Movies Logo
August 25, 1984

Season 1984/85

The show celebrated its 20th anniversary and matches were still being broadcast on Fridays. Most other sports were now seen live on television so the production team wanted to continue the football experiment as well. Jonathan Martin, the Head of Sport at the time, recalled that the experiment was disappointing: "We only got six or seven million viewers on a Friday night which was poor for the slot so we moved to Sundays in the following year." This was to be the last time that Match of the Day contained weekly League highlights until the beginning of the 1992-93 season.

01. 25th August 1984

Jimmy Hill presents action highlights from two First Division games on the opening day of the Football League season.

Manchester United v Watford

Aston Villa v Coventry City

1h 20min
August 25, 1984

02. 31st August 1984: Chelsea v Everton

Two of last season's prize-winners provide an intriguing clash in the first Canon League fixture of 1984-85 to be shown live.

1h 20min
August 31, 1984

03. 8th September 1984

Jimmy Hill presents action highlights from two First Division games, plus analysis and interviews.

Arsenal v Liverpool

Sheffield Wednesday v Tottenham Hotspur

1h 20min
September 8, 1984

04. 15th September 1984

Action highlights from First and Third Division matches plus analysis and interviews.

Southampton v Norwich City

Hull City v Preston North End

1h 20min
September 15, 1984

05. 22nd September 1984

Action highlights from two First Division matches plus analysis and interviews.

Manchester United v Liverpool

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

1h 20min
September 22, 1984

06. 29th September 1984

Action highlights from First and Second Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Also, the chance to win £100-worth of premium bonds in the August-September Goal of the Month competition.

Manchester City v Crystal Palace

Newcastle United v West Ham United

1h 20min
September 29, 1984

07. 6th October 1984

Jimmy Hill presents highlights from two First Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Also, the result of the August/September Goal of the Month competition.

Aston Villa v Manchester United

Nottingham Forest v Stoke City

1h 20min
October 6, 1984

08. 12th October 1984: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Match of the Day's second live transmission of the season brings together the clubs who earned European honours for Britain last spring -Tottenham, UEFA Cup winners, and Liverpool, European Cup winners.

1h 20min
October 12, 1984

09. 20th October 1984

Action highlights from two first division matches plus analysis and interviews.

Liverpool v Everton

Ipswich Town v West Bromwich Albion

1h 20min
October 20, 1984

10. 27th October 1984

Action highlights from two First Division matches, plus analysis and interviews. There's also a chance to win E100 worth of Premium Bonds in the October Goal of the Month competition.

West Ham United v Arsenal

West Bromwich Albion v Southampton

1h 20min
October 27, 1984

11. 2nd November 1984: Manchester United v Arsenal

At the start of the season, opinion was widely held that if Liverpool were to be denied a fourth successive Championship, the prize would be most likely to go to Manchester United or Arsenal. Experts are sometimes right, and in the early months of 1984-85 United and Arsenal have gone above Liverpool in both the table and the odds.

1h 20min
November 2, 1984

12. 10th November 1984

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches. Plus news round-up and pools check.

Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur

Blackburn Rovers v Brighton & Hove Albion

1h 20min
November 10, 1984

13. 17th November 1984

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches. Plus news round-up and pools check.

Watford v Sheffield Wednesday

Charlton Athletic v Birmingham City

1h 20min
November 17, 1984

14. 24th November 1984

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis and interviews. Plus news round-up and pools check. Also a chance to win £100-worth of Premium Bonds in the November Goal of the Month competition.

Sunderland v Manchester United

Oxford United v Leeds United

1h 20min
November 24, 1984

15. 1st December 1984

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis, interviews, news round-up and pools check. Plus the result of the November Goal of the Month Competition.

Arsenal v Luton Town

Oldham Athletic v Manchester City

1h 20min
December 1, 1984

16. 8th December 1984

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches with analysis and interviews. Plus news round-up and pools check.

Nottingham Forest v Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United

1h 20min
December 8, 1984

17. 15th December 1984

Jimmy Hill presents highlights from two Canon League First Division matches.

West Ham United v Sheffield Wednesday

Coventry City v Southampton

1h 20min
December 15, 1984

18. 21st December 1984: Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool

Since spending £350,000 to install England's only artificial playing pitch in 1981, QPR have put together the finest home record of any club in the four divisions of the Football League-better even than that of Liverpool, champions for the past three seasons. Liverpool's one previous experience of this wall-to-wall carpet pitch brought no complaints-substitute Steve Nicol's lone goal earned them three points in October last year.

1h 20min
December 21, 1984

19. 29th December 1984

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Plus News Round-up and Pools Check. Also, a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the December Goal of the Month competition.

