At the start of the season, opinion was widely held that if Liverpool were to be denied a fourth successive Championship, the prize would be most likely to go to Manchester United or Arsenal. Experts are sometimes right, and in the early months of 1984-85 United and Arsenal have gone above Liverpool in both the table and the odds.

2nd November 1984: Manchester United v Arsenal

Jimmy Hill

10th November 1984

27th October 1984

Jimmy Hill presents action highlights from two First Division games on the opening day of the Football League season.

Manchester United v Watford

Aston Villa v Coventry City

25th August 1984

Two of last season's prize-winners provide an intriguing clash in the first Canon League fixture of 1984-85 to be shown live.

31st August 1984: Chelsea v Everton

Jimmy Hill presents action highlights from two First Division games, plus analysis and interviews.

Arsenal v Liverpool

Sheffield Wednesday v Tottenham Hotspur

8th September 1984

Action highlights from First and Third Division matches plus analysis and interviews.

Southampton v Norwich City

Hull City v Preston North End

15th September 1984

Action highlights from two First Division matches plus analysis and interviews.

Manchester United v Liverpool

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

22nd September 1984

Action highlights from First and Second Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Also, the chance to win £100-worth of premium bonds in the August-September Goal of the Month competition.

Manchester City v Crystal Palace

Newcastle United v West Ham United

29th September 1984

Jimmy Hill presents highlights from two First Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Also, the result of the August/September Goal of the Month competition.

Aston Villa v Manchester United

Nottingham Forest v Stoke City

6th October 1984

Match of the Day's second live transmission of the season brings together the clubs who earned European honours for Britain last spring -Tottenham, UEFA Cup winners, and Liverpool, European Cup winners.

12th October 1984: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Action highlights from two first division matches plus analysis and interviews.

Liverpool v Everton

Ipswich Town v West Bromwich Albion

20th October 1984

Action highlights from two First Division matches, plus analysis and interviews. There's also a chance to win E100 worth of Premium Bonds in the October Goal of the Month competition.

West Ham United v Arsenal

West Bromwich Albion v Southampton

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches. Plus news round-up and pools check.

Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur

Blackburn Rovers v Brighton & Hove Albion

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches. Plus news round-up and pools check.

Watford v Sheffield Wednesday

Charlton Athletic v Birmingham City

17th November 1984

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis and interviews. Plus news round-up and pools check. Also a chance to win £100-worth of Premium Bonds in the November Goal of the Month competition.

Sunderland v Manchester United

Oxford United v Leeds United

24th November 1984

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis, interviews, news round-up and pools check. Plus the result of the November Goal of the Month Competition.

Arsenal v Luton Town

Oldham Athletic v Manchester City

1st December 1984

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches with analysis and interviews. Plus news round-up and pools check.

Nottingham Forest v Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United

8th December 1984

Jimmy Hill presents highlights from two Canon League First Division matches.

West Ham United v Sheffield Wednesday

Coventry City v Southampton

15th December 1984

Since spending £350,000 to install England's only artificial playing pitch in 1981, QPR have put together the finest home record of any club in the four divisions of the Football League-better even than that of Liverpool, champions for the past three seasons. Liverpool's one previous experience of this wall-to-wall carpet pitch brought no complaints-substitute Steve Nicol's lone goal earned them three points in October last year.

21st December 1984: Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Plus News Round-up and Pools Check. Also, a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the December Goal of the Month competition.

Newcastle United v Arsenal

Ipswich Town v Everton

29th December 1984

Traditionally the most enthralling stage of the season, as First and Second Division clubs join the 20 survivors from the Leagues' lower reaches and beyond.

4th January 1985: FA Cup Third Round: Leeds United v Everton

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches, with analysis and interviews, plus news round-up and pools check.

Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur

Norwich City v Southampton

12th January 1985

Highlights from two Canon League matches.

Chelsea v Arsenal

Manchester City v Wimbledon

19th January 1985

Action highlights from three matches in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Also a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the January Goal of the Month competition.

York City v Arsenal

Leyton Orient v Southampton

Grimsby Town v Watford

26th January 1985: FA Cup Fourth Round

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check. Also in tonight's programme the result of the January Goal of the Month competition.

Luton Town v Tottenham Hotspur

Sheffield Wednesday v Liverpool

2nd February 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches, with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check.

Manchester City v Carlisle United

Barnsley v Portsmouth

9th February 1985

The FA Cup Fifth Round begins with live coverage of a real 'Lancashire hotpot' tonight as Manchester United continue their bid for a sixth triumph in the competition that Blackburn have already won that many times.

15th February 1985: FA Cup Fifth Round: Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check. Also a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the February Goal of the Month competition.

Leicester City v Everton

Blackburn Rovers v Oxford United

23rd February 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Third Division matches. Plus the results of the February Goal of the Month competition.

Manchester United v Everton

Bradford v Gillngham

2nd March 1985

Action highlights from this afternoon's games plus all the atmosphere and tension that surrounds the Cup.

Manchester United v West Ham United

Everton v Ipswich Town

Luton Town v Watford

9th March 1985: FA Cup Sixth Round

In the last of this season's live Canon League fixtures on BBC television, Manchester United's pursuit of their eighth championship takes them to one of the First Division's most compact grounds, Upton Park, the home of West Ham United, who often make life difficult for the best.

15th March 1985: West Ham United v Manchester United

North East meets East Anglia in a major final for the first time. Sunderland have travelled the hard path, needing to beat four First Division clubs on the way, whereas Norwich City faced lower division opponents in every round before the semi-final. The winners will receive £64,000 - the top team prize in British sport - and the chance of further rich rewards with a place in Europe next season in the UEFA Cup. BBC outside broadcast cameras bring you live coverage of the action and after-match scenes on this Silver Jubilee occasion -the 25th Final of the competition launched by the Football League in 1960.

24th March 1985: League Cup Final: Norwich City v Sunderland

Action highlights from two First Division matches. Also a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the March Goal of the Month competition.

Southampton v Everton

Stoke City v Arsenal

30th March 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Also, the result of the March Goal of the Month competition.

Everton v Sunderland

Portsmouth v Brighton & Hove Albion

6th April 1985

Can Luton Town reach an FA Cup final for only the second time in the club's history, having last appeared there in 1959 ending as runners-up? They face the current Cup holders Everton, eager to retain the trophy, at Villa Park in one of this afternoon's FA Cup Semi-finals.

13th April 1985: FA Cup Semi-Final

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check.

Liverpool v Newcastle United

Oxford United v Oldham Athletic

20th April 1985

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check. Also in tonight's programme a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the April Goal of the Month competition.

Manchester United v Sunderland

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur

27th April 1985

As the season draws to a close, Match of the Day cameras bring action highlights from two Canon League matches affecting championship honours, promotion and relegation. Plus the result of the April Goal of the Month competition.

Sheffield Wednesday v Everton

Blackburn Rovers v Portsmouth

4th May 1985

On the last Saturday of the Canon League programme, Match of the Day cameras bring action highlights from two matches involving championship honours, promotion and relegation.

Manchester City v Charlton Athletic

Southampton v Coventry City

11th May 1985

Jimmy Hill presents the best moments and follows the after-match celebrations of the winners.

18th May 1985: FA Cup Final: Everton v Manchester United

BBC's football highlights and analysis.

"The longest-running football television programme in the world" as recognised by Guinness World Records in 2015.

2nd November 1984: Manchester United v Arsenal

Seasons63

Season 21 Episodes39

Cast1

Discussion

Episode Summary