THE former Saints manager was part of a starstudded line up at Winchester City FC’s Charters Community Stadium on Tuesday as ITV filmed an installment of their latest competition show.
Graeme Souness, Joey Essex, Ranvir Singh and many others laced up their boots to take to the pitch in one of The Box’s soon to be signature unorthodox challenges.
Winchester, ordinarily hosting non-league opposition, had footballing icons Souness and Gary Lineker parading the freshly laid turf. Although the match-ups were ones that I’m sure the former players did not envision in their playing days.
The Citizens buzzed to fill the stands once again, some queued over an hour to see fame or perhaps to earn their own taste of it.
In a post-match Solent Sports News exclusive, broadcaster Ranvir Singh told us: “When I was learning how to be a journalist, I did not expect to be wearing a ridiculous football kit, playing a game I do not understand. It was comedy.”
When Lineker was announced as the shows host he said: “I can’t wait to host The Box. I’ve always felt right at home in the box on a football pitch and whilst this is a different proposition, the fundamentals are similar.”
ITV marks a change of scenery for the 25-year Match of the Day lead. A social media row marked his early departure from BBC after he shared an anti-zionist post on X.
Perhaps this football themed challenge reintroduced him to sports hosting sooner than he’d expected.
