NOW I'm the type of person who doesn't like change, and tend to cling to the things that have been there since I was a child. For some reason, I find that comforting.

The iconic football show Match of the Day falls into that category. I watched it with my dad and now I watch it with my own son and we play pundits, giving our own albeit amateur analysis of the games we've watched.

In our family MOTD is a TV institution, mainly among the men, and the prospect of interviewing one of its presenters was an exciting one. Even better that Mark Chapman lives in Altrincham.

We met over a 'brew' in the food hall at the market and Mark wasted no time as he enthused about the place. Some people who work in his profession can be nauseatingly affected - I call them the 'air kiss brigade' - while this Trafford based broadcaster is the complete opposite. He comes across as the sort of bloke you could have a pint with, talking sport or any other subject that crept into the conversation.

Born in Rochdale, he moved to Sale as a toddler before he and his family moved to Altrincham. Mark, 42, is married to Sarah and the couple have three children, Ben, Jessie and Millie.

Mark said he knew from his early teens he wanted to go into broadcasting. There was a radio in the kitchen of the family home and he used to listen to Simon Mayo on Radio 1. His first venture into broadcasting came courtesy of the hospital station at Wythenshawe, where his colleagues included one Karl Pilkington, later of An Idiot Abroad fame. Work experience at what is now Radio Manchester followed and he was advised to put his ambition on hold and continue his studies. Mark has a degree in French.

Still a presenter on BBC Radio 5Live, he said a typical MOTD working day usually begins for him at 10.30am. He presents the Sunday edition.

Mark said: "We normally do a show before it called Match of the Day 2 Xtra that goes out a lunchtime and that goes out on BBC television, 5Live and the website all at the same time. Then we watch the games with the pundits in the afternoon and I ask them what they want to analyse and I ask them questions because I'm not a former professional footballer I'm just a fan and an amateur footballer. So my questions might be different to other people's. Between 6pm and 9pm we put together the analysis and how the show will work and how the show will run and then we're normally in the studio by half nine, quarter to ten."

As an ardent MOTD viewer its impossible not to notice the camaraderie that exists between presenter and pundits. But Mark said the working means opportunities to socialise outside the show are very, very rare. They generally "talk" to each other using social media.

Mark, who did a post graduate course in broadcast journalism at City University in London, follows the fortunes of Manchester United, so dominant for decades under Sir Alex Ferguson. What does he think of the current team under Louis van Gaal? Is he impressed?

He said: "I think the current team is not particularly exciting and I say that not as a criticism of the players, maybe more as a criticism of the manager. Its not quite as exhilarating as it was say it was in the 90s, watching United."

If it had been possible, he would have liked to have played in the United side circa 1994, featuring Giggs, Keane and company at the very peak of their powers.

He added: "That was a sensational team - easily, easily my favourite United team."

When he's socialising, Mark said people sometimes want to talk about football and other sports, which he sees as a "good thing."

Mark added: "If they didn't I'd be doing something wrong, really, and I take that as the biggest compliment."

Away from work, he like spending time with his family and this includes taking his son Ben to Moss Lane to watch Altrincham FC.

Mark said the youngster enjoys being closer to the action and occasionally overhearing the banter between the players.

All three children are sporty he said and he's currently working on a book, about being a "sporting parent" due for publication in September.