Newcastle United v Arsenal

Ipswich Town v Everton

1h 20min
December 29, 1984

20. 4th January 1985: FA Cup Third Round: Leeds United v Everton

Traditionally the most enthralling stage of the season, as First and Second Division clubs join the 20 survivors from the Leagues' lower reaches and beyond.

1h 20min
January 4, 1985

21. 12th January 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches, with analysis and interviews, plus news round-up and pools check.

Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur

Norwich City v Southampton

1h 20min
January 12, 1985

22. 19th January 1985

Highlights from two Canon League matches.

Chelsea v Arsenal

Manchester City v Wimbledon

1h 20min
January 19, 1985

23. 26th January 1985: FA Cup Fourth Round

Action highlights from three matches in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Also a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the January Goal of the Month competition.

York City v Arsenal

Leyton Orient v Southampton

Grimsby Town v Watford

1h 20min
January 26, 1985

24. 2nd February 1985

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check. Also in tonight's programme the result of the January Goal of the Month competition.

Luton Town v Tottenham Hotspur

Sheffield Wednesday v Liverpool

1h 20min
February 2, 1985

25. 9th February 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches, with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check.

Manchester City v Carlisle United

Barnsley v Portsmouth

1h 20min
February 9, 1985

26. 15th February 1985: FA Cup Fifth Round: Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United

The FA Cup Fifth Round begins with live coverage of a real 'Lancashire hotpot' tonight as Manchester United continue their bid for a sixth triumph in the competition that Blackburn have already won that many times.

1h 20min
February 15, 1985

27. 23rd February 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check. Also a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the February Goal of the Month competition.

Leicester City v Everton

Blackburn Rovers v Oxford United

1h 20min
February 23, 1985

28. 2nd March 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Third Division matches. Plus the results of the February Goal of the Month competition.

Manchester United v Everton

Bradford v Gillngham

1h 20min
March 2, 1985

29. 9th March 1985: FA Cup Sixth Round

Action highlights from this afternoon's games plus all the atmosphere and tension that surrounds the Cup.

Manchester United v West Ham United

Everton v Ipswich Town

Luton Town v Watford

1h 20min
March 9, 1985

30. 15th March 1985: West Ham United v Manchester United

In the last of this season's live Canon League fixtures on BBC television, Manchester United's pursuit of their eighth championship takes them to one of the First Division's most compact grounds, Upton Park, the home of West Ham United, who often make life difficult for the best.

1h 20min
March 15, 1985

31. 24th March 1985: League Cup Final: Norwich City v Sunderland

North East meets East Anglia in a major final for the first time. Sunderland have travelled the hard path, needing to beat four First Division clubs on the way, whereas Norwich City faced lower division opponents in every round before the semi-final. The winners will receive £64,000 - the top team prize in British sport - and the chance of further rich rewards with a place in Europe next season in the UEFA Cup. BBC outside broadcast cameras bring you live coverage of the action and after-match scenes on this Silver Jubilee occasion -the 25th Final of the competition launched by the Football League in 1960.

1h 20min
March 24, 1985

32. 30th March 1985

Action highlights from two First Division matches. Also a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the March Goal of the Month competition.

Southampton v Everton

Stoke City v Arsenal

1h 20min
March 30, 1985

33. 6th April 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Also, the result of the March Goal of the Month competition.

Everton v Sunderland

Portsmouth v Brighton & Hove Albion

1h 20min
April 6, 1985

34. 13th April 1985: FA Cup Semi-Final

Can Luton Town reach an FA Cup final for only the second time in the club's history, having last appeared there in 1959 ending as runners-up? They face the current Cup holders Everton, eager to retain the trophy, at Villa Park in one of this afternoon's FA Cup Semi-finals.

1h 20min
April 13, 1985

35. 20th April 1985

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check.

Liverpool v Newcastle United

Oxford United v Oldham Athletic

1h 20min
April 20, 1985

36. 27th April 1985

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches with analysis and interviews, plus the news round-up and pools check. Also in tonight's programme a chance to win £100 worth of Premium Bonds in the April Goal of the Month competition.

Manchester United v Sunderland

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur

1h 20min
April 27, 1985

37. 4th May 1985

As the season draws to a close, Match of the Day cameras bring action highlights from two Canon League matches affecting championship honours, promotion and relegation. Plus the result of the April Goal of the Month competition.

Sheffield Wednesday v Everton

Blackburn Rovers v Portsmouth

1h 20min
May 4, 1985

38. 11th May 1985

On the last Saturday of the Canon League programme, Match of the Day cameras bring action highlights from two matches involving championship honours, promotion and relegation.

Manchester City v Charlton Athletic

Southampton v Coventry City

1h 20min
May 11, 1985

39. 18th May 1985: FA Cup Final: Everton v Manchester United

Jimmy Hill presents the best moments and follows the after-match celebrations of the winners.

1h 20min
May 18, 1985