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Coffee 7:30 Mon Jul 13
Sports commentary on the radio

There are few things better than football or cricket being described by a skilled commentator.

Growing up when there was very little football on TV - and hardly any lives games - Radio 2 was the go-to place for midweek evenings and Saturday afternoons. Their commentators had what their TV counterparts didn't need - a fantastic ability not just to paint pictures of the action that you could almost see in your mind, and to build tension and excitement.

Cricket commentary is a different beast, a comfortable day of consequential and often inconsequential chat interspersed with wickets and runs.

You can look away from a televised game and usually not miss much. The radio pulls you in and keeps you there like an addict even when there's not much happening.

Long live the wireless.

Takashi Miike 5:22 Wed Jul 15
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

what probably made the capital gold commentaries even better was often having the mike osman show on before the game. he was one funny bloke :.)

medwayhammer1 5:16 Wed Jul 15
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Still got fond memories of listening to the football commentaries as a young Hammer during the 70's . Esp any European games....West Brom v some Iron curtain team or something on my little transistor radio after i had gone to bed.

Also used to listen to the Dolphins games on Armed Forces Network...always used to get hit by static just as an important play was starting!!

Westham67 2:02 Wed Jul 15
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

TMS and Beeb 2. I prefer cricket on TMS far more amusing than the TV

claypole 12:25 Wed Jul 15
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

I used to always like Stuart Halls descriptive match reports until my impression of him as a man was somewhat soured.

Crassus 11:46 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Toms

Do dah do dah, do diddle do, dah do dah do, dah dah

Outstanding memories

Tomsdad 10:40 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

TMS will always remind me of the old man. Loved his cricket and would always have the radio on in the summer listening to Johnners and Co.
I also remember listen to Sports report on a saturday for the Football results with James Alexander Gordon. You could just get the first division results before the tube went underground and cut off the radio.

Memories!

zebthecat 10:06 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

New Jersey 12:30 Tue Jul 14

He has been and is a lot funnier that his dour press face when he was Captain.
It was interesting whn TMS did a replay of his Test a couple of weeks ago because there was a big interview with him about his career. He said his only two regrets were telling Gooch that his position as Essex caoch was untenable and having to announce that KP would no longer be playing Test cricket for England. It was presented to him as a fait accomplie that he did not agree with and he had to carry the can publicly for others' decisions.

Jimmy Anderson has been good when he has been on too and is very insightful.

zebthecat 10:00 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Chigwell 2:18 Tue Jul 14

I like it when she is on with Dan Norcross as they are obviously good friends (the Surrey connection).
Ebony knows her stuff from playing internationally, coaching and administration with Surrey.
She is also very smart (Masters in Chemistry).

zico 9:51 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Remember the Rugby World Cup Final in 2003 where we watched most of it at a mates house in London but had to head back during extra time. Was on the M25 when Jonny Wilkinson hit the drop goal and the crowd noise drowned out the commentary. Didn't have a clue what happened until minutes later!

the peckham cod 8:38 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

BBC London still do good coverage. Phil Parry & Bradley Allen give us Hammers fair coverage. In fact can't listen to games anywhere else. Radio 5 is just bilge. Love a bit of TMS though (if you can find it on radio these days). A hot day with a good test match in background is a great way to spend a weekend.

Sven Roeder 2:19 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Tyldsley will have to brief Matterface on ‘that night in Barcelona’ so he can drop it into every game even when Man U aren’t playing.
Bit of a dummy spit by an ordinary commentator
ITV should have binned him completely.

Watched a reasonable amount of the Test.
Missed seeing Gower (but not Botham) , am ambivalent about the female commentators as I’d rather hear from someone who has faced 90mph bowling if they are supposed to be imparting expertise.
Key has been good in domestic cricket but needs to sharpen up and drop the fat buffoon shtick.

Chigwell 2:18 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Ebony Rainford-Brent is a very good female cricket commentator. She mixes knowledge of the men's game with a light touch and humour. Can't take Brixton out of the girl.

Johnson 2:04 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

twoleftfeet 12:19 Tue Jul 14

Matterface has replaced Clive Tyledsley as ITV's main commentator and will do all the England games.

Tyledsley is LIVID and has done what any self-respecting attention whore would do these days and done a statement on TWITTER whilst claiming to not be making a statement.

New Jersey 12:30 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

I think Sir Alistair Cook has been a very good addition to the TMS team.

As for us, I quite like Paul Parker summarising, not the most articulate but will say it as it is, not like the TV commentators who are quite bland, Pearce being the exception. I have a soft spot for him anyway because of the way he reminisced (and cried) in a Sir Bobby documentary!

geoffpikey 12:06 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Pearce is one of the few I remember fondly, or at all. I don't really listen to radio commentary anymore as, if I have the leisure time to "experience" a WHU match in real time from afar, I'll find a video stream. If the commentary is in French or Arabic, so be it. It doesn't overly bother me.

Indeed, can't particularly NAME any prominent radio or TV commentators of now.... probably the only one I could even be sure of is Jacqui Oatley as she is moaned about so often on here!!

Are Elton Welsby or Martin Tyler still alive?

In short, it's something of the past to me. Probably "much better years ago". Like music. Beer. The weather. And casual racism. swt

* Likewise, punditry and journalism. The proliferation of media means the bar is much lower for entry, really. Some of the "experts" paraded on TV and in print know no more than an average WHOer. Roy Keane is occasionally good value just for being a bastard. And I have heard Gary Neville talk sense. As a "chair" / presenter, Gaby Logan is all right. That's the fluff part, though.

Sniper 11:22 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Agreed about Pearce

I used to watch england games with The sound off and capital gold commentary in instead when he was there. Really superb radio commentator. I still think he’s better than most on tv but not quite the same

The thing with cricket as well is that they always seem to get really good guest pundits and commentators from the visiting teams during the tests, and there’s a genuine disappointment when they finish their last game and aren’t goi bff to be there any more. Regardless of views on here about female commentators and pundits, even the Indian lady they get on TMS is insightful enough for people on here to it whinge about her!


Who was the female commentator who swore on MOTD when she was given her big chance, summarising the first round of fa cup games? Was that Oakley?

Chigwell 10:33 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

I can't listen to radio commentary without making astute observations, such as "No, he did NOT haul that player to the ground to concede the penalty. The striker deliberate brushed into him, then threw himself headlong into the penalty area, when he could have stayed upright and taken a shot". Mostly I'm proven right when I eventually see the match highlights.

twoleftfeet 12:19 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Talksport commentaries are ruined by Sam Matterface.

zebthecat 12:09 Tue Jul 14
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Stowie.40 10:26 Mon Jul 13

Agree completely.

Any Old Iron 11:58 Mon Jul 13
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Before all this wall to wall TV football coverage and free streams radio was the only way to follow games unless you were at one. And then it would only be us being covered once in a blue moon.

But I still listen on the radio to games if I'm driving, but unfortunately Talksport are now hoovering up more and more games and their coverage is absolutely ruined by the non-stop in-play gambling promotions/adverts. They seem to spend more time shouting the odds than commentating. The station must be run by a bunch of ammoral cunts.

twoleftfeet 11:32 Mon Jul 13
Re: Sports commentary on the radio

Everton cup semi replay in 1980

That was brilliant.

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