RIP Ceefax

And so it came to a head. On the 23^rd of October 2012, the BBC opted against the continuation of Ceefax, a trusty companion to any of those associated with football. For a majority of its 38 year existence, the text service was the hub of all things associated with the game. Where Ronaldinho and Woking met in a blaze of glory as fans waited for the news.

Pre-internet, Ceefax was the regular source for anything football related, most importantly on a Saturday. Fans would gather around a TV, waiting for the page to load onto 302, expectantly hoping there team would find themselves in front.

Many a time I had been scoping out my local Dixons for the up-to-date scores to appear on the screen before scuttling down to Boots to tell my friend that Tottenham Hotspur would, once again, be losing. To this day, I’ll never know why he wanted to know the score only to be disappointed for the remainder of the Saturday.

The influence of Ceefax slowly began to diminish due to technological advances, but nobody can deny the impact it had on their lives growing up, with the page more often than not the only way to access the latest news surrounding the game.

It may not have been ideal, what with the intensely slow loading times, but Ceefax was a more than welcoming chum back in its heyday. So, with little else to write on the subject, I have to say may it rest in peace following its 38 years of glory.