Well, he's scheduled to present both editions of the Weekend Sports Breakfast over the course of this weekend, which seems to imply that if he had an initial three-year contract/agreement with the station based on their previous Premier League radio rights contract, then this must have been extended upon the station's renewal of it.

No real surprise this, but according to Alan Brazil upon interviewing him on this morning's Sports Breakfast, we already know that Roger Hughes will be talkSPORT's pitchside reporter at their first Premier League commentary game of 2013/14, Swansea City v Manchester United.


Thanks for the information. I thought Dan Lobb was one of the better Sky Sports News presenters when I used to watch that channel before it disappeared from Freeview, I have not seen him on Daybreak (where he is their sports correspondent) in more recent times though.

talkSPORT have been trialling quite a few new presenters in their evening and weekend football/sports coverage timeslots in recent months. Nat Coombs, the Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and Channel 4 MLB and NFL host, has presented the last couple of editions of Kick Off, having debuted as a cover host on overnight show Extra Time; while Russell Hargreaves - a fantastically versatile freelance sports reporter for the likes of IRN, Talking Rugby and Today FM - has been given the chance to host Full Contact and will now front Kick Off tomorrow night after becoming a regular on Extra Time. Coombs and Neil Ashton, the Daily Mail journalist who has presented live football on Al Jazeera and Sky Sports' The Sunday Supplement, have also presented The Transfer Tavern this summer.

While hearing new voices is usually a positive, Hargreaves aside (due to his overnight stints) I'm not sure where these new presenters could realistically fit into the schedule on a regular basis seeing as talkSPORT have an exisiting line-up of very strong anchors of their live football coverage in Adrian Durham, Mark Saggers, Georgie Bingham, Danny Kelly, Ian Danter and, on occasion, Richard Keys.

Today FM in Ireland have confirmed that they wil continue to broadcast the Saturday 3pm live game for the next three seasons. Their deal includes first pick on the last day of the season.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...itle-1.1462064

Thanks very much for alerting us to this Rufus. Having checked their websites, both Today FM and Newstalk 106-108FM have renewed their existing Irish national radio rights packages for another three seasons of Premier League football, with both of these deals being announced on Friday.

Here's the Today FM press release (link):


...and here is the Newstalk press release (link):


To add, Today FM having rights to the first pick game on the final day of the Premier League season is nothing new - they've always had the rights to do commentary on the final day (up until now being the only Irish station to hold last day rights) in the ten or so years that I've been listening to their coverage. By stating that they now have "first pick" matches on the final day, this suggests that Newstalk 106-108FM might have the ability to cover a second choice game on the final day. Presumably Newstalk have the rights to cover both the Sunday pre-3pm and 4pm games as per the last six seasons. Bank Holiday fixtures were with Newstalk rather than Today FM during the last contract I believe, while last season I think Today FM didn't broadcast any Saturday 12.45pm commentaries although they used to cover the biggest of games in this timeslot (at a rate of about one double header a month) in most seasons prior to 2012/13. Their press release isn't clear regarding this one way or the other, but it will be interesting to find out whether Saturday 12.45pm games return to Today FM in the same manner as before or if they'll be covering them on a weekly basis.

talkSPORT's provisional schedule for Saturday 3rd August:

01:00 Extra Time with Matt Forde
06:00 Fisherman’s Blues with Keith Arthur
08:00 The Weekend Sports Breakfast with Sam Matterface & Matt Holland
12:00 Matchday Live with Adrian Durham: coverage of the opening day of the new Football League season and Steven Gerrard’s testimonial at Anfield
17:00 Call Collymore
19:00 Transfer Tavern with Neil Ashton
21:00 Football First with Ian Danter

talkSPORT

Friday 12th July

Nat Coombs presented Kick Off alongside Tony Evans from The Times

Women's Euro 2013 Group C
England Women v Spain Women - Toby Gilles

Cricket: First Ashes Test Match
England v Australia - Jack Bannister, with Jon Norman conducting interviews from Trent Bridge

