The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 69

The Observer 24 May 1998 15 est-ever battle otato 1YO the comdti Bigg By Amy Lawrence tion and wretched significance with every slow-motion replay. As the credits rolled at the end of the programme, the screen was filled with a freeze-frame of the dextrous culprit, fist on ball, tagbfignted for maximum dramatic effect. There was the cruel twist of the drama caught red-handed. It was indescribably powerfuL Four years on and a crimson-faced Gazza, turning on the waterworks, stole the show. And last time around it was Roberto Baggio, ponytail drooping under the weight of his country's despair, as he watched the penalty kick which decided the 1994 final rise over the bar.

With several thousand hours of World Cup-related footage coming to a screen near you nest month, competition between the channels is hotting up. It's not a case of who will capture the denning image this summer, it's what they do with it. Although the BBC and FTV are dividing the matches as far as the quarter-finals, they are both courting favour with the viewers for the semi-finals and final, when the time comes to choose between Motty or Mooro, Des Lynam or Bob Wilson, and the rivalry is injected with a real frisson when you consider the guest analysts. The broadcasters have put immense effort and expense into assembling their own World Cup teams. There are all the old suave favourites on the Beeb Gary lineker, Alan Hansen.

Trevor Brooking, Jimmy Hill and friends, with the wild card David Ginola. Meanwhile, ITV have put together a line-up of heavy- studying the underlying plots and characters for his own benefit as well as those back home. In 1990, for example, he logged a few nuggets to take to his new job at PSV Eindhoven. They wanted a certain type of player and he spotted, and signed, Gica Popescu. 'Being a pundit is my job for four weeks, but it's deeper than that.

I'll be looking at players, systems, styles of teams, all the things you need to do to'keep your mind fresh at the Bobby's namesake, Bryan, no doubt doing the same for Middlesbrough, will.be working for Eurosport. They will be broadcasting an average of 12 hours of World Cup per day, including every match in its entirety, and they also boast a strong squad of experts with truly international spice, including Arsene Wenger, Ray World Cups stretching back 40 years, his anecotes, coupled with his infectious enthusiasm and emotion for the game, will undoubtedly add vibrant colour. 'Every time the World Cup comes around you relive quite a bit of your past he says. Til never forget Mexico 86 and Italy 90, and I'll never even forget Brazil in 1958, when I was a player and Pele came to the fore. You look back a bit misty-eyed, wishing it could all happen again, but I'm just excited for Glenn Hoddle.

I know what he's going to go through, I know he'll enjoy it, I know he'll never forget it, and I really wish him well. If you do, it's paradise, and if you come unstuck, it's a very sad part of your life. The pressure is quite Robson is looking forward to mond Kopa and Manuel Amar-os of France, Johnny Rep of Holland, and Germany's Andreas Brehme, who scored the World Cup winner in 1990. On the subject of satellites, Sky Sports are under something of a black cloud over France 98. With no rights to matches, the best they can muster is a phone-in to a posse of pundits in Isleworth at 10 o'clock at night.

In contrast, all the other channels will base operations over the Channel, to bring you the full French flavour, with the BBC setting up camp from a site overlooking the Place de la Concorde in Paris, ITV going on the road with studios in every stadium, and Eurosport's HQ being a stone's throw from Pare des Princes. You may not be going, but they will do their best to take you there in spirit. weights, headlined by former England managers Bobby Rob-son and Terry Venables, former Scotland manager and the best of British today, Alex Ferguson, and Ruud Gullit, once World Footballer of the Year and now preacher of 'sexy football'. Signing up Bobby Robson was a real coup. A veteran of life on slower wicket on a Simday The ticketless thousands who are resigned to watciiiag Glenn and the boys from the comfort of their own armchair can pick up their remote control and take heart The World Cup broadcasters intend to redefine the cliche that there is no substitute for being there.

Occasionally the television in the comer of the front room transmits a moment to embed itself in the memory for ever. Who could forget the coverage of Maradona's Hand of God goal in 1986 For the Azteca Stadium crowd, the momentwas gone in a bizarre flash: feat the at home, who had fallen from sofas in disbelief, the moment assumed more wrenching emo Fast Ed By Francis Bailey An English sportsman who has seen the right is not necessarily one who has reached a state of self-knowledge after a period of sober contemplation- If we believe what we read the only thing that dawns on some of them is the early-morning sun as the- consider if it's time to make their way home after a night of refuelling and recreation. It seems that we want our athletic heroes to look at themselves in the Mirror and. the mirror in the cold light of the early day without wincing at what they see. i One of these frolicsome and talented indhiduals was on television last week to explain the reasons behind his extra-sporting activities.

