WITH seven days to go to the start of the European Football Championships, one selection is already causing controversy. For its Euro 96 theme tune, the BBC has chosen Beethoven's Ode To Joy (better known to us Irish as the little bit of music that comes up before the Eurovision). Recorded with new English lyrics by the BBC Concert Orchestra and sung by the BBC Symphony Choir, Ode To Joy has two major drawbacks it was written by a German and it's as near as you can get to an official European Union anthem. One Europhobic Tory backbencher has already suggested to the Sun that Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler would be a more appropriate ditty.
It's hardly surprising that Euro 96 has roused the ire of Little Englanders the very name of the thing has the ring of a Brussels conspiracy. While any other country in the EU would be expected to use an event like this to celebrate its European credentials, in England (and this is an English, not a British, event) the prevailing mood is one of trepidation about the team's chances on the pitch and downright nervousness about possible violence on the streets. However, the two British channels start gearing up this week to persuade us that it's all going to be a wonderful experience.
In the parlance of the beautiful game, the BBC team has the more settled look, relying on a formation tried and tested over the last few years on Match of the Day. The silver tongued Desmond Lynam is flanked by stalwarts Alan Hansen and Jimmy Hill, with Chris Waddle taking the place of Gary Lineker, who has been promoted to presenter of the highlights programmes.
John Motson, Barry Davies, Clive Tyldesley and Tony Gubba doing the commentating, while Garth Crooks and Gerald Sinstadt will provide roving reports from the team camps. James Richardson of Channel 4's Football Italio has been drafted in to provide some extra knowledge on all those funny foreigners. New laddish star Nick Hancock of They Think It's All Over will present quirky behind the scenes stories.
IN addition to the in built advantage of greater familiarity with the viewers, the Beeb always benefits from the fact that it's seen as the channel of choice for viewers during moments of great national importance. The two channels have divvied up the first round matches with the BBC getting two of England's first three encounters, while ITV has the rights to the clash with Scotland.
Over on ITV, they've tried to compensate by signing up Alex Ferguson and Kevin Keegan. The two rival managers have been kept apart, though, with Ferguson in the studio and the Newcastle man assisting in the commentary box. ITV also has England's manager elect Glenn Hoddle, Liverpool captain John Barnes, Jack Charlton, Ron Atkinson and Ray Wilkins. Despite all this, the channel suffers from its absence from the international and Premiership scenes over the last few years, and if its European Champions League coverage is anything to go by, it still can't bring itself to get rid of those ropey old sets from The Big Match.
The BBC has been quite happy to be Manchester United to ITV's Newcastle, letting its commercial rival snap up all the big names for what is probably a lot of money. Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit, who impressed with his contributions last season to Sky Sports, is the only big name addition to the BBC team, which still seems likely to be more balanced and more knowledgeable about the current state of football across the Channel.
Out in Montrose, the indefatigable Bill O'Herlihy presents proceedings as usual, although Ireland's absence from the finals means that Mick McCarthy and Andy Townsend are free to join usual suspects Jim Beglin, Joe Kinnear and Paddy Crerand on the panel. After a decade of sterling service, John Giles has finally been allowed out of the studio, though not on his own he'll be accompanying George Hamilton in the commentary box.
Over the next week, both British channels complete their buildup to Saturday's kick off at Wembley. The BBC will attempt to wrap Saint George's flag around itself by broadcasting the entire 1966 World Cup Final on Monday night, and has a final round up show on Friday, while ITV screens the last of its three preview programmes on Wednesday.
Apart altogether from the football, which should be pretty darned good, it's a fascinating time for this particular event to be taking place. The British channels will be trying their hardest to make it the symbol of the regeneration of English football in the 1990s, but if something goes wrong off the pitch, expect a rapid return to the same old platitudes from Jimmy Hill and the rest. The terrace anthems of Primal Scream and Black Grape might yet prove a better soundtrack than Beethoven for Euro 96.
Of course, there is another, no frills option for the viewer who wants to avoid all the pundits. Eurosport is broadcasting all 31 matches in their entirety no fancy sets no stars, just a man with a flask of coffee describing what's happening on the screen from a little room somewhere in London. After a few days of Big Rons and Big Jacks it should be just the thing.
