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Jonathan Pearce is to front a new Monday night Football League show that will give fans across the South, West and South West unparalleled access to their teams.

Late Kick Off will feature in depth coverage behind-the-scenes with the teams, players, managers and backroom stories from Aldershot, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham, Exeter, Plymouth, Reading, Southampton, Swindon, Torquay, Wycombe and Yeovil.

The show, which starts on 18 January 2010 on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One South, South West and West at 11.35pm, will get right to the heart of local football with a mix of discussion, opinion, interviews and match analysis.

More than just a highlights programme, it promises to get to grips with the issues fans want to talk about as well as giving some insightful reports both on and off the pitch.

Jonathan Pearce, a well known voice from ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Match Of The Day, will bring his own sporting expertise to the programme and, if that's not enough football broadcasting royalty, the show's co-executive producer is his Match Of The Day colleague John Roder.

Andy Steggall, well-known after two decades as a presenter in the South, is producing the show and is co-executive producer.

Jonathan will be joined each week by different names and faces from the world of football to talk about the weekend's biggest games.

Plus, he'll be getting the latest on football life in the South with regular guest presenters – Saints player and former Reading skipper Graeme Murty and former Torquay boss and ex-Bristol City player Leroy Rosenior.

Jonathan says: "I'm delighted to be presenting a football TV programme targeted at my region's clubs. I live in Sussex, was brought up in Bristol, lived my early years in Cornwall and was born in Plymouth!

"The show will bring you all the updated news from your local Football League teams with interviews, goal action and thought provoking comment from our guests.

"Football has been my life since my first connection with Bristol City when I was 12. I am lucky enough to be able to commentate on matches and now returning to studio presentation is a bonus on top."

John Roder adds: "Late Kick Off is something that is completely new and it really is good news for Football League fans, a chance to see more of their local teams but in a way they may not have seen before. They'll get to see highlights but we'll also examine stories and issues of the day from a different perspective, providing high quality sports journalism."

And fans don't have to worry about missing a thing as the programmes will also be on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ iPlayer.

Late Kick Off complements coverage of the Football League – which returned to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ in August for the first time since 1988 – building on the success of the network highlights programme, The Football League Show, along with live coverage of two League Cup semi finals and the League Cup final.

Along with action from the Premier League on Match Of The Day and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 5 Live, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ provides sports fans with access to all the goals and all the action, the length and breadth of the country.

Notes to Editors

The programme will be broadcast on Monday evenings. However, the scheduled time of 11.35pm could be subject to change.

Biographies

Jonathan Pearce

Jonathan became a commentator on Match Of The Day during the 2004/05 season following three years at ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 5 Live. He started his career at ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Bristol in 1979. His first match commentary was Bristol Rovers against Exeter City in the League Cup, and he became sports editor at the age of 23 at Radio West.

In 1987 he moved to London and Capital Radio, where he launched Capital Gold Sport a year later. Jonathan has won several awards for his work, including three Sony awards and the Variety Club Radio Person of the Year.

He has commentated on more than 150 England internationals, four World Cups, five European Championships and more than 20 Cup Finals.

Born in 1959 in Plymouth, Jonathan moved to Bristol at the age of seven. He is still a Bristol City FC fan, but his wife and children are Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace fans.

Jonathan studied English at Birmingham University and at the National Broadcasting School. He now lives in West Sussex.

John Roder

John is a commentator on the Premier League for Match Of The Day on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two and is commentator on the Championship and League Cup for the Football League Show.

Andy Steggall

Andy spent more than 20 years with Meridian Television, as their main sports presenter and producer.

HB