Jack Charlton’s Boys in Green
Monday, 19.00, ITV4
And so that’s it for the Olympics, and right on cue hardly anything worth billing turns up today, with even Blockbusters having finished. But don’t worry because, with apologies to readers in Scotland who kicked off ages ago, the football season proper in England is about to kick off and we’ll completely stop bothering pretending to be interested in dressage for another four years. To see us on our way ITV4 are screening another of the clip shows they often make – with no publicity and no repeat for about six months – which this time looks back at the imperial phase Ireland team, hopefully included that moment from the 1994 World Cup when John Aldridge wasn’t let on as a sub quick enough for his liking and swore non-stop on teatime telly for ages, just breaking off from shouting and pointing at the officials to score a goal.
What I enjoyed was Charlton’s appearance on the Late Late Show on Channel 4, where he told Gay Byrne about the cheers the team got on their lap of honour after being knocked out of the World Cup – so much that it was easy to think they’d won it!