"There is a little bit of pressure, and that's why I Eke to have a bit of fun just to relieve the And he admitted that in relieving himself too freely he had been dissipating ins gift If I had to criticise he said, I say I had a few too many late nights in the past That's changed. Tve realised you can't bum the candle atboth No. this wasn't Gazza announcing a new regime. The fun-loving former candle burner was Ed Giddins, a cricketer who recently; returned to the game after a 20-month ban for failing a drugs test His appearance on theinrst of a new series of David Cover's Cricket Monthly (BBC2) reminded us of two things; football doesn't have a monopoly on wayward talents: and. although it is our traditional winter game that enjoys will be hogging the screens this summer, there is still plenty of cricket to be enjoyed.

It would be inaccurate to suggest that in Giddins's case, there has been rejoicing at Lord's over this one spinner that repenteth, because he is a quick bowler, and it was Warwickshire who took him into their fold when Sussex sacked him for his misdemeanours. But he has repaid the faith which his new employers have shown in him with a lively start to the season, and he proved to reporter Simon Hughes that he has indeed cleaned up his act by showing him the contents of his fridge. Its bareness suggested an owner of ascetic habits. Hughes, an old pro who knows the tastes of young cricketers, was puzzled. "Where's the beer17' he asked.

replied Giddins dryly- David Gower enjoys a glass or two. and was. famously, as high as a kite when he buzzed above a game in a Tiger Moth during the 1990-91 Ashes tour. But he has always carried himself with the unaffected charm of a naturally graceful cricketer, and for all his talent he is gtill disinclined to brag. Even though his name is clearly intended to add lustre to the programme, he did not mention his own part in the title.

'Hello and welcome to a new series of Cricket he said, being too modest to refer to My Cricket Monthly or, worse again, David Gower 's Cricket Monthly, as some who are arrogant enough to think of themselves in the third person might The former England captain Premier League matches may be switched wholesale to Sundays Long-range forecast What we said in July last year switched to Sundays next season as part of a p-p-v experiment, it would mean only four games would be left for Saturdays because Sky would continue to show matches on Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings on their subscription service. A BIZARRE SCENE at Wembley Stadium earlier this year: a group of 75 BBC extras up in the stands acting away for a play about football, while down on the track, racing greyhounds chased that elusive hare. The stadium had been booked by a crew filming My Summer with Des, to be shown tomorrow night, but they overran their allotted time and the greyhound meeting went on regardless. Simon Curtis, the play's director, says they managed despite the canine intrusion, and he is confident his play will be a television hit. The comedian Arthur Smith, who wrote it, gives an intriguing insight into his oeuvre: 'the piece is a romantic comedy played out against the backdrop of the last great football Result! Sometimes the unlikeliest result could still put a smile on your face.

You'll see why when you discover 'Ticket Tout', the all-new World Cup fantasy game from Fantasy League, available only in the Guardian. 'Ticket Tout' puts a unique new spin on the forthcoming Signing up Bobby Robson was a real coup for ITV presided over affairs from behind a desk in a studio which had an impressionistic water-colour of a game of village cricket, very green and as a backdrop. This reminded us of timeless virtues of the original summer game, and Gower' cool temperament is certainly better suited to this sort of presentation than to the forced humour of They Think It's All Over, where he is obliged to play the role of upper class foil to the gor blimey comedy of Lee Hurst. Not that he can't be assertive He fairly grilled bis guest, the new England Test captain, Alec Stewart about the decision to give the one-day captaincy to Adam Hollioake ('Doesn't it take a little bit of the gloss off your and signed off by quietly but firmly pointing out that the forthcoming Test series will be shown exclusively live on BBC. If it were Sky who owned the rights to live coverage of England's home Tests, they would surely make more of a song and dance TOMORROW Cycling Giro d'ltalia 9th stage (Eurosport 3.15pm), PruTour 3rd day (Sky Sports 1 7pm); Football Charlton Athletic Sunderland First Division playoff (Sky Sports 2 2pm ko 3pm), Gary Lineker's Golden Boots (BBC1 7.30pm); General My Summer with Des (BBC1 9pm), Live and Dangerous (Channel 5 12.55am Tuesday); Golf Volvo PGA championship (BBC2 llam1.30pm); Motorsport Top Gear Motorsport (BBC2 5.35pm); Racing Sandown (Channel 4 i.55pm); Rugby league Hull Warrington (Sky Sports 1 7.30pm ko 7.45pm); Tennis French Open Eurosport 10am4pm).

