Radio Wales

[Dorcus]

Re: Radio Wales

I can't disagree more. I think Rob Phillips is one of the best radio commentators in the UK and he manages to have a bit of banter and humour at the same time. He's the best lead commentator Radio Wales have probably ever had, certainly better than John Hardy, Ian Gwyn Hughes and Richard Shepherd and a more enjoyable listen. He loves his job and I doubt he'll go anywhere until he retires. He's also good on twitter and is very approachable.

I don't mind Mark Poyser. He's improved over the last few years.

I can't say I'm fussed on Simon Davies, who commentated on today's game. He's very much second in command at Radio Wales. He's become a more exciteable commentator over the last year or so.

Bryn Tomos has done a few Newport games and has become quite well known for his over the top goal commentaries! Can't see him ever getting a big job but he loves the game, that's for sure.

With regard commentators interrupting the flow to announce a score, don't forget they'll have a producer updating them in their headphones and I can well imagine a commentator needing to offload that info to carry on what they are doing. Even commentators at Radio 5 and TalkSport do the same.

I understand your gripes with comments like "What was he doing there?". I just put that down to it being an instant reaction, something you'd say to your mate at the ground. In that instance you know someone was in a position he shouldn't have been. There might be time to say more, there might not. Quite often with Ratcliffe he says it during a commentary, not as an opinion, so you'll have the main commentator describing the action, while Ratcliffe spots something but hasn't the chance or time to elaborate.

I love radio commentary as a rule. It's live, it's warts and all. Some people don't like it.

John Hardy is dire. When he's on you get some sort of surrealist discourse on weirdly unrelated situations that have absolutely nothing to do with the match commentary you tuned in to hear. Avoid him like the plague.

[stan butler]

Re: Radio Wales

Clare from Cross Hands.

Good caller.
She watches the Jacks but often watches lower level football to

[stan butler]

Re: Radio Wales

I can't stand Rob Phillips i just want to rip my ears off when i hear his voice

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: Radio Wales

Rob Phillips rarely commentates on tv.

I thought he did the Wales matches for the BBC. Fair enough, that's not often, but that puts him in a worse light for me, given that I thought he was getting his TV and radio craft mixed up. Perhaps I should get over the score updates but I think the other stuff can be tightened up. The service, first and foremost should be to describe what's happening to those who aren't there.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Radio Wales

I thought he did the Wales matches for the BBC. Fair enough, that's not often, but that puts him in a worse light for me, given that I thought he was getting his TV and radio craft mixed up. Perhaps I should get over the score updates but I think the other stuff can be tightened up. The service, first and foremost should be to describe what's happening to those who aren't there.

Simon Davies covers the Welsh highlights on BBC 1 Wales and I agree he's better suited to TV.

As for tightening up the other stuff, I see very little different between commentaries on Radio Wales and Radio 5.

[ninian opinian]

Re: Radio Wales

Call Rob is even worse. Ann from Caerphilly rings in every week.

No actually they ring her every week.

That’s why you have the same callers week in week out.

[insider]

Re: Radio Wales

I agree the commentary is shit.
You can hear oohs and aahs in the background and they are not telling you what's going on.
I loved Richard Shepherd he may have been monotone and towards the end he may have made mistakes ie "it's goal"
"oh no its gone in the side netting"
But you always knew where the ball was.

[bobh]

Re: Radio Wales

"Cardiff have a free kick in a dangerous position...
" and over in Llanelli the Scarletts have a scrum so let's hear the latest from there...
(5 ninutes later)
"while you were away Cardiff have scored"

[AfricanBluebird]

Re: Radio Wales

No actually they ring her every week.

That’s why you have the same callers week in week out.

That is just not true.

They don't.

My nephew is one of the producers.

[The Bloop]

Re: Radio Wales

Rob Phillips is very good - one of the better ones out there. Kevin Ratcliffe is the problem as he interrupts all of the time, rather than waiting for a cue to speak from RP. It then throws Rob off his flow. What makes KR worse is that he often can't identify the player he's talking about and gets it wrong too many times.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Radio Wales

"Cardiff have a free kick in a dangerous position...
" and over in Llanelli the Scarletts have a scrum so let's hear the latest from there...
(5 ninutes later)
"while you were away Cardiff have scored"

Back in the 90s that might have been the case when they shared a lot of their coverage between club rugby and football.

When Real Radio bought the regional rights for City games (as well as the Jacks) Radio Wales could only broadcast one game involving a Welsh team across its network. Having realised how successful Real Radio was with its football coverage, Radio Wales obtained the rights ahead of RR, which is why they only broadcast Cardiff games in the Cardiff area and so on.

We now have virtually uninterrupted coverage of all of our games, bar score updates. If there's a need to get an update from elsewhere they do when there's a break in action. There is little live rugby on Radio Wales as there's no interest in it beyond the biggest games. Often that's put on medium wave.

[Dorcus]

Re: Radio Wales

I just think it would be hugely improved if the commentators decided to make ball to ball commentary their number one priority (it is a radio show after all). The little bits like "the goalkeeper's brother's wife's sister used to play local parks football herself before having her first baby" might be better off canned.

[City123]

Re: Radio Wales

Rob Phillips is very good - one of the better ones out there. Kevin Ratcliffe is the problem as he interrupts all of the time, rather than waiting for a cue to speak from RP. It then throws Rob off his flow. What makes KR worse is that he often can't identify the player he's talking about and gets it wrong too many times.

Yes Ratcliffe is poor

[dandywarhol]

Re: Radio Wales

That is just not true.

They don't.

My nephew is one of the producers.

We have a chuckle about it on the way on from games.Personally I would be happier if they got Dai Hunt on once in a while.Apparantly he knows his football as well.

[Dave Blue]

Re: Radio Wales

We have a chuckle about it on the way on from games.Personally I would be happier if they got Dai Hunt on once in a while.Apparantly he knows his football as well.

Dai Hunt is on every week.