Match of the Day Season 33, Episode 21: 21st December 1996:

1

11th August 1996: FA Charity Shield: Manchester United v Newcastle United

Highlights of the traditional curtain raiser of the domestic season, the FA Charity Shield, with Manchester United taking on Newcastle United at Wembley. Alex Ferguson's side, who won the Premiership and FA Cup double last season, contains several new faces, including summer signings Jordi and Karel Poborsky, as well as Footballer of the Year Eric Cantona. Newcastle, who were league runners-up and lost twice to United last season, will be looking to get the season off to a flying start with victory in their first appearance at Wembley for 20 years.

80 min

2

17th August 1996

Action from two of the top fixtures on the opening day of the new season in the FA Premiership, with champions Manchester United away to Wimbledon and Liverpool at Middlesbrough.

80 min

3

21st August 1996

Highlights of the FA Premiership match between Chelsea and Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge.

80 min

4

24th August 1996

Action from two of today's key games in the FA Premiership, including West Ham's game against Southampton at Upton Park. The Hammers' close season signings include Portugal's Paolo Futre and Romanian striker Florin Raducioiu, while Southampton recently appointed former Liverpool and Rangers' boss Graeme Souness as their new manager. Plus, highlights from the all-Midlands clash between Coca-Cola Cup holders Aston Villa and newly promoted Derby County, and all today's other goals and talking points.

80 min

5

1st September 1996: Moldova v England

Highlights of Moldova v England, Glenn Hoddle's opening match as coach and the national team's first qualifying match for the 1998 World Cup tournament, to be staged in France.

80 min

6

4th September 1996

Action from tonight's Tyne-Wear derby between Sunderland and Newcastle United, from Roker Park.

80 min

7

7th September 1996

Action from today's key games in the Premiership, including the clash of the roses at Elland Road where Leeds United entertain rivals Manchester United. There's also talking points and goals from the day's other Premiership games.

80 min

8

14th September 1996

Highlights from two of today's top games in the Premiership, including Newcastle United against Blackburn Rovers.

80 min

9

21st September 1996

Highlights from two of today's top games in the Premiership including Liverpool v Chelsea at Anfield.

80 min

10

28th September 1996

Highlights from two of today's top games in the Premiership, including Everton v Sheffield Wednesday at Goodison Park.

80 min

11

12th October 1996

Highlights of the day's big Premiership game between Manchester United and Liverpool, from Old Trafford. Plus, a roundup of all the action from this afternoon's other matches.

80 min

12

19th October 1996

Highlights of the day's big Premiership game between Nottingham Forest and Derby County, from the City Ground. Plus, a roundup of all the action from this afternoon's other matches.

80 min

13

26th October 1996

Highlights from two of today's top games in the Premiership, including Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

80 min

14

2nd Novermber 1996

Highlights from two of today's top games in the Premiership, including Manchester United v Chelsea at Old Trafford.

80 min

15

9th November 1996: England v Georgia

Highlights of England's World Cup qualifying match against Georgia in Tbilisi. Plus action from the group seven qualifier between Holland and Wales, while Northern Ireland face a daunting game away against European champions Germany.

80 min

16

16th November 1996

Highlights of the day's top FA Premiership match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford. Plus highlights from the rest of the day's Premiership fixtures.

80 min

17

23rd November 1996

Action from today's Midlands derby between Coventry City and Aston Villa at Highfield Road, plus highlights and talking points from the rest of the day's Premiership fixtures.

80 min

18

30th November 1996

Featuring highlights of the day's top FA Premiership match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James' Park. Plus an update on the rest of the day's Premiership games.

80 min

19

7th December 1996

Featuring highlights of the day's top Premiership match between Arsenal and Derby County at Highbury. Including action from the second round of the FA Cup, as second and third division sides aim to make it into the third round. Plus an update on the rest of the day's games, and the latest Goal of the Month competition.

80 min

20

9th December 1996: FA Cup Third Round Draw

Coverage of the draw from Lancaster Gate.

80 min

21

21st December 1996:

Action from today's FA Premiership matches, including highlights of the match between Everton and Leeds United at Goodison Park.

80 min

22

28th December 1996

Highlights of two of today's top matches in the FA Premiership including Newcastle United against Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park. Plus all the goals and talking points from the day's other games.

80 min

23

1st January 1997

All the goals and key moments from the day's Premiership games, including highlights of the match at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Aston Villa.

80 min

24

4th January 1997: FA Cup Third Round

Featuring highlights from Highfield Road of the FA Cup third-round match between Coventry City and Woking. Plus highlights of a tricky away tie for West Ham United and action from the all-Premiership match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Highbury.

80 min

25

5th January 1997: FA Cup Third Round: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur

Coverage from Old Trafford of this FA Cup third-round tie. United have reached the final for the last three years and won the cup for a record ninth time last season. That put them one ahead of Spurs who last won in 1991. Live coverage of the fourth-round draw follows.

80 min

26

11th January 1997

Action from today's FA Premiership matches, including highlights of the match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United at Villa Park.