Horse Racing: Piper-Heidsieck July Festival
Newmarket Racecourse - Rupert Bell

Monday 15th July

Drive Time with Adrian Durham and Matt Holland

Women's Euro 2013 Group C
England Women v Russia Women - Toby Gilles

In other Women's Euro 2013 news, talkSPORT expert Michael Gray has been providing studio punditry for BBC TV's coverage of the tournament. Gray had previously been one of the more prominent Radio 5 Live summarisers before becoming a regular on talkSPORT last season. In 2012/13, Michael was one of the mainstay pundits at 3pm games on Matchday Live once that was switched to being an entirely stadium-based programme, as well as being a regular choice of cover for Andy Goldstein's co-hosts Jason Cundy (Mondays-Thursdays) and Bobby Gould (Fridays) on weeknight show The Sports Bar. He also did four co-commentaries for the station.

Seeing Michael on BBC TV makes me wonder whether he'll opt to switch back to the Beeb this season after a year of mostly being heard on talkSPORT - if the BBC can offer him occasional television punditry appearances alongside radio co-commentary work, that might tip the balance in favour of a return, although perhaps he could do a Matt Holland and work for both on a semi-regular basis. Indeed last season's Matchday Live presenting line-up tended to be Adrian Durham hosting with Ray Parlour and either Michael Gray or Matt Holland (when his Final Score and Today FM commitments permitted it), with Ray Houghton and Stan Collymore (on Premier League Saturdays when there wasn't a 5.30pm game) being part of the presenting trio on an occasional basis.

I'm wondering if we might hear Ray Houghton - who has only been heard infrequently on Matchday Live in recent years - a bit more often this season, given RTE television in the Republic of Ireland's decision not to renew their Premier League highlights rights and thus discontinuing their long-running Premier Soccer Saturday programme, which Ray was among the regular pundits on. Ray had been the usual co-host of the old Saturday Football First Around the Grounds show between 2001 and 2003 before becoming a regular Dublin-based TV pundit on Saturdays and he was good with Adrian in the studio back then, so given the end of RTE's show I could see him turning up a bit more frequently on Matchday Live this season, particularly if Michael Gray is to switch the bulk of his media commitments back to the BBC.

Yorkshire Radio (DAB) and official Leeds United website
host: Jonny Buchan
commentator: Thom Kirwin
summariser: Noel Hunt

The New Saints v Legia Waraw (UEFA Champions league 2nd qualifying round)

BBC Radio Wales / Cymru - Dylan Griffiths (updates)
BBC Shropshire - Nick Southall and James Bond. I'm Not sure if Nick is the host as at the top of the jingle had it as 'The Sports show with David Barnes' (96FM / Online)

BBC Radio Scotland, 17/7/13

Richard Gordon presenting Sportsound on 810MW, with Stephen McManus.

Cliftonville v Celtic (7.45pm) - Kheredine Idessane and Peter Houston (commentary), with Chris McLaughlin pitchside

BIG NEWS!

BBC Radio Manchester have signed a 3 year deal for Bolton games.

Although, I'm not too fussed, I'd rarely listen due to the poor standard of presentation/commentary.

I didn't listen any of Radio Shropshire's coverage last night, but I would imagine it was Nick Southall leading the commentary with James Bond doubling up as presenter and co-commentator, as was the case for their coverage of The New Saints' previous three European qualifying home legs at the start of the last couple of seasons. Bond is primarily Radio Shropshire's sports editor and the presenter of their Extra Time sports programmes, while Southall is usually their AFC Telford commentator.

talkSPORT will have commentary from some of the Barclays Asia Trophy matches.

They'll have Tottenham v Sunderland next Wednesday morning and then the final on Saturday 27th July.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say they'll be off tube!

BBC Radio Scotland, 18/7/13

Rob Maclean presenting Sportsound on 810MW with Mixu Paatelainen.

