Mike Ingham has said BBC Radio 5 Live has lost a lot of its "discipline" after the station dropped its classified football results section in 2022. The former broadcaster has also admitted he now listens to talkSPORT, describing it as a "comprehensive service."
Ingham, 76, worked alongside Alan Green for almost a quarter of a century between 1990 and 2014, covering major matches in Britain and around the world. The pair reported on FA Cup finals, the World Cup and European competitions, with Ingham known for his eloquent style and delivery.
Career and Retirement
In 2004, Ingham was promoted to become 5 Live's chief football correspondent. He retired after the 2014 World Cup, ending a distinguished career, though he has continued to listen to the broadcasts of his former colleagues and successors.
However, the legendary commentator does not always agree with the BBC's decisions, as shown by his criticism of 5 Live cutting the classified section four years ago. Speaking about the decision, Ingham told the Telegraph: "It's like building a house without the bricks.
"Those two-and-a-half minutes were like taking stock at the end of a hurly-burly afternoon. It was a great bit of broadcasting when it was done by James Alexander Gordon, like the shipping forecast."
Criticism of 5 Live Changes
Ingham added: "I think 5 Live has lost a lot of, not professionalism, but discipline. I was reared on hitting the pips. My family gets so exasperated with me now because I'm such a stickler for time. A lot of that has been lost, it has become much more easy come, easy go."
He continued: "I just think the BBC has spread itself too thinly. It’s just trying to do everything, as opposed to trying to concentrate on the things it does best. For me, the programme should always come before the podcast. That's me though, not being able to move with the times."
BBC Statement and talkSPORT Admission
A BBC statement at the time of the decision to drop 5 Live's results section read: "We appreciate the strength of feeling towards the classified football results within Sports Report. It’s always difficult when a programme with a special history changes, but there are good reasons for the change.
"With the addition of the 5.30pm live Premier League match to our coverage, Sports Report has been condensed into a shorter programme – cut from 1 hour to 25 minutes. The classifieds were taking around 5-7 minutes to read, which would have taken up around a third of the programme – constraining the range of sport we could cover. We'd like to assure our listeners that results from across the football leagues will still be shared during the programme and through the afternoon. Results are also available in full on the BBC Sport website and during Final Score on BBC One. Having a live match at 5.30 is a great addition to the 5 Live schedule."
Ingham also revealed he now listens to BBC Sport's long-time rival talkSPORT, citing its ability to provide a "comprehensive service" to listeners. He said: "I think they [BBC Sport] were complacent about talkSPORT. When it began it was a bit blokey, now I think it’s a more comprehensive service and the range of presenters they have really makes it work. Simon Jordan is brilliant, Jeff Stelling's there and they do the results at 5 o'clock on a Saturday."
