TV TIMES

In 1937, the world’s first-ever live football match was transmitted by the BBC’s Television Service. Arsenal – then the best team in the land (kids, ask granny) – faced Arsenal Reserves in a training match at Highbury, the only ground the Beeb could reach from their Alexandra Palace studio with their big roll of cable. Eighty-two years on, Amazon joined the fray, and history soon repeated itself. On Tuesday night – using exactly the same vintage BBC equipment, if the way The Fiver’s picture regularly slipped in and out of focus was any guide – the newest broadcaster on the scene also premiered with a dull training run-out. Manchester City’s gentle trot around Turf Moor made for viewing nearly as captivating as the eight hours of All or Nothing. Thanks, Jeff Bezos! More, please!

Marco Silva confident Everton’s team spirit can end 20-year Anfield drought Read more

And indeed there will be more. Much more. Wednesday’s line-up on Amazon includes the Merseyside derby, Frank Lampard’s Chelsea’s Frank Lampard versus Plain Old John Terry, another tense relegation six-pointer at St Mary’s, and a festive panto from Manchester in which Humility Man™, the boy who never grew up, returns to Neverland. It’s a schedule sure to go down in broadcasting lore, alongside those legendary Christmas Days when BBC1 aired The Generation Game, Mike Yarwood and Morecambe and Wise, the must-see-TV nights on NBC when Friends was followed by Seinfeld and ER, and of course Television Service’s memorable triple whammy of 3.40pm Football at the Arsenal, 3.55pm Cartoon, 4pm Closedown. Thanks again, Jeff!

The biggest match in the listings is ostensibly the one at Anfield, where league leaders Liverpool defend their long unbeaten run against Everton. But anyone who remembers Wayne Clarke and what he did in 1988 – another question for granny, perhaps – already knows how that one is likely to end. It’s just going to happen, isn’t it. So perhaps the more intriguing programme is the panto. Manchester United are currently enduring their worst start to a league season in 31 years, so the last person anyone at Old Trafford wants to see is … look out, Ole! He’s behind you! Yes, it promises to be a proper night of entertainment, and it’s all live on Amazon. Thanks in advance for all the fun, Jeff, and especially for the chance to cough up an extra eight quid for some stuff we already had. Thanks!

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join Simon Burnton from 7.30pm GMT for hot Premier League clockwatch action, while Scott Murray will be on hand for Liverpool 1-2 Everton at 8.15pm.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I feel absolutely honoured to be getting abuse from Man City fans … it’s made me emosh! You lot should be worrying and tweeting Mané and Salah not Tom ‘the carthorse’ Pope you plantpots” – Port Vale’s Tom Pope responds after notoriously mild-mannered Manchester City fans on Social Media Disgrace Twitter dug up his post from June, in which he declared: “Just watched the highlights of the England game! I know I’m a League Two player, I know he plays for England, I know he’s on £150k a week, I know he’s a million times better player than me but I’d love to play against John Stones every week! I’d get 40 a season! #soft #weakaspi$$.” Vale head to City in the FA Cup third round.

TOP 100!

The countdown continues: from 100 to 41 on our 2019 list of the best female players in the world.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest We continue. Illustration: Guardian Design/Garry Blight

FIVER LETTERS

“Mark Husbands suggested a Fiver alternative to the Ballon d’Or, consisting of a ‘gold-painted, recycled exit sign, bearing the legend Do One in the font of your choice’ (yesterday’s Fiver letters). Am I the only one who suspects the font The Fiver would choose would be Comic Sans?” – Nick Jeffery.

“Further to Mark’s wise suggestion, I propose the Ballon d’Oh. It’s a Simpsons-themed annual award. My first nomination is Daniel Levy and José Mourinho as Montgomery Burns and the fawning Smithers. Also on the list is Phil Brown as any character drawn in a yellowish-orange hue” – Mike Wilner.

“By suggesting we make a play into touch with the shiny baubles awarded on Monday night, has The Fiver inadvertently (or advertently?) stopped the STOP FOOTBALL campaign? Apathetic readers need to know” – Matt Richman.

“I guess I won’t be the first or the last to ask, but any chance of awarding me letter o’ the day so that I can give my football-loving old man something other than a couple of cans of Tin this festive season? Preferably on a day when there’s a prize going. Thanks” – Johnny Mac.

Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And you can always tweet The Fiver via @guardian_sport. Today’s winner of our letter o’the day is … Johnny Mac, who bags a copy of Forgotten Nations. We’ve still got more prizes to give away, so get scribbling.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Former Macclesfield manager Sol Campbell wants the club wound up because debts of £182,000 have not been paid to him, a court has heard. Meanwhile, the bid to wind up Bury has been adjourned until 18 December.

Dozens of Bordeaux fans invaded the pitch to protest against the club’s board during their Ligue 1 match against Nîmes, forcing the game to be halted for 25 minutes. They won 6-0.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bordeaux fans getting on it. Photograph: Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images

Megan Rapinoe has called on a collection of the most famous male footballers in the world to join her in the fight against injustice. “I want to shout: ‘Cristiano, Lionel, Zlatan, help me!’” she said. “These big stars do not engage in anything when there are so many problems in men’s football. Do they fear losing everything? They believe that, but it is not true. Who will erase Messi or Ronaldo from world football history for a statement against racism or sexism?”

Mr and Mrs 15%s around the globe have trousered more than £500m in a record year, according to newly-released figures.

Rodri WK is still revelling after his banger in Manchester City’s 4-1 win at Burnley. “After this victory we were really having a party in the dressing room,” he cheered.

Days after being linked with Mark Robins, Birmingham City have upgraded Pep Clotet’s interim head coach role to a permanent one. “We have a clear vision of what our footballing philosophy needs to be,” parped the club.

And renowned South American outfit Australia have been drawn with Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay in next year’s flamin’ Copa América.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

The latest Football Weekly is right here, while we also have a special edition on Hillsborough and the 30-year fight for justice.

STILL WANT MORE?

“This, in many ways, is how Amazon implants itself in our lives: subtly, seamlessly, insidiously.” A belter on added Prime with a killer pay-off, by Jonathan Liew.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A warm welcome down at Selhurst on Tuesday. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters

Max Rushden on the wider modern perils of consuming football.

Suzanne Wrack trains her lens on the brilliant Vivianne Miedema.

The best scoring seasons by players from Asia or Oceania in Europe. This week’s Knowledge, starring Cha Bum-kun and Wynton Rufer!

From chaos to contenders: how Fulham have bounced back, via Ben Fisher.

Martin Laurence picks out the surprise packages around Europe this season.

Oh, and if it’s your thing … you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. And INSTACHAT, TOO!

RECOMMENDED LOOKING

How are Arsenal doing, boss? It’s the latest David Squires cartoon. And you can buy a copy of it right here.

RECOMMENDED BUYING

You can also get your mitts on a classic sport photograph … Cruyff’s special jersey.