Will the ITV curse strike again? England’s awful World Cup record when live games aren’t on BBC “Sometimes you have to make decisions for the bigger picture. That’s what I did tonight.” So said Gareth Southgate in […]

“Sometimes you have to make decisions for the bigger picture. That’s what I did tonight.”

So said Gareth Southgate in the wake of England’s 1-0 defeat to Belgium as he defended his decision to make eight changes to his side.

Given how other results have gone, you can see why Southgate was willing to make such wholesale changes, just as his counterpart Roberto Martinez did.



Spain’s shock defeat on penalties against Russia has seen another big team eliminated from England’s side of the draw.

Favourable draw

The three favourites for the competition now that Germany, Spain, Argentina and Portugal are gone happen to be on the opposite side of the draw (Brazil, France and Belgium).

But while England are seemingly on the easier side of the draw there is one oversight that Southgate made… their last 16 game against Colombia will be shown on ITV.

Had England topped the group and therefore, met Japan in the last 16, their game would have been televised on BBC on Monday July 2 at the Rostov Arena.

Instead, the game will be broadcast on ITV from the Spartak Stadium on Tuesday July 3. What’s the problem with that? You may ask.

Alarming results

Well, England’s World Cup results are worse when they’ve been shown on ITV compared to BBC. Alarmingly so, in fact.

Of the 24 games that England have played at the World Cup since France 1998, they have won ten. Of those ten, nine have been shown on BBC.

Yep, that’s right, ITV have managed to broadcast one solitary England win at the World Cup in the past 20-years and even that was a 2-0 victory over the mighty Trinidad & Tobago in 2006.

In total, England’s record when they’ve been shown on BBC reads; 13 games played, nine wins, one draw and three defeats (69% win accuracy).

ITV’s shambolic record

Those are statistics that ITV could only dream of. Their record, in contrast, reads; 11 games played, one (!) game won, five draws and five defeats (9%).

England’s latest World Cup defeat against Belgium was inevitably shown on ITV. Maybe Roy Keane has been giving the team bad JuJu or something.

So, if Colombia crush England’s World Cup dreams on Tuesday night you know who to blame. ITV.

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