TUESDAY Cycling Giro d'ltalia 10th stage (Eurosport 2.45pm), PruTour 4th day (Sky Sports 1 7pm); Football Uefa under-21 championship (Eurosport lpm7pm), Planet Football (Channel 4 11.05pm); General Live and Dangerous (Channel 5 12.15am Wednesday); Golf Tee Time (Channel 4 8pm); Racing HexhamSandown (Sky Sports 2 6.30pm); Tennis French Open (Eurosport 10am4pm). WEDNESDAY Athletics Cottbus meeting (Eurosport 7pm); Baseball Major League match (Channel 5 midnight); Cricket Surrey Lancashire quarter-final (Sky Sports 1 llam, BBC1 11.50pm); TOMORROW: Since the promotion play-offs entered the football calender in 1990, six out of the eight teams promoted to the top flight via this route have been relegated at the end of the following season. Not to be put off, a packed Wembley will eagerly anticipate Charlton Sunderland (Sky Sports 2 ko 3pm). Kevin Phillips, the Sunderland sharpshooter in the semi-final against Sheffield United, equalled Brian Dough's 36-year-old post-war club record by scoring 34 goals in a season. The North-East side came from behind in the tie, having last the first leg 2-2.

Phillips's goal in the second leg sealed a 2-0 victory. To overhaul the record of Old Big 'Had, he'll have to breach a defence that has not conceded a goal in 13)5 hours' play. Charlton goalkeeper Sasa llic has kept nine consecutive clean sheets and the team has notched a string of one-goal wins: wait for the chants of 'Boring Charlton'. Captain Mark Kinsella acknowledges the point, saying I knov. people might say it's been boring lately, as our goals have dried up a bit.

But at this stage of the season it's not about performances, it's about results and we have peer coming up trumps Always By Jon Henderson Premiership clubs will be divided this week when they debate whether to experiment with four pay-per-view matches on Sundays from the start of next season. One highly placed source tells me: 'The pics clubs such as Manchester United and Tottenham want pay-per-view as soon as possible, because there's extra pressure on them and their share price. 'Although there is no doubt that it will come in eventually, other clubs are more cautious. They are in no great hurry to get it introduced; they feel they can wait two or three years and then review Much of the pressure to start the experiment as soon as possible comes from Sky, whose contract with the Premier League includes a clause that they will be involved in the introduction of pay-per-view. But the contract runs out at the end of the 2000-01 season.

'There is an argument that the League do nothing for three years, then introduce their own channel. It's a good my source says. As this column revealed last July, the prospect is that eventually all Premiership matches will be switched to Sundays, with each one available either on pay-per-view or a subscription channel. If four matches were Belgium England football Sky Sports 2 ko 730pm Friday David Baity -a force inmidfield. Nora would be proud of Mm SATURDAY Athletics Seville GP(Eurosport 8.30pm); Basketball NBA Raw (Channel 4 llam); Boxing tba (Sky Sports 1 8.30pm); Cricket Cricket Focus (B'BCl 1.15pm); Cycling Giro d'ltalia 14th stage (Eurosport 3.15pm), PruTour 8th day (Sky Sports 1 7pm); Football World Cup Football Focus (BBC1 12.35pm), Uefa under-21 championship (Eurosport 7pm); General Trans.

World Sport (Channel 4 8am); Golf Deutsche Bank Open (Sky Sports 1 10.30am3pm),The Memorial (Sky Sports 3 9pm); Motorcycling French GP qualifying (Eurosport 1pm); Motor racing British touring car championship (BBC1 1.40pm); Racing LingfieldCattrickStratford (Sky Sports 2 2pm), Newmarket Stratford (Channel 4 3pm), Musselburgh Kempton (Sky Sports 2 6.30pm); Rugby union Bolandv Ireland (Sky Sports 3 2pm ko 2.15pm); Tennis French Open (Eurosport 10am4pm, BBC1 2.40pm). Delayed World Cup is only marginally easier than picking the winning National Lottery numbers. The England coach gives out very few clues. The key might be to wait for players to play their way out of contention in games like this, with only pride and places up for grabs. The previous form guide for this fixture is inconclusive, although it seemed a bit dodgy at the time.

onterrey was the venue in 1 986 and a 0-0. draw put England's continued participation in the World Cup finals in doubt. Only a 3-0 win over Poland in the final group game spared Bobby Robson's blushes. FRIDAY: 'And England have done it. In the last minute of Fond memories from the last playing of this fixture eight years ago Belgium England (Sky Sports 2 ko 6.30pm).

