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the old bbc's football scores teleprinter

just watching the new drama "the hour" on bbc 2 and one of the scenes had a teleprinter whirring away and I was reminded of how exciting and nervewrecking it was watching the bbc's football teleprinter on a saturday afternoon churning out the results and how you could tell after a couple or so letters what teams result was coming through.

millwall 1 charlt....

does anyone else remember it?


Comments

  • Nope. We're all far too young.............;-)
  • Brings back memories of when games kicked off dead on 3pm and only 10 mins for half-time.
    The first full times came up on the teleprinter just after 4.40pm.
    David Coleman, Frank Bough.....

    Now we have Jeff and soccer saturday
  •  millwall 1 charlt.... does anyone else remember it?
    yes, usually   ................on Athletic 0
  • Yes, the thing would make whirring noises then clatter in to life with David Coleman or Frank Bough reading the scores off it. Also there were the Saturday editions of the Evening News and Standard that came out around 6.00p.m carrying the scores and early match reports (often only up to half time).
  • edited July 2011
    Final Score had been part of BBC's long-running show Grandstand as far back as 1958, when the results were broadcast on a device dubbed the Teleprinter, with each character of the results displayed one-by-one. Football fans, particularly those of lower division teams would wait anxiously for news on their team's result as live score updates during matches in those days were rare. The one-by-one letter typing by the teleprinter always heightened the anticipation.The results came from the Press Association (PA), who appointed a correspondent to attend each match and report back the half-time and full-time scores to its offices in London. The PA would then use the technology of the day to provide a feed to BBC Television Centre. The Press Association still provide the vidiprinter results service to this day.
    Once covered the MOTD at TVC about 4 years ago, I think it was in TVC 5.  for a feature in ariel. They ran through the  show, Shearer, Hanson, and Lineaker. were there, and they were watching the live feeds......it was saturday afternoon I went there to art direct a photo. I  also covered the Gillingham verses Charlton cup game a few years previous, and went up into the tv gantry. I remember it was bloody freezing, and you had to come down at full time, I imagine there was a bucket for emergencies.! Tony was an excellent commentator who would re record during the match, if he screwed up. I covered the after press interview, and Curbs looked   totally crestfallen. It was one of those Charlton day's.......I do remember that Mark  Bright was in the press room before the game, covering it for the radio I think.Yes remember the telly printer used to  switchover and  look out  for Charlton after seeing the wrestling when we were playing away.Was there not a shop in Church lane that used to have tvs to catch the results.......on my way walking up from the Valley, to Springfields........
  • Charlton Nil
  • Yes, the thing would make whirring noises then clatter in to life with David Coleman or Frank Bough reading the scores off it. Also there were the Saturday editions of the Evening News and Standard that came out around 6.00p.m carrying the scores and early match reports (often only up to half time).
    Apparently after a few years they introduced a silent vide-printer.  The public didn't like it though, so they used canned printer sounds over the top. 
  • I remember saturday afternoons checking teletext for scores!
  • ....... Millwall 1 Charlton 7 (SEVEN) .......... 
  • I remember saturday afternoons checking teletext for scores!
    My mum still does.
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  • I remember in 1990-91 we were playing Brighton at selhurst and all we had even then was radio 2 and their occasional other scores. I was at home and at about 4.40 they said "Charlton have taken the lead against Brighton, 1-0". Now i hated Brighton then for whatever reason and was so happy, as we had scored late on and would beat them. I switched on the tv for the vidiprinter, and at about 4.46 it slowly came up Charlton 1 Brighton 2. They had scored twice in the 90th minute. I can honestly say a 15 year old boy trashed his room and cried for an hour! Never forget that feeling of disbelief followed by anger!
  • The worst one for me was in the Black Horse pub in Bexley circa 1994.

    Charlton Atheltic 3......huge roar from me "Yesssssssssss!" Derby County..........4

    Cue to huge guffaws from all of my Millwall, Spurs, Arsenal supporting team-mates and other pub-dwellers.

    Having said that, the other one I remember was back in 1990 when we did not win for 12 games (lost 10, drew 2 - had 10 losses in a row) and it finally came through that we had beaten Barnsley 2-1 at Selhurst, the relief was incredible.

  • Of course, if you are as old as me, the teleprinter was doubly exciting as you had no information on the latest scores. And, I do miss the half time scoreboard at grounds.
  • I remember when grandstand did a bit of a scores round up (not the full classified) they would have Bruce Hornsby and the range - "that's just the way it is" as the bedding music

  • edited July 2011
    Ha ha, spot on buckshee.

    Would never have remembered that myself, but now you've mentioned it I can hear it now.

    Life of Riley by the Lightning Seeds was another one they used for a while, on the goals round up on match of the day. And Step into my world, or something like that by, er, Hurricane #5? Will have to look that one up..

    Edit; Nearly right, it was Hurricane #1. I defy anyone of a certain age not to Youtube it and when the opening bars start NOT think, "A six goal thriller at Villa Park saw ..."
  • ....... Millwall 1 Charlton 7 (SEVEN) .......... 
    That was the bit I liked.  If a team (and I really can't remember it ever being us..) scored a hatfull they would spell it out in brackets just to humiliate the opposition a bit more.
    The scores started coming through at 4:40 dead and it all seemed to be done and dusted by 4:45 
  • And your dad, like mine, would be checking off his pools coupon. Anyone remember the Michael Bentine sketch of the sports commentator reading the scores and realising he had 8 draws up?
  •  millwall 1 charlt.... does anyone else remember it?
    yes, usually   ................on Athletic 0
    lol, spot on, no 1 in south london?%-{>
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  • I 'saw' both of Shirtliff's goals v Leeds in the play off final on teletext.  You can't beat that for drama.

     

  • ....... Millwall 1 Charlton 7 (SEVEN) .......... 

     

    The only time I remember the teleprinter putting the number in to words for us was when it printed..

    Aston Villa 11 (eleven) Charlton Athletic 1

     

    Talk about rub salt in to the wound..  Just to make sure you didn't kid yourself it was a typo error

  • edited July 2011

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7STSGw7OPU

     

    Not a happy one for us as we'd been relegted to Division Two. From April 1990.

  • edited July 2011

    .

  • Look at bloody Welling. Sixth in the Conference! On the cusp of the football league.
  • edited July 2011
    I don't think they could go up because of their ground grading. Wings legend Terry Robbins works for the same company as me... 
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