After the Goal of the Season fiasco on Match of the Day, I complained to the BBC. Their first reply simply repeated what had happened on the programme - 'Gary made clear earlier in the programme that Alan and Ian will choose the overall winner'. I replied that they should have chosen the BEST goal, not the most important, or anything else. Their reply was 'the criteria for Goal of the Season wasn't changed at the last minute'. Well it was. My complaint was then passed up to the 'Executive Complaints Unit'. Their reply is below. I'll be writing to Ofcom next, if anyone wants to write too. It won't change the result, but it would be good if they'd admit they got it wrong, and even apologise.
British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast Centre, BC2 B4, 201 Wood Lane, London, W12 7TP
Telephone: 020 8743 8000 Email:
ecu@bbc.co.uk
Executive Complaints Unit
Mr D ******
Email: david******@gmail.com
Ref: CT/1900464
19 August 2019
Dear Mr M*****
Match of the Day, BBC One, 12 May 2019
Thank you for your email of 14 August. I have looked into the concern you raised and I
am now able to let you know the outcome of the Executive Complaints Unit’s
investigation.
I appreciate you were dissatisfied with the explanation you were given for the choice
of Goal of the Season and I also appreciate you do not think Vincent Kompany’s goal
was the “best”. As a long-standing supporter of Crystal Palace I should say I share
your view that Andros Townsend’s goal was clearly better!
However, I think it is reasonable to say this is a subjective rather than an objective
issue and, as in so many aspects of sport, people will hold different opinions and have
different points of view. Six goals were shortlisted from those scored during the
season and the public were invited to vote online for their “favourite goal”. The fact
that no single goal won an outright majority of the vote would appear to suggest there
was no consensus among viewers about what was the goal of the season (however that
was judged by the people who voted).
I therefore cannot agree the final choice of the three presenters was wrong or that it
went against the spirit of the competition. Messrs Lineker, Shearer and Wright
explained how they reached their decision and even if you may disagree with their
reasoning, they were entitled to hold that view (just as you and I take the view
Townsend’s goal was the best, even if we may have reached that decision for different
reasons). For me, the fact it was not only a technically brilliant strike but also resulted
in an away victory against the champions was undoubtedly a factor.
In conclusion, I do not believe there are grounds for me to uphold your complaint
because the choice of goal of the season inevitably involves a degree of subjectivity.
There is no provision for further appeal against this decision within the BBC but please
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let me know if you have any comments to make about my finding. I would be grateful
if you could let me have any such comments by 3 September. Alternatively, I should
explain that if you do take this complaint further, it is open to you to ask the
broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, to consider your complaint. You can find details of
how to contact Ofcom and the procedures it will apply at the following website:
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can also write to Ofcom at Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1
9HA, or telephone either 0300 123 3333 or 020 7981 3040.
Yours sincerely
Colin Tregear
Complaints Director
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