Much like a loved one or close friend who's passed - I prefer to remember it for the good times, not for the times it was suffering...
Rather than be critical I'd rather be positive.. Many here might be too young to remember but in it's early years the Footy Show was groundbreaking.. For the older bastards here, you may know this but I think it's worth noting..
Before is started, Fatty was a regular guest on the Midday Show along with Simon O'Donnell to do sports previews etc. He'd have everyone rolling around laughing so Ch9 said bugger it - have your own show...
So he got Peter Sterling & Steve Roach to join him, and there it started. They literally had zero experience hosting a show and somehow it worked in their favour. It was off-the-cuff stuff which did have a great mix of footy talk and funny stuff..
It also got a lot of viewing from women/ mums and people who generally weren't footy fans. New audience reach which was really pioneering stuff.. because footy / sports shows up to that time were pretty much a mans' club. Think of Sportsworld with the Moose and the like.... Women loved Fatty Vautin and the show rated brilliantly.
It really was "The Show" of the week for most people I knew.. Must see stuff and everyone would be in the office the next day bantering about it '''how about when fatty ...etc etc".
A lot changed when Fatty has his accident in 2005. Many forget he was shooting a skit and fell off the back of a truck, whacked his head and was in a really bad way - he survived where he could easily have died and was smacked with severe depression and other symptoms, memory loss etc. He was off TV for a long time (I cant recall how long but think around 9 months...). He was never the same. Neither was the show..
Anyway I'll remember the Footy show for the good times and when it was at its best. A bit like the Simpsons for mine.
Like the Simpsons Seasons 1-6 were its absolute glory days - will always make me laugh no matter how many times I've seen it, season 6-12 were good. 12 onward.... well..