Malmo v Hibernian (6pm) - John Barnes and Craig Paterson (commentary)
Rosenburg v St Johnstone - Jim Spence and Billy Dodds

Robbie Savage is staying on 606 for another 2 years

Darren Fletcher will present Saturday nights with him

No word on Sunday's show as of yet

This is from Twitter!

Didn't Mark Chapman do a decent proportion of the Saturday ones last year? I'd have thought he'd be a decent bet again as presumably he won't be available on Sundays due to MOTD2. I hope we still hear Chapman a lot on the radio.

I mentinoed Chris Waddle perhaps taking on more 5 Live work having left ESPN - I wonder if the same might apply to Craig Burley too?

BBC Radio 5 Live have also released their schedule for Saturday 3rd August, the opening day of the new Football League season:

09:00 Not Just Cricket with Greg James
11:00 7 Day Saturday with Al Murray
12:00 5 Live Sport with Mark Pougatch: live commentary from the Championship, plus updates from across the Football League and the Third Ashes Test at Old Trafford
19:30 6-0-6

talkSPORT

Wednesday 17th July

Ian Danter presented Kick Off with Tim Collins from Melbourne's SEN Radio (7-8pm) and then Rupert Bell and Bob Bubka from Muirfield (8-10pm)

UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round First Leg
Cliftonville v Celtic - Graham Courtney


Thursday 18th July

Ian Danter presented Kick Off alongside Michael Calvin from The Independent on Sunday

Women's Euro 2013 Group C
France Women v England Women - David Spencer

Cricket: Second Ashes Test Match
England v Australia - Jack Bannister, with Jon Norman conducting interviews from Lord's

Golf: The Open Championship
Muirfield Golf Links, Gullane, East Lothian - Rupert Bell and Bob Bubka

Does anyone know about this Eklispe Sports Radio that's meant to be on DAB on the Central Scotland Mux come Monday?

Edit:- Aha - Good ol' Yahoo search comes up trumps:-

He did do Saturdays but I do wonder if he'll do Sunday's before MOTD2 now as they are broadcast from the same place

I knew about it, but I didn't and still don't think there will be any live football on the station. They will probably talk about it though. It may be a bit like Yorkshire Radio but without the commentaries.

BBC Radio Leicester

Presented by Mike McCarthy at the New Manor Ground.

Friendly
Ilkeston v Leicester City - Ian Stringer and Alan Young (commentary)

County Championship - Division Two
Essex v Leicestershire - John Shaw

Second Ashes Test, Lord's
England v Australia - Chris Jones

The Open Championship, Muirfield
Day Three - Chris Latchem

BBC WM

Summer Saturday With Adam Bridge

Saturday 20th July

Pre Season Friendlies
Mark Regan: Wycombe v Villa
Richard Wilford: Barnsley v Wolves
Rob Gurney: Walsall v Leeds

Second Ashes Test, Lord's
Chris Jones: England v Australia

The Open Championship Golf
Chris Latchem


BBC WM DAB

Friends Life T20 Cricket
Mike Taylor, Clive Eakin and Phil Britt: Warwickshire v Northampton

a bit more information to add

AMMENDED

Thanks for the BBC WM details Connor - sounds like Summer Saturday was a packed show this weekend. It is worth pointing out that updating the Wycombe Wanderers v Aston Villa friendly was Mark Regan's first sports broadcasting work on the station since he covered the Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion midweek PL game in early May. He's been absent from the airwaves for about two and a half months and only returned to the station this week. Welcome back Mark.

In other BBC Midlands local radio news, Matt Sandoz - who has been a sports presenter and commentator on BBC Radio Stoke since 2007/08, initially covering Port Vale before switching to Stoke City in recent seasons - has left Radio Stoke over the summer to become a broadcast journalist on BBC Midlands Today (from what I've seen of him on the regional TV bulletins, he's primarily been a Birmingham-based news reporter). It'll be interesting to see who they bring in to succeed him.

Yeah that's a fair point. I guess it depends on how much he has to do in preparing for MOTD2 after Sunday's football - going through the script, rehearsing etc. I wouldn't have thought he'll present Sunday's 606 but we'll have to wait and see!