Match of the Day - 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.

39 Episodes

25th August 1984

Season 21 - Episode 1

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

31st August 1984: Chelsea v Everton

Season 21 - Episode 2

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

8th September 1984

Season 21 - Episode 3

Jimmy Hill presents action highlights from two First Division games, plus analysis and interviews. Arsenal v Liverpool Sheffield Wednesday...

15th September 1984

Season 21 - Episode 4

Action highlights from First and Third Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Southampton v Norwich City Hull City v Preston North...

22nd September 1984

Season 21 - Episode 5

Action highlights from two First Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Manchester United v Liverpool Aston Villa v Tottenham Hots...

29th September 1984

Season 21 - Episode 6

Action highlights from First and Second Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Also, the chance to win £100-worth of premium bonds i...

6th October 1984

Season 21 - Episode 7

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

12th October 1984: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Season 21 - Episode 8

Match of the Day's second live transmission of the season brings together the clubs who earned European honours for Britain last spring -Tot...

20th October 1984

Season 21 - Episode 9

Action highlights from two first division matches plus analysis and interviews. Liverpool v Everton Ipswich Town v West Bromwich Albion

27th October 1984

Season 21 - Episode 10

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

2nd November 1984: Manchester United v Arsenal

Season 21 - Episode 11

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...

10th November 1984

Season 21 - Episode 12

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches. Plus news round-up and pools check. Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Ho...

17th November 1984

Season 21 - Episode 13

Action highlights from Canon League First and Second Division matches. Plus news round-up and pools check. Watford v Sheffield Wednesday C...

24th November 1984

Season 21 - Episode 14

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

1st December 1984

Season 21 - Episode 15

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

8th December 1984

Season 21 - Episode 16

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

15th December 1984

Season 21 - Episode 17

Jimmy Hill presents highlights from two Canon League First Division matches. West Ham United v Sheffield Wednesday Coventry City v Southam...

21st December 1984: Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool

Season 21 - Episode 18

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...

29th December 1984

Season 21 - Episode 19

Action highlights from two Canon League First Division matches plus analysis and interviews. Plus News Round-up and Pools Check. Also, a cha...

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

Season 21 - Episode 20

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

12th January 1985

Season 21 - Episode 21

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

19th January 1985

Season 21 - Episode 22

Highlights from two Canon League matches. Chelsea v Arsenal Manchester City v Wimbledon

26th January 1985: FA Cup Fourth Round

Season 21 - Episode 23

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...

2nd February 1985

Season 21 - Episode 24

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

9th February 1985

Season 21 - Episode 25

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

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

Season 21 - Episode 26

The FA Cup Fifth Round begins with live coverage of a real 'Lancashire hotpot' tonight as Manchester United continue their bid for a sixth t...

23rd February 1985

Season 21 - Episode 27

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

2nd March 1985

Season 21 - Episode 28

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

9th March 1985: FA Cup Sixth Round

Season 21 - Episode 29

Action highlights from this afternoon's games plus all the atmosphere and tension that surrounds the Cup. Manchester United v West Ham Unit...

15th March 1985: West Ham United v Manchester United

Season 21 - Episode 30

In the last of this season's live Canon League fixtures on BBC television, Manchester United's pursuit of their eighth championship takes th...

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

Season 21 - Episode 31

North East meets East Anglia in a major final for the first time. Sunderland have travelled the hard path, needing to beat four First Divisi...

30th March 1985

Season 21 - Episode 32

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

6th April 1985

Season 21 - Episode 33

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

13th April 1985: FA Cup Semi-Final

Season 21 - Episode 34

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...

20th April 1985

Season 21 - Episode 35

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

27th April 1985

Season 21 - Episode 36

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

4th May 1985

Season 21 - Episode 37

As the season draws to a close, Match of the Day cameras bring action highlights from two Canon League matches affecting championship honour...

11th May 1985

Season 21 - Episode 38

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

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

Season 21 - Episode 39

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