Legends Football Phone-In

"The Legends Football Phone-In" is a programme broadcast on the Century Network. Each version features former football stars from local teams.

North East (100-102fm)

The "3 Legends Football Phone-In" is broadcast for two hours every weekday from 6pm until 8pm. The three pundits are Newcastle United Legend Malcolm Macdonald, Sunderland FC Legend Micky Horswill and Middlesbrough FC Legend, Bernie Slaven. [ [http://www.100centuryfm.com/Article.asp?spid=3602&id=110630 100-102 Century Radio - Music you just have to sing along to! ] ]

North West (105.4fm)

The Legends Football Phone-In is broadcast every weeknight from 6pm until 7.30pm. The show is presented by former Newcastle United and Liverpool FC full-back Alan Kennedy, ex-Manchester City player Gary Owen, Everton legend Graeme Sharp and as from the new year former United goalkeeper Alex Stepney who is taking over from the departing Mickey Thomas.

It has yet to be announced whether the show will return after the summer break.

During the summer the Legends broadcast a whole new format. It was called the Ten Grand Fan, a quiz based on football. The producer is head of sport Chris Cooper, a Plymouth supporter.Fact|date=December 2007

East Midlands (106fm)

The "Heart 106 Football Phone-In" was brought to an end on July 9, 2006 to the dismay of its loyal following of listeners and callers alike and was replaced with the 'Time Tunnel Challenge' from July 10th 2006. [http://www.heart106.com/Article.asp?id=235526]

It was presented by former Nottingham Forest European Cup winners Garry Birtles and Kenny Burns, former Derby County Championship winner Roger Davies and former Leicester City player Alan Birchenall (a key member of the modestly successful 70s side).

The show was originally broadcast on the former Century 106 for an hour (starting at 19:00) each weekday evening and was singly presented by Larry Lloyd (another member of Nottingham Forest's European Cup-winning side). Commentator Darren Fletcher then joined him as Century's football offering gained momentum. These two formed the Century 106 football commentary team (this being in effect a reunion of the highly successful GEM AM partnership which had won numerous radio awards). Century 106 managed to gain full commentary of every Nottingham Forest game for the forthcoming seasons. If Forest were not in action one weekend then full commentary of either a Derby County or Leicester City match would be broadcast, as they were supposedly providing coverage of the major East Midlands teams. Although it was Forest who got the main coverage on Saturdays except when a local derby was taking place between Derby County and Leicester City.

Larry Lloyd later left the station to move abroad and was duly replaced with his former Forest team-mate, Garry Birtles and this formula proved to be equally successful.

However, the full-match commentary was not to last and was brought to an end by the new Century 106 management. The phone-in was allowed to continue but Darren Fletcher decided to depart for pastures new as he was, in essence, a commentator and wished to continue in this role elsewhere.

In order to make the programme more East Midlands centred, Derby County pundit Roger Davies and his Leicester City counterpart Alan Birchenall were drafted in along with Kenny Burns and the programme was christened "The Legends Football Phone-In". When the station was rebranded as Heart 106, the show was renamed the "Heart Football Phone-In". This continued (with three of the four pundits each evening) until the show's finale in July 2006.

It was such a loss for the football fans across the East Midlands when the Football Phone-In was brought to an end, the reaction from many fans of the show prompted them to re-group as "'Legends Reunited" ' - comprising Garry 'Beaujolais' Birtles, Alan 'The Birch' Birchenall and Roger 'Stretch' Davies.They are now taking the show on the road around the East Midlands, entertaining their audiences once again with the usual football banter and hilarity between them just as before!

References

External links

* [http://www.100centuryfm.com 100-102 Century FM] "Home of the North East 3 Legends Football Phone-In"
* [http://www.1054centuryfm.com/ 105.4 Century FM] "Home of the North West Legends Football Phone-In"
* [http://www.heart106.com/ Heart 106 FM] "Former home of the East Midlands Football Phone-In"
* [http://www.legendsreunited.co.uk Legends Reunited.co.uk] "Information on Legends Reunited roadshow"