David Piatt was the hero of Bologna in Italia 90, but the Only remaining player in the England set-up from that team is the man whose lofted free-kick led to Piatt's spectacular strike one Paul Gascoigne. Belgium have beaten England only once in 18 attempts (1936 in Brussels) and have managed to draw on four occasions. They've got a bit of ground to make up. 7 festival, Euro 96. 1 wanted the rhythm of the football tournament to inform the progress of my two lovers, which involved many afternoons re-watching all the matches.

'This in turn required me to study Des Lynam in close-up and I became so fascinated that I began to incorporate Des-isms into the script. Eventually my obsession led to my writing lines for him and putting his name in the Des js also on the box tonight hosting Ali Night a tribute to Muhammad Ali on BBC2, and adorns the cover of the latest Radio Times. They'll be putting his name on margarine tubs next. TAKING A LEAF out of British Rail's 'leaves on the line' manual of excuses, ITV blamed 'an early-season heatwave' for disappointing viewing figures for the FA Cup final. The average figure was 7.8 million which, even taking into account that 900,000 watched the match on Sky.

was far less than they would have hoped for. Last year, an average audience of 11.4 million watched Chelsea Middlesbrough on the BBC. All ITV needed was an own goal 24 hours later. A poll asking 'Which channel do you prefer for football found that 71 per cent preferred the BBC, 19 per cent Sky and 10 per cent ITV. And where was the information published? On Teletext, the on-screen text service of ITV.

Whoops. Guardian mm about it. As it is, for this summer at least, they have to make do with the one-day series. This privilege doesn't carry the same prestige as the five-day games, but it does mean that they were the first to check on Stewart's gloss last Thursday, as Sky Sports 1 were at The Oval for the opening Texaco Trophy encounter between England and South Africa. It wasn't a nail-biter, but there was plenty of what commentators invariably refer to as 'absorbing' play, and until the tourists pulled away in the final few overs there was the promise of a thrilling climax.

In this way it gave a flavour of all the qualities of international cricket, without quite developing into a memorable game. It is a lovely sport to watch on television because, even during quiet periods of play, there is always the possibility of excitement, and a viewer can either watch the game take shape over several hours or, because it's less concentrated than, say, football, just drift in and out of it without losing the thread. And with Sky, despite the advertisements, you can always let Bob Willis's sleepy voice lull you into a light and relaxing doze. How different from the frantic world of football, and The Champions' League Final on ITV. Real Madrid beat Juv-entus in Amsterdam to win the trophy for the first time in 32 years amid a blaze of noise and excitement, and Kevin Keegan knew that the day would be turned upside down in the Spanish capital.

"There'll be no siestas in Madrid he said, 'only fiestas'. Ole to that. Cycling Giro d'ltalia 11th stage (Eurosport 2.45pm), PruTour 5th day (Sky Sports 1 7pm); Football Uefa under-21 championship (Eurosport lpm8.30pm), Morocco England (Sky Sports 2 5pm ko 5.30pm, ITV 10.40pm), France Belgium (Sky Sports 2 ko 7.45pm); Racing Newbury Ripon (Sky Sports 3 French Open (Eurosport 10am4pm). THURSDAY Cycling Giro d'ltalia 12th stage Eurosport 2.30pm), PruTour 6th day (Sky Sports 1 7pm); General Live and Dangerous (Channel 5 12.25am Friday); Golf The Memorial (Sky Sports 2 10pm); Tennis French Open Eurosport 10am4pm). FRIDAY Cycling Giro d'ltalia 13th stage Eurosport 3.15pm), PruTour 7th day (Sky Sports 1 7pm); Football Belgium England (Sky Sports 2 6.30pm ko 7.30pm, ITV 11.30pm), France Morocco (Sky Sports 2 ko 9.30pm), Yugoslavia Nigeria (Eurosport 7pm); Golf Deutsche Bank Open (Sky Sports 1 10.30am3pm),The Memorial (Sky Sports 3 8pm); Motorcycling French' qualifying Eurosport 1pm); Racing BathStratford (Sky Sports 3 6pm); Rugby league Bradford London (Sky Sports 1 7.30pm ko 7.45pm); Tennis French Open (Eurosport 10am4pm).

