The World Football Phone-In at 20
Tim Vickery
BBC’s South American football correspondent
5 live’s World Football Phone-In is celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend.
For two decades, the weekly show and podcast has rejoiced in the power and intricacies of the beautiful game.
With pundits and loyal listeners from across the globe, it continues to shine a unique light on international stories, teams and players.
Here, the BBC’s South American football correspondent Tim Vickery (aka ‘The Legendinho’) – who hasn’t missed a show since the very first! – reflects on how the show began, evolved and continues to thrive:
This Saturday 2 December, Dotun Adebayo will be joined by an audience of fans and special guests for a 20th anniversary special.
Early December 1997.
For the previous few months, I had been doing plenty of radio reports for the BBC World Service, and the odd thing for 5 live.
Up All Night had been launched. Someone from the show heard me and thought it might be worth a try.
I got a call: Did I fancy doing a quick round up of South American football, say five minutes long, on Sunday night? I did, and we were away.
But when the phone rang again the following week, I was surprised.
The BBC’s South American football correspondent Tim Vickery (aka ‘The Legendinho’) hasn’t missed a show since the first in 1997.
Oh, so we’re doing it again, are we? It’s a regular thing, is it? No one had told me! I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Two decades later, it’s still going strong.
We went from five minutes, to ten, and then to fifteen.
In late 2002, I got an e-mail: We’re thinking of making it interactive, I was told. An hour long phone-in. Do you think it would work? Not a chance, I replied, and thought no more of it.
A few months later, when I dialled-in for the usual weekly round-up, I had some news: You know it’s extended tonight, I presume? I didn’t. Has no-one told you it’s now an hour long phone-in? No-one had. But let’s roll up our sleeves and try and make it work.
And here we still are, having grown to an hour and a half, then to two, and for occasional specials, up to four.
Regular contributors are awarded a 'Brazilian shirt name' as a nickname.
How has it lasted all this time? We’ve been lucky with presenters. Richard Dallyn saw that it was going down well, and gave it a boost. Anita Anand was wonderfully charming, and adept in handling the transition to a phone-in.
And then came Dotun.
A certain Cork City right back knows Dotun Adebayo as ‘Uncle D’ (sorry Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, but you have to share him with the world!).
He’s everyone’s Uncle D, a big Baloo the bear figure guiding all of us Mowglis through the highways of life.
Dotun is key to two of the main reasons, in my humble opinion, for the show’s success – and for the fact that, to my unending delight, it frequently appeals to people with little interest in the game of football.
One is the sheer warmth that is generated. The show really does feel like a global community, filled with mutual respect and affectionate banter.
The phone-in is hosted by BBC Radio 5 live’s Dotun Adebayo, every Saturday morning on Up All Night.
All are included: pundits, callers, those who send in texts and e-mails, those who listen live or to the podcast. Radio can be a fine generator of intimacy.
The other is the programme’s sheer range. It can go from frivolous and infantile humour (guilty, your honour), to in-depth cultural discussion and back again, all in the space of a few minutes.
Very rarely do I put the mic down at the end of a show without feeling that the previous two hours were gloriously spent in a joyful weekly communion with old mates.
The show features reporters from across the continent, including European football expert Paul Sarah (aka ‘Galatasarahs’).
And of course, none of it would be possible without the loyal listeners…
“The World Football Phone-In has been a central part of my week for the last 10 years, having stumbled across it whilst eating tea and toast after a night out at university. ‘Was it dream?’, I thought in the morning. No, and alas life has never been the same since. Careers, girlfriends, families, daughters and, more importantly, sleep, all come second to the dulcet tones of the Legendinho (Tim Vickery), and the ‘best dressed chicken in town’ (Mina Rzouki), both going all out attack and defence for their justification of their favourite styles of play.” – Bobby
“The World Football Phone-In is more than just about football.” - Richard
“This show has been part of my life since I turned it the right way around.” - Ekram
“The Phone-In has helped me through many a sleepless night Dotun. is a legend.” - Margaret
“Undoubtedly the best thing on any BBC channel, radio station or website.” - Henry
Listener The Artist Archivist has made this collage to celebrate 20 years of the World Football Phone-In.
The World Football Phone-In 20th anniversary special will be live on 5 live from 1am Saturday 2 December. Watch it on the BBC Sport website or catch-up via the podcast, and get involved using #WPFI20.
