Gary Lineker confirms 'contractual obligation' that's influenced Match of the Day for years

Gary Lineker has revealed a 'contractual obligation' that has dictated the format of Match of the Day for years.

Match of the Day has been a staple of English football culture since it first broadcast on the BBC in 1964. Football has changed drastically, with the advent of the Premier League turning it into the multi billion pound industry it is today.

Supporters can often feel disconnected from modern football, but Match of the Day is something that has remained constant and still beams top flight games into millions of homes.

One upon a time, when all matches were at 3pm on a Saturday, the programme followed a simple format. However, packed schedules and the influence that live broadcasters have over the fixture list mean the BBC have had to adapt.

Take Saturday's episode of highlights show. The Premier League's mini winter-break meant there were just two matches on Saturday, Arsenal's thrashing of Crystal Palace and Brentford's thrilling 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest.

On The Rest is Football podcast, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards poked fun at Match of the Day regular Alan Shearer for having to fill time during Saturday's show.

When there are fewer games to show, the pundits have to talk for longer to fill the time. In Shearer's defence, long-time host Gary Lineker explained why the BBC can't just show extended match highlights when there are fewer games.

Rest Is Football/YouTube)

"I'm not sure if people know this but you're only allowed a certain amount of time of each game," he said.

"I think it's limited to something like a maximum of 12 minutes. So therefore whereas normally we would squeeze in six or eight games and condense our chatting into two or three minutes per game, when you've just got two games in 35 minutes you've got ten minutes or so to chat. It's a contractual obligation - I think it's 12 minutes but I'll check that."

So, spare a thought for Shearer next time he spends several minutes talking about Martin Odegaard's socks. He has little choice.