80 min

27

18th January 1997

Action from today's FA Premiership matches, including highlights of the match between Liverpool and Aston Villa at Anfield.

80 min

28

25th January 1997: FA Cup Fourth Round

Featuring highlights of two of today's FA Cup fourth-round matches.

80 min

29

26th January 1997: FA Cup Fourth Round: Chelsea v Liverpool

Coverage of this outstanding FA Cup fourth-round tie from Stamford Bridge between Ruud Gullit's cosmopolitan Chelsea side and an impressive Liverpool lineup. Live coverage of the fifth-round draw follows.

80 min

30

1st February 1997

Featuring highlights of two matches from today's Premiership programme, including Leeds United v Arsenal, in which new Leeds manager George Graham takes on his old club. Plus goals from the day's other fixtures in the Premiership and the Goal of the Month competition.

80 min

31

15th February 1997: FA Cup Fifth Round

Highlights from two key FA Cup fifth-round ties.

80 min

32

16th February 1997: FA Cup Fifth Round: Leicester City v Chelsea

Coverage of this FA Cup fifth-round tie from Filbert Street. Followed by the quarter-final draw.

80 min

33

22nd February 1997

Highlights of today's FA Premiership match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

80 min

34

1st March 1997

Highlights from St James' Park of the FA Premiership match between Newcastle United and Southampton.

80 min

35

8th March 1997: FA Cup Sixth Round

Featuring FA Cup highlights from the game between Derby and Middlesbrough, plus a review of the Premiership match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Including all the goals and news from the day's other Premiership fixtures.

80 min

36

9th March 1997: FA Cup Sixth Round: Sheffield Wednesday v Wimbledon

Coverage of this FA Cup quarter-final tie from Hillsborough. Followed by the semi-final draw.

80 min

37

15th March 1997

Including highlights of the Premiership match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Plus today's goals and news.

80 min

38

22nd March 1997

Featuring highlights from Highfield Road of the Premiership match between Coventry City and West Ham United.

80 min

39

29th March 1997

Featuring highlights from Wembley of England's friendly international against Mexico. Plus highlights of today's World Cup qualifying matches: Scotland v Estonia, Wales v Belgium, and Northern Ireland v Portugal.

80 min

40

5th April 1997

Featuring highlights of two of today's key matches in the FA Premiership, including Nottingham Forest v Southampton at the City Ground.

80 min

41

12th April 1997

Highlights of two of today's top fixtures, including the match between Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United at Ewood Park.

80 min

42

13th April 1997: FA Cup Semi Final: Wimbledon v Chelsea

Coverage of this all-Premiership FA Cup semi-final from Highbury. It is Chelsea's third appearance in this stage of the competition in the last four years while Wimbledon haven't reached an FA Cup semi-final for nine years.

80 min

43

13th April 1997: FA Cup Semi Final: Middlesbrough v Chesterfield

Highlights of today's other FA Cup semi-final between Middlesbrough and Chesterfield at Old Trafford. Having not reached a major cup final competition in their history, Boro are on the verge of achieving the feat twice in the same season. For Chesterfield this is the biggest match in their history and they are the first side from outside the top two divisions to reach the last four in the FA Cup since Plymouth Argyle 13 years ago.

80 min

44

19th April 1997

Highlights of two of today's top fixtures in the FA Premiership including the match that could decide the title between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield.

80 min

45

3rd May 1997

Including highlights of Manchester United's match at Leicester City, the first of four matches in the last week of the season for United as they bid to retain the Premiership title.

80 min

46

3rd May 1997

Including highlights of Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal v Newcastle United.

80 min

47

5th May 1997

Highlights of the clash between Manchester United and Middlesbrough at Old Trafford, as United play their second of four matches in the space of nine days.

80 min

48

6th May 1997

Highlights of tonight's two vital FA Premiership matches affecting issues at both ends of the table. Liverpool face Wimbledon at Selhurst Park, looking for their first away win against the home side since 1990, while West Ham United entertain Newcastle United at Upton Park, hoping for vital points to help them also avoid relegation.

80 min

49

8th May 1997

Tonight Manchester United and Middlesbrough are both involved in important matches as the Premiership title and relegation battles near their conclusion. At Old Trafford, United face Newcastle, while at the other end of the table, FA Cup finalists Middlesbrough's punishing schedule continues with their re-scheduled match at Blackburn Rovers.

80 min

50

11th May 1997

All the drama from the final day of the FA Premiership season. West Ham visit Old Trafford at the end of a difficult week for Manchester United during which they've already played three matches. Southampton end their season at Aston Villa, and Coventry finish with a tricky away game at Tottenham.

80 min

51

17th May 1997: FA Cup Final: Chelsea v Middlesbrough

Highlights of today's FA Cup final between Chelsea and Middlesbrough at Wembley.

80 min

52

24th May 1997: England v South Africa

Highlights of tonight's historic friendly international between England and South Africa at Old Trafford. This is the first meeting between the two nations and the first England international to take place at the home of Manchester United since 1938.

80 min

53

31st May 1997: England v Poland

Highlights of England's World Cup qualifier against Poland at the Slaski stadium in Chorzow.

80 min