina to cross 150 miles of Saharan desert in less than one week.

The Marathon des Sables is on ITV4, Tuesday 20th May at 9pm. Read more & comment »

So ITV4 have become the first British TV channel to air ‘cage fighting’ fights, promoted by the British MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). The show will start in May of this year and will consist of two one hour shows which will feature individual cage gladiator fights.

Already The British Medical Association is calling for the sport to be banned because of its use of excessive violence.

The BMa website states:

the BMA opposes mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting and calls for a complete ban on this type of contact sport. Ultimate fighting can be extremely brutal and has been described as ‘human cockfighting’. It can cause traumatic brain injury, joint injuries and fractures.

The BMA believes that doctors cannot stand by while violent fighting tournaments are allowed to take place. Large amounts of money can be earned by participants, promoters and others linked to ultimate fighting but no amount of money can compensate for permanent brain damage and premature death.

I’d love to hear what you all think of this recent move. Is ITV showing admirable bravery and pioneering the way for this sport to become mainstream in the UK? Or do you think that cage fighting is a barbaric sport which should be banned from our TV screens?

We have started a poll on the sidebar of the site, please leave your vote there and your comments below.

The BBC has apologised to over 100 viewers who complained after the channel aired 12 hours of almost continuous sport on Saturday.

The sport overload began at noon on Saturday with Football Focus, continued with three Six Nations rugby matches, and ended with Match Of The Day at 11.40pm. The only break from the running sweaty men was the regular news bulletins, Anne Robinsons The Weakest Link and an episode of Out-take TV.

One viewer wrote on the BBC message board: “I am furious. Sport in the morning, Sport in the afternoon and now. Sport in the evening on Saturday night!!!!!”

Another wrote: “What the hell do we pay a fee for? … When I was a kid Saturday night was the best.

“Now what do I get? Rugby, then football. All on BBC1, all evening, great!

“Come on BBC. We need some entertainment. You’re turning into a sports channel!”
Read more & comment »

Two broadcasting legends come together as the country’s biggest sports fans go under the spotlight in a brand new spin-off of television’s toughest quiz.

Running on BBC Two for ten weeks in the summer, Sport Mastermind will follow the classic Mastermind formula.

Four sports fanatics will go through the black chair ordeal and face two rounds of rapid fire interrogation.

And, if that isn’t enough to satisfy even the most ardent sports fan, presiding over events will be arguably the most iconic sports broadcaster in the history of television. Read more & comment »

The girls from Sky Sports News have been told to sex up their image to compete with the lookers on Sentanta Sport.

And a Sky insider said: “All our girls are perfect – but we can all have our off days.

“Setanta now have good-looking girls of their own and we want our female hosts to stay ahead of the competition.

“Viewers may even have noticed recently that a few of our girls have a new hairdo or extra lippy.

“The guys also have to make sure they stay well groomed – but a few have joked no one really bothers looking at them.”

The BBC and ITV can today confirm plans for shared coverage of the UEFA Euro 2008 Championships in Austria and Switzerland.

Live coverage of the group stage will begin on Saturday 7 June with the BBC broadcasting the opening match between Switzerland and the Czech Republic at 5.00pm and ITV broadcasting the later match between Portugal and Turkey at 7.45pm.

During the latter stage of the group phase, where matches are played simultaneously – games will be shown live on BBC One, BBCi, ITV1 and ITV channels. Both broadcasters will simulcast all of their games online.

Both broadcasters will show live coverage of two quarter finals and will show one semi final each – with ITV taking first pick. Read more & comment »

Super Bowl, one of the world’s most watched sports events, will be broadcast live for the first time on BBC television (Sunday 3 February, 10.50pm, BBC Two).

BBC Sport’s studio line-up for Super Bowl XLII from Arizona will include one of the UK’s best-known NFL broadcasters alongside a former Super Bowl winner recognised as one of the all-time greats.

Jake Humphrey will introduce the BBC’s first Super Bowl live from University of Phoenix Stadium, where he will joined by experts Mike Carlson, who has been broadcasting on American football for almost two decades, and Rod Woodson, who followed a 17-year playing career by becoming an analyst for NFL Network. Read more & comment »

Eastenders actress, Samantha Janus has revealed that her character Ronnie Mitchell, is due to reveal some of her dark secrets in the coming months of the BBC soap opera.

She told Sky Showbiz: “There’s lots of stuff happening. She’s starting to shed her layers and all her secrets are coming out.

“And we’re starting to see more of her darker side. It’s nice to see what’s going on with her underneath it all.

“I think a lot of her history and past when she was younger has affected her.”

Glamour model and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Jodie Marsh is to make her football reporting debut for the BBC Asian Network on the football show, Kickin’ Off.

Jodie will be the Asian Network’s guest reporter for the Arsenal v Wigan game on Saturday (24 November), live from the Emirates Stadium.

Only you can forget the usual BBC Radio 5 Live knowledge and punditry – as a self-confessed novice to football Jodie’s reportage will be an Essex girl’s take on the “beautiful game”‘. Read more & comment »

Mark Chapman and Laura Esposto present more live football action from another tantalising fixture in the new Italian season. This weeks featured match sees Cagliari Calcio play host to Juventus.

13.30–16.15 Sunday 2nd September, Channel Five

BBC and ITV today (20 June) agreed a joint deal with UEFA for the rights to the Euro 2008 championships.

An agreement has been reached with Sport Five, representing UEFA, for exclusive live UK television and new media rights to all 32 matches at the tournament in Austria and Switzerland in June 2008.

The deal includes match coverage and highlights for the entire tournament as well as internet and mobile rights.

Roger Mosey, BBC Director of Sport said: “It will be great for our audiences to have Euro 2008 available from BBC Sport on television, on radio and online. Combined with the Beijing Olympics, it should be an amazing summer of sport.” Read more & comment »