'''''The Match''''' is a reality TV show on Sky One in which a group of celebrities form a football team to compete against a team of former professional footballers (The Legends). The show begins with a large squad of celebrities who train and live together, all aiming to be selected for "The Match" against the team of legends. The show has also been published in Switzerland in 2006 and 2008 on SF 2.

In Great Britain, three editions of the programme have been made, one in early 2004, one in late 2005 and one in October 2006. The program is hosted by Newcastle. In the Swiss version, the matches were held at Espenmoos in St. Gallen (2006) and at Allmend Stadion in Lucerne (2008).

==Participants==
The show features one of English football's best known managers, Graham Taylor, who manages the celebrity team. Players on the legends team have included John Barnes, among others. Notable members of the celebrities team have included MC Harvey, Terry Alderton and Darren Campbell.
The Match has never been won by the celebrities - losing 2-1 in 2004 and 2-0 in 2005 and 2006. The only goal the celebrities have ever scored was one that many believe to be a fluke by Jonathan Wilkes when his apparent cross looped over the head of 63-year old goalkeeper Peter Bonetti.

In Switzerland, the Celebrities ("Die Promis") lost 1-6 against the Legends ("Die Legenden") in 2006 and 1-2 in 2008.

==The Match: Series 3 (2006)==
Series 3 of The Match was shown during September and October of 2006.

===Participants===
* Martin Offiah
* Chris Hollins
* Rocky Marshall (dropped in public vote on October 6)
* Leo Ihenacho (dropped in public vote on October 2)
* Blair McDonough
* Craig Kelly
* James Hooton (dropped due to injury on October 3)
* Brian McFadden (dropped in public vote on October 4)
* Ralf Little
* Jeff Brazier
* Anthony Hutton
* Tommy Craig
* Harvey
* Michael Greco (dropped in public vote on October 5)
* Glenn Lamont
* Darren Campbell
* Danny Young
* Mark Bosnich
* Alex Lawler
* Sam Robertson
* Alec Stewart (Captain)

=== Final match ===

==== Celebrities starting XI ====

{| class="wikitable"
|+  <!-- if required -->
! Name
! Position
! Fame
|-
| Mark Bosnich
| Goalkeeper
|Ex-goalkeeper
|-
| Danny Young
| Fullback (Right)
| Coronation Street
|-
| Alec Stewart
| Defender (Centre) (Captain)
| Former England Cricketer
|-
| Thomas Craig
| Defender (Centre)
| Coronation Street
|-
| Ralf Little
| Fullback (Left)
| Actor
|-
| Anthony Hutton
| Winger (Right)
| Big Brother Series 6 winner
|-
| Chris Hollins
| Midfielder (Centre)
| Sports journalist
|-
| Jeff Brazier
| Midfielder (Centre)
| Television presenter
|-
| MC Harvey
| Winger (Left)
| Musician
|-
| Sam Robertson
| Striker
| Coronation Street
|-
| Darren Campbell
| Striker
| Athlete
|}

==== Legends starting XI ====

<!-- Schweizbezogen -->'''Der Match''' ist eine im Auftrag des Schweizer Fernsehens produzierte Doku-Soap, die 2006 zum ersten Mal auf SF zwei ausgestrahlt wurde. Pro Staffel nehmen 18 Schweizer Prominente aus unterschiedlichen Bereichen an einem einwöchigen Fussball-Trainingslager teil, das von Gilbert Gress (Cheftrainer), Urs Schönenberger (Assistenztrainer) und Martin Brunner (Goalietrainer) geleitet wird. Die Trainingswoche wird in sieben wöchentlichen Folgen zusammengefasst.

Den abschliessenden Höhepunkt bildet ein live übertragenes Spiel zwischen dem Prominenten-Team und einer Auswahl ehemaliger Schweizer Nationalspieler.

Der Match wurde von ''b&b endemol'', einer Tochter von Endemol international, produziert. Das Originalkonzept "The Match" stammt aus England, wo es von der englischen Endemol-Tochterfirma ''initial'' entwickelt und bereits mehrfach produziert wurde.

== 2006 ==
Im Jahr 2006 wurde die Sendung vom 25. April bis 6. Juni ausgestrahlt.

Das Spiel gegen die Legenden fand am 1. Juni 2006 im Nationalrat Toni Brunner.

Die Doku-Soap hatte hohe Einschaltquoten. Das abschliessende Live-Spiel sahen durchschnittlich 670'000 Zuschauer (Spitzenwert kurz vor Schluss des Spiels: 818'000), was einem Marktanteil von 36% entsprach.