Fans of English Football League (EFL) clubs will once again be tuning into a new show on a new channel to catch a glimpse of their team next season.
Down the years fans of clubs below the Premier League have constantly had to channel-hop, from the BBC to Channel 5 and most recently Quest. Now, the highlights show is hoping to put down firm roots as ITV picks up the baton. The new show, produced by IMG at the IMG studios with the rather formal title 'English Football League Highlights ', sees the EFL return to the channel after 13 years away.
The previous incarnation was called 'The Championship' and had a marmite reputation among fans. Some enjoyed the features within the show whilst others were critical not only of its Sunday morning scheduling but the constant advert breaks.
Now, ITV is back with a new show albeit one that they say will not stray too far from the format and feel that viewers have become accustomed to over the last few seasons on Quest. It will be screened every Saturday night at the regular time of 9pm, on ITV4.
Crucially though, it will then be repeated twice. First on the main ITV channel, usually at a time to coincide with the end of Match of the Day over on BBC One. It will be repeated again, also on the main ITV channel, on Sunday morning.
Hugh Woozencroft and Jules Breach will be the new presenters, sharing hosting responsibilities across Saturday and midweek shows as well as Carabao Cup weeks.
Woozencroft, a familiar voice on the airwaves with talkSPORT , told Mirror Football he is itching to get started.
"I was on the floor when I got offered it. It was such an incredible opportunity," he said. "Everyone knows the history of the programme. It's been moved about a bit over the last 20 years but we're looking forward to hopefully giving it a settled home over the long-term and where people can become familiar with us.
"It's our job to continue and improve on what Quest did. Each and every division has so many stories within it which can be a challenge within a two-hour programme."
Breach, a regular on BT Sport's Score and who fronts England's Nations League games on Channel 4, says: "We want to bring across our own personalities, a bit of fun and of course do all the clubs justice which is really tricky when you're limited to a certain amount of time.
"What me and Hugh are keen to do is make sure every club feels loved and gets a mention. We know people don't really like change so it's going to follow a similar format."
The elephant in the room during our conversations is of course the absence of Colin Murray in any of this.
When it was announced earlier this year that the show would be moving channels, there was an outcry for the popular Northern Irishman to continue as host due to his enthusiasm and love of the EFL.
Woozencroft and Breach both say their task is to try and put their own stamp on the show rather than try to imitate Murray. "We want to hit the right tone," Woozencroft said. "I know a lot of fans will miss Colin and Quest because they did a fantastic job, so we feel that level of responsibility to keep the high standards." Breach adds: "What Quest did was brilliant. I worked on that show a few times and it doesn't need changing but hopefully with ITV it can reach a bigger audience."
As for the nuts and bolts of the show, as both presenters say, it is likely to feel largely the same to viewers.
There will be the same clutch of pundits - Dean Ashton, Jobi McAnuff and Jamie Mackie to name but three - whilst the studio and feel of the programme will not be a million miles away from what fans watched last season on Quest.
The show's producer Mark Scott hammers that point home, saying: "It's got a new home but the spirit remains and continues. It's a continuation of story-telling on a rapid scale on one of the most fertile grounds for telling stories, the Football League. ITV is an established channel so the wider we can reach the better. If more people get to enjoy the leagues, the better."
English Football League Highlights debuts on ITV4 on Saturday at 9pm. It will be repeated on the main ITV channel at 11.15pm and again on Sunday at 9.25am.
