It's ITV’s turn to face a backlash from viewers after a shambolic broadcasting of last night’s FA Cup derby replay between Everton and Liverpool, which meant millions missed Dan Gosling’s spectacular winner for Everton.
ITV, for no reason whatsoever, cut to adverts with barely two minutes to go. So, instead of watching Gosling’s strike, many - including myself - were left watching an advert for Volkswagen (after checking my remote control just to be 100 per cent sure that it hadn’t changed channel by itself).
The football returned with scenes of celebrating Everton players. ITV blamed “technical problems”. Not sure why they didn’t just go with “the snow” or Transport for London's favourite: “signal failure”.
The blunders continued after the match and the station cut to the middle of a locker-room interview, before going back to the studio. Seconds later the screen went blank and the ITV logo came up, which was soon replaced by the image of a clock counting down. It was several minutes before the station resumed, switching to the news.So, those involved at ITV will no doubt be facing a frosty reception from their executive chairman Michael Grade this morning - while he sifts through his mail bags one assumes. And those at the Beeb, which has been making the headlines again after Carol Thatcher used the world "golliwog" in front of colleagues following a recording of the station’s The One Show last week, are likely to welcome the respite – for now. Jonathan Ross is back on tomorrow.
If you missed Gosling’s goal, here is it, courtesy of Setanta: http://www.offthepost.info/2009/02/football-video-dan-goslings-late-goal-knocks-liverpool-out-of-the-fa-cup/