The Gardeners' World Blog

Every now and then, somebody will write in hankering after the good old days. That golden age when Match of the Day only had coverage of two games and the viewer was guaranteed a long edit of both. None of this jumping around eight different games and fancy-dan analysis with lines and circles on it, no MOTD repeat or Sunday football - just Motty at one 3pm kick-off, Barry Davies at another, Jimmy Hill and Bob Wilson in the studio, Goal of the Month nine times a season, thank you and goodnight.

Well, if you're nostalgic for that format, then this Saturday night, for one week only, you've got it. Motty will even be at Villa Park, though the other names have changed.

Can anyone remember a time when there was just one top flight football match kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday?

That is the situation this coming weekend in the Barclays Premier League when Aston Villa v West Ham will be the only match in the top division to be played at the traditional kick-off time. Manchester United play Wigan earlier in the day at 1245pm and no fewer than eight games switch to the Sunday.