"Some of the crowd are on the pitch, they think it's all over. It is now."
So ends the most memorable radio commentary in English football history, describing the last seconds of the famous (or infamous, depending on your nationality) football world cup final 1966 at Wembley between England and West Germany, which England won (with the help of the russian referee) 4-2.
"They think it's all over" is also the title of a long running (now in its 16th season) 30 minute comedy sports quiz on BBC2, originally devised by Bill Matthews and Simon Bullivant as a Radio 5 panel game presented by Des Lynam. Set up like the typical panel game, it features two teams placed left and right of the show's host, comedian Nick Hancock. Each team is made up of a team captain (for 7 years the deadpan cricketer David Gower and the nations's favourite cheeky chappy footy player Gary Lineker), currently England's long suffering national football team's Ex-Goalkeeper David Seaman and Ex-cricketer Phil Tufnell. They are each being accompanied by a comedian (initially the brillant Lee Hurst, now replaced by Jonathan Ross and Rory McGrath) and a guest from sport or comedy.
The games are mostly the same every week: There's "Sporting Excuses" in which the teams have to find out what excuse a sportsperson (mostly football players) had for their dismal performances, a quickfire guessing game, a photo-identity round and of course the mighty "Feel the Sportsman", in which one member of each team has to cover their eyes and guess a sportsperson by, well, feeling them. Memorable examples were the gay male english national football team, Jonah Lomu (after being called "a big poof" by Chris Eubank a couple of shows earlier), the english female beach volleyball team, a horse, etc. I am sure you catch the drift.
This is TV for people who don't mind a bunch of middle aged men making fun of themselves and everyone they deem worthy as a target. They're rude, sexist, chauvinistic pigs, but, one has to admit grudgingly, it's good TV. For added damage watch the uncut shows on DVD, which must be the lewdest thing I've ever seen.
No, don't expect quality TV or anything intellectually challenging. But if you don't mind some harmless banter and fun and hate David Beckham, this show's for you.