And so it begins again, the bi-annual face off between the UK’s main domestic channels to see who can capture the hearts of the nation’s footy lovers. Euro 2012 kicks off today with Poland V Greece on BBC1, then it’s Russia versus the Czechs on ITV, then it’s…..you get the idea, the behemoths of British broadcasting take turns to slug it out match by match until we decide which of them we will watch the final with on July 1st.

The opposing pundit panels will play a major part in our decision making so it’s worth looking at the options.

The Beeb have gone for a mixture of the experienced and predictable; Hanson and Lawrenson at the back with Shearer and Lineker up front. Booooooooring. Sad to say but this team have been in place for so long they have become jaded, dull and lifeless. It always feels like they’re doing you a favour by getting off the golf course to drag themselves to the studio, and when they get there they simply offer the same tired clichés. Even Shearer’s hair doesn’t bother turning up anymore.

ITV, sadly, don’t appear much better. There’s Jamie ‘calm down’ Carragher, Roberto ‘manager of footballing giants Wigan’ Martinez, Gordon ‘Gimley’ Strachan and Gareth ‘Alan Partridge’ Southgate. The only potential highlights are Patrick Viera (who actually knows what he’s on about), Roy Keane (who could go on a barely literate rant at any second) and Adrian Chiles (whose miserable head may just implode live on air with dourness one day).

Who will win? The BBC, obviously. Why? Because it doesn’t have ads. The commercials kill ITV’s punditry stone dead every time, stopping any decent debate and forcing Chiles to spout scripted guff for 90% of his screen time. Even if ITV had a panel made up of Jack Charlton, Maradona, Gazza and a re-animated Brian Clough they wouldn’t get an entertaining word in between the Lynx and lager missives.