Simon Jordan has blasted the mooted changes to urging chiefs to listen to fan opinion.

The long-running football highlights programme is set for a shake-up when steps down as presenter at the end of the season, making way for a rotating line-up of Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman.

Amidst talks of a broader overhaul, BBC chairman Samir Shah has hinted at a citing that many fans would have already caught the day's pivotal moments. However, a BBC survey revealed only eight per cent of viewers are in favour of increased analysis, while 46 per cent would rather see more match action. The other 46 per cent are content with the current formula.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

In light of these findings, talkSPORT's He said: "The bottom line is if Match of the Day goes down the parameters of what this idiot controller is suggesting that it should be doing, it's basically saying less game, more speech, less clips, more commentary.

"I mean, have you ever heard such balderdash? No one in their right mind would possibly suggest that the viewing public [would want that]. In fact, the vox pop that was done suggested the viewing public does not want to hear more chat.

"They want to see the clips with less chat, yet this clown is suggesting that Match of the Day needs to morph into more commentary, less clips."

The former Crystal Palace owner has highlighted the crucial role Match of the Day played in football's television history, cautioning against any changes that might lead to a drop in viewership similar to what Football Focus has suffered in recent times.

"Match of the Day was so important to football because without it, Sky would never have got traction," Jordan pointed out. "The reason why Sky got it is because they were prepared to give a highlights package for Match of the Day and keep it on terrestrial TV.

"So Match of the Day was absolutely fundamental to the value of the increase in opportunity for broadcasters like Sky to be successful.

"So to diminish it and turn it into something that's not valuable would be a fool's errand. If they turn it into something that resembles Football Focus then they'll destroy it."

However, Chapman has reassured fans that despite the rotation of hosts, Match of the Day is likely to remain largely unchanged. At the recent SJA Awards, he revealed: "Nothing different. I know people keep saying, 'Oh this will change or that will change.' I genuinely don't think anything will change.

He added: "It will still be showing all the highlights and having a bit of a chat. So, if you're wanting a lot of change, I suppose you're going to be a bit disappointed by it. I think we are still just going to do the same thing and talk about football and have a laugh and that will be that."