Standing Room Only was a television programme on association football shown on British channel BBC2 between 1991 and 1994. Standing Room Only was produced by the BBC's Youth and Entertainment Features department, at the time headed up by Janet Street-Porter who was also executive producer. The first series consisted of six episodes broadcast in BBC2's "Def II" slot. The host was Simon O'Brien (who would later also co-present a series of Def II's "Rough Guide To The World" with Magenta Devine) but other people, including Shelley Webb, presented small sections of the programme.
The format was magazine style mixing current news stories with star interviews and comedy. Notably involved were comedians David Baddiel and Rob Newman who delivered weekly sketches under the banner of "Sepp Maier's Comedy Shorts", Rory Bremner who recorded comedy voices, and Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell who drew a weekly graphic comic strip. The series was inspired by the growing mainstream interest in football and the popularity of so-called football fanzines magazines notably When Saturday Comes which offered the opinions of football fans themselves rather than professionals. It had an informal style, with presenters usually standing near football grounds rather than sitting in a studio. In 1994, Baddiel would go on to co-host the hugely successful football series "Fantasy Football League" with fellow comedian Frank Skinner.
Links to Peel[]
John Peel personal look at English football 1991-94
Video available here.
Peel made an appearance in an episode in 1994 (possibly on the last episode of the programme), where he was filmed at Peel Acres talking about the state of English football for the last 3 years. During his appearance he talks amongst others:
- Not having much time to watch live football
- Taylor Report of the Hillsborough Football Stadium Disaster
- Seated Accommodations in Football
- Football on Sky TV.
- Graham Taylor's role as England football manager
- Liverpool football club