BBC's Football Focus airs final episode after 52 years

The final episode of Football Focus aired on Sunday, bringing an end to the BBC football magazine show after 52 years on the air. The program, which debuted in 1974, had been a staple of Saturday lunchtime coverage, offering interviews, analysis, and stories from across the game ahead of the weekend fixtures.

The emotional farewell episode was hosted by Alex Scott, who has presented the show since 2021. She was joined by longtime pundit Garth Crooks, who returned for the final broadcast. During the closing moments, Crooks presented Scott with a commemorative photograph of her alongside Bob Wilson, the show’s first presenter. Scott became visibly emotional, saying “That’s got me” as she fought back tears. The message on the photo read “Alex, congratulations for all you have achieved.”

Scott addressed viewers, saying the show had brought football into their Saturday afternoons for 52 years, and that the only constant had been the fans. Fighting back tears, she added, “I won’t pretend this isn’t hard. What I know is, the football doesn’t stop, the stories don’t stop. The goals, the drama, the heartbreak, none of that stops. It just finds a new home.” She thanked everyone who had...