THE LOST ART OF COMMENTATING ON FOOTBALL ON TELEVISION.

[Steve the Tea]

Yep. I think part of the reason cricket commentators do is that they are well educated and well travelled people who also bring this into their commentary. John Arlott's, " There's a pigeon on the pitch," also brought humour to the mundane. The classic, " The bowlers Holding; the batsmans Willie," during the England v West Indies Test Match brought many chuckles. Who can forget the many hours rambling on about the cakes delivered to the commentary box from well wishers?

In comparison the football equivalents only have football to talk about and they make a pig's foot out of that.

StT.
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[severncity]

I preferred Brian Moore to Barry Davies; his verbal quirks and flourishes reflected his personality. He sometimes uttered classic Colemanballs and I was delighted and amused as a teenager to hear these as they happened during his commentaries.

https://www.just-one-liners.com/ppl/brian-moore/

He and Barry Davies attended the same school, Cranbrook school in Kent.

[Enoch Mort]

Hugh Johns was a nice man, but a bloody awful commentator

I knew Hugh Johns very well, he was a really great bloke. I never thought he was a bad commentator as, at the time, I thought there was much worse about such as Motson and Brian Moore

[StraightOuttaCanton]

I’m watching the Mexico v S.Korea game on Fox rather than Canadian TV (which uses a British commentary feed). They have a Mexican (English speaking) commentator. It’s actually very entertaining - he’s so excited. Got the full Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooal experience when they scored

[jamieccfc]

I’m watching the Mexico v S.Korea game on Fox rather than Canadian TV (which uses a British commentary feed). They have a Mexican (English speaking) commentator. It’s actually very entertaining - he’s so excited. Got the full Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooal experience when they scored

Listening to south American commentators is brilliant

[paphos is blue]

Listening to south American commentators is brilliant

We all go and sit in the stands every other week and watch the game. No commentary is provided apart from that fat guy behind you who thinks he knows it all! You don't need someone to tell you what's going on when you can see it with your own eyes. If you do need that, please go and purchase a red city shirt from the shop on your way out. Thanks for coming!!

[jamieccfc]

We all go and sit in the stands every other week and watch the game. No commentary is provided apart from that fat guy behind you who thinks he knows it all! You don't need someone to tell you what's going on when you can see it with your own eyes. If you do need that, please go and purchase a red city shirt from the shop on your way out. Thanks for coming!!

Eh?

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Mcoist & Champion the best duo at the WC

“Kazan has come a long way since it fell to Ivan the Terrible in 1552”

[mazadona10]

I wonder how much of this is true or is it just a case of there being so much to choose from people can pick and choose their favourites. That there is far more media outlets to conplain about. If the beatles were out today they wouldn't get revered like they did in their day.

People had very little to compare it with then or previously . Don't get me wrong a lot of the commentators do my head in as well but then you get Motson who seem's to be cast as a commentary God who would certainly be on that list.
Ultimately everyone thinks their funny and their opinion i's the right one. It's probably a more difficult job than we all realise.

[The Bob Banker Spanker]

Glad Motson isn't there.
He could raise the dead and kill them again with his shite.

[Steve the Tea]

I wonder how much of this is true or is it just a case of there being so much to choose from people can pick and choose their favourites. That there is far more media outlets to conplain about. If the beatles were out today they wouldn't get revered like they did in their day.

People had very little to compare it with then or previously . Don't get me wrong a lot of the commentators do my head in as well but then you get Motson who seem's to be cast as a commentary God who would certainly be on that list.
Ultimately everyone thinks their funny and their opinion i's the right one. It's probably a more difficult job than we all realise.

Your points are well written and it certainly is a difficult job. However, that adds weight to my view that just because you are an ex-pro it doesn't mean you are qualified to do it. Wall to wall words doesn't equate to good commentary. More words isnt synonymous with better commentary. For me silence is golden ... it is the glue that hold the perceptive comments together.

The ex-pro as the second commentator (ie the summariser) stategy doesn't automatically add to the experience. For me, only the two Neville brothers and Murphy offer anything approaching perceptive insights into the game. If it is done well it is good. Done badly it is grating.

My point in all this is that after listening to commentary for approaching 60 years is that one commentator should be enough. To add a second, who doesn't know the role or have the necassary skills so disadvantages the whole experience. Yes, it's a very difficult job that requires high standards of ability and understanding of the role.

StT.
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[Cyclops]

My point in all this is that after listening to commentary for approaching 60 years is that one commentator should be enough. To add a second, who doesn't know the role or have the necessary skills so disadvantages the whole experience.

You don't have the pleasure of watching Premier League and European Championship football on BT Sport then!

[Bobby Dandruff]

Once upon a time you could settle down to watch a football match on tv safe in knowledge that you'd scarcely notice the commentator. They would add to the occasion with perceptive insights and not irritate you. The best of these, by a country mile, was Barry Davies whose performance was peerless.

Today more is far worse. Now two, a commentator and a summariser, gobble up virtually all the time with wall to wall noise, so much so that very little of it rises above the obvious, thereby adding nothing to the broadcast. In fact it detracts from the game.

Today's duo at the Serbia v Switzerland match (Simon Brotherton and Kevin Kilbane) are testing my patience to the full.

If Sky, BT, BBC and ITV felt for we viewers they'd also save an awful lot of money by getting rid of half of the two on duty during the 90 minutes of each game.

The greatest rule of commentating, that Barry Davies knew, is that silence is golden.

StT.
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I have to agree with all of this.

Less is more and Barry Davies was one of the very best. Over excitable buffoons like Jonathan Pearce can ruin a game.

[Steve the Tea]

You don't have the pleasure of watching Premier League and European Championship football on BT Sport then!

Correct. I have no subscription to BT Sports.

StT.
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[Cyclops]

Correct. I have no subscription to BT Sports.

They often have a commentator and two pundits....

[Steve the Tea]

They often have a commentator and two pundits....

Please, no.

StT.
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[Taunton Blue Genie]

The triumvirate on BBC1 at the moment is piss poor. Jolean Lescott seems uncomfortable and female lead seems to have been promoted beyond her ability. No idea who the other guy is.

[Steve the Tea]

To be evenhanded in this debate I have been impressed with Kelly Cates. She was interviewing on the radio yesterday and was really knowledgeable about the game of football and did not trot out the usual banal questions.

Secondly Lee Dixon, as the second commentator (ie summariser) on tv, has been good, too. He's given intelligent insights and has not fallen into the trap of trying to be a radio commentator.

StT.
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