Match of the Day is a staple to millions of households each Saturday Night. Ryan Evans is Producer on the show, working mainly on analysis and edits featured on the show including openers and montages. Studio Insider sits down with Ryan to discuss how the analysis works, the relationship with onscreen pundits and the process of creating the Gary Lineker’s leaving montage.

In the modern TV landscape it’s common for jobs to take on multiple roles. That’s no different for Ryan Evans, who works for BBC Sport as an analysis producer whilst also producing features, montages and openers for Match of the Day. 

Last Sunday, Gary Lineker signed off from presenting Match of the Day after 26 years and the show ended with two separate montages. Ryan was responsible for both of them. 

“I made Wrighty’s (Ian Wright) last year when he left. Gary’s is obviously significantly bigger because he’s been there as the face of Match of the Day for 25 years. It was stressful given how political he’s been.”

The first montage was a combination of Gary’s playing career, his punditry and his presenting career along with messages from people including Alan Hanson, Ian Wright, Claudio Ranieri and his three sons. 

“Trying to condense all that down into seven/eight minutes is a task itself. It’s all about making sure when you’re doing a montage that long that you don’t lose the audience with boredom. You have to structure it in a way that’s almost chapter-like.

“Having that family element was the most emotional bit. The big reaction happened with Wrighty last year with his grandkids and it was the same this year with Gary and his sons.” 

Working on the analysis:

Over the three years, Ryan has spent most of his time working as an analysis producer. 

An average Saturday sees Ryan arrive at Media City at 12pm ahead of the first game of the day before watching the rest of the day’s matches with the pundits, the presenter and the programme editor and director. 

“As we’re watching the games, I’m making notes and time codes with certain players, passages of play and the way the team is set up. 

“It’s up to them, in collaboration with me, to come up with what it is we can talk about, why a team has won a certain game, why this player has had an unbelievable game. 

“We have the BBC statisticians, so they provide all the facts and stats to enable us to back up our analysis.” 

Across a season, Ryan works with over twenty different pundits who are all bound to have different approaches to analysing. 

“Danny Murphy is our best analytical pundit. When he watches a game, he’s writing all his own stuff down, he’s making notes of time codes. He quickly establishes what is going on in the game and what he wants to talk about. He’s very quick at spotting a pattern. 

“Alan Shearer is great. In collaboration with you hone is on something and as soon as he’s honed in on that he will be like, this is what we’re delivering. 

“Micah is also really analytical. He’ll always try and spot something that is educational for the audience.” 

During the show:

Despite all the work ahead of each show, the work does not stop for Ryan when the show is live.

“I’m in their ear. When the game is going on, we’ve re-showing their analysis and all the graphics. I’ll be talking them through their clips and making sure they’re nailing their points when it comes to the live delivery of that. 

“Sometimes they’ll need a prompt. Martin Keown will actively ask for live prompts. So when we move from one clip to another, I’ll say something like ‘Bryan Mbeumo’s second goal’ and that just reminds him what the clip is at the start.” 

 

Working on MOTD:

For any football fan, which Ryan is, Match of the Day is the most historic live sports show. But what is it like working on such a British institution?

“Fun! I get to sit there every Saturday and Sunday and watch football with some of the most iconic footballers in the Premier League. It’s not a bad job! 

“It comes with its pressures. There’s a certain standard you have to deliver every week.

“If you’d have told me 15 years ago that this would be what I would be doing, then I’d snap your hand off for it, cause it doesn’t feel like work.” 

It’s been quite the journey for Ryan, who previously worked as a Bank Manager before moving to BBC Sport when it moved from London to Salford in 2013.

But when asked for advice to those aspiring to enter the TV production industry he said: 

“Just having great ideas! The Andrea Bocelli closer for Gary’s final episode, that was an idea I had a few months ago, based on the fact that Andrea Bocelli performed when Leiester won the league in 2016 and it was Gary’s favourite moment ever. 

“Having the idea and then seeing that idea through and making it happen is what a good producer or director does.” 

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