The South Londoners defeated the form side Ipswich 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinals, and manager Alan Curbishley believes his side fully deserve their day in the sun. 'I think we have put ourselves firmly back on the map. Hopefully, we can finish it off by getting in the Premiership. People talk about Charlton now, they're not talking about the Portakabins and Selhurst Park, they are talking about what a good side we One thing the Charlton players are responsible for is bringing to our attention the return to health of 'Monster' agent, Eric Hall. Having recovered from a near-fatal bout of e-coli food poisoning, the London press reported that Hall was attempting to charge 3,000 for player interviews prior to thematch.

"There's no such thing as a free said Hall, confirming his return to fitness. The Charlton board snuffed out any bad publicity by making all the players available during their media open day on Thursday. WEDNESDAY: Glenn Hoddle continues the pruning process Morocco England fSky Sports 2 ko 5.30pm). Attempting to second-guess Hoddle as to which eight names he will trim from his pool of 30 players for the His appearance reminded us that football doesn't have a monopoly on wayward talents TODAY American football Scottish Claymores Frankfurt (Sky Sports 3 8.30pm); Baseball San Diego Padres Houston Astros (Channel 5 12.50am Monday); Basketball NBA 247 (Channel 4 2.10pm); Boxing Ali Night (BBC2 9pm); Cricket England South Africa 3rd one-dayer (Sky Sports 1 10.30am, BBC2 8pm); Cycling Giro d'ltalia 8th stage (Eurosport 5.30pm), PruTour 2nd day (Sky Sports 1 7pm); Football Grimsby Northampton Town Second Division play-off Sky Sports 2 2pm ko 3pm), Uefa under-21 championship (Eurospon 3.30pm7pm); General Sunday Grandstand including golf, racing (BBC2 1.30pm); Golf Volvo PGA championship (BBC2 1.30pm4.20pm), MasterCard Colonial (Sky Sports 2 8pm); Motorcycling World superbike championship Spanish md Eurosport 8.30amllam2.30pm, Sky Sports 3 10.30am), World motocross chamoionship (Eurosport noon); Motor racing Monaco GP (ITV 12.50om race starts 1.30pml 1.15pm), I nay 500 (Sky Sports 3 4.30pm), STW Cup Sachsenring md (Eurosport 6pm), Motorola 300 IndyCar race (Channel 5 11.25pm); Racing Curragh (BBC2 4.10pm); Rugby union Rugby Express (Channel 5 6pm); Sailing Whitbread round the world race (BBC2 6.15pm); Tennis World team championship (Eurosport 11pm). TODAY: Trie streets of Wembley are to be trodden by the Cobblers, for the second time in two years, for the Division Two play-off Final Northampton Grimsby (Sky Sports 2 ko 3pm).

But Grimsby have also acquired a Wembley knack, having won the Auto Windscreens Shield there against Bournemouth last month. Northampton staged a remarkable comeback in their play-off semi-final against Bristol Rovers; trailing 3-1 from the first leg, the odds were against a second promotion. But goals from Heggs, Clarkson and Warbur-ton without reply booked another trip south or tre Cobbers, and prompted manager ian Atkins to say 'That was an awesome performance We took a stranglehold from the off It was basically just power Gnmsb) who finished third in the table, ias kevir Donovan to thank for creating vVempie Sevisaed The ej-West Brom man stnj: unf minutes from time against Ful-: a 2-'. aggregate win over the onaoners Donovan has "itfes: f'pn- Astor villa this season an- 'vae- potent. a1 match-winner j- i nas scored 2C goais in -j- tie this season.

World Cup, where you get the chance to deal in tickets more bent than a Roberto Carlos free kick. You could find yourself cheering for teams you never expected to. SI You'll find all the details and an entry form -in the Guardian on Friday May 29. Ticket Tout the game that should come in an unmarked brown envelope. FoQtball.guardian will boot you straight to the heart of the action this, summer with the smartest, liveliest World Gup website, There will he live scores from every match, reporting from the award-winning Guardian and Observer teams, and an exclusive diary from When Saturday Comes, the ground-breaking football magazine.

Don't get seasick cross the Channel with us. football.guardian.co.uk kr" fantasy league 7 1.