Gutted

I've always hated ITV. Ever since the Tactics Truck slot on the shortlived advert filled incarnation of Match of The Day their shoddiness has increased and the quality of their programmes diminshed. Every year they have about 11 and a half months worth of rubbish reality TV shows that either purport to be hugely important cultural events, like the X-Factor, where Simon Cowell spouts hyperbole about someone being "world class" who will invariably never be heard from again. Then we have the exploitative show, Britiains got talent, that wheel out either delusional people or those bordering on the mentally ill so we can laugh at them and Simon Cowell (again) can tell them how awful they are rather than just not airing the clip and ushering them home. Last, but by no means the least of all these Evils, is "I'm a Celebrity..."which is perhaps the most nauseating spectacle of the lot. Celebrities clinging on to the last vestiges of fame put themselves through eating of bug and sleeping with rats, again, so we can laugh at how little dignity they have as if we need a cathartic outpouring of releif that we will never stoop that low.

But worse than all of this is something far more recent. Last night ITV covered the FA Cup replay between Liverpool and Everton. After almost 120 minutes of, largely uninspiring football, they missed the only goal of the game, randomly cutting to an advertising break whilst the game was still ongoing. All night millions at home had sat through this turgid stuff as Liverpool attacked and Everton defended, the Reds growing more toothless as Gerrard limped off, Torres limped around and Lucas made others limp. They sat through the reversal as ten-man Liverpool retreated into their Spanish Shell and Jamie Carragher tackled and hoofed everything that moved within a ten mile radius. But they missed the goal. Not becuase they went to the toilet or to make some food (although this concept did seem appealing the longer the endurance test of a match went on). They missed it becuase ITV are shit and didnt serve their only purpose as a broadcaster of football- allowing people to see the goals.

This feeling of deflation that must come with the picture returning and your team having scored ,but you not being there in the rush of the moment, must have been unthinkably worse for one family. Dan Gosling turned 19 on Monday. David Moyes has been forced to play such youngsters due to a wealth of first team injuries but up until yesterday Gosling had only played the odd minute for the club he's represented since boy hood. Yesterday he got half an hour in a highly charged derby and both he and his youth team counterpart Jack Rodwell looked poised, assured and in no way out of place against a midfield that included Xavi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. His family must have been proud beyond measure sitting, more than likely although I hope not, on their sofa at home. Two minutes before the end a cross came over Gosling controlled neatly wriggled away from the meanest defense in the premiership and managed, with the aid of Martin Skyrtel's boot, to poke home. His Dad wouldnt have seen any of it. The picture would have returned and he would have seen his son emerging from a bundle of players overjoyed and aware he had made Everton folk lore. He would have seen the replays. But he will never have the chance to experience that impending excitement, the rising euphoria and the unalloyed, unadulterated, jump up and down and cry with pride joy that comes with such a significant goal. Lets hope that Dan Goslings parents were at the ground, although given the possibility of what their son playing and scoring I doubt they would have been there. But they had the trusty TV to experience the unlikley event -only they didnt. And that is why, more than anything, I hate ITV.