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been here before

All hate Hearts, Mickey Stewart, Old Firm cabal, Pat Bonner, that nippy lassie on Sportscene whose there to tick a box, Jonathon Sutherland weirdo etc...

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47 minutes ago, been here before said:

All hate Hearts, Mickey Stewart, Old Firm cabal, Pat Bonner, that nippy lassie on Sportscene whose there to tick a box, Jonathon Sutherland weirdo etc...

Tom English sticks up for us but he’s a journo really. Robbo is the only one really who sided with us

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1 hour ago, JackLadd said:

Levein's punditry is growing on me. Folksy Fifer. 

 

Certainly seems to know, all about managing & running a successful football team .... 🥱 

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6 hours ago, JackLadd said:

Levein's punditry is growing on me. Folksy Fifer. 

 

I have stopped listening to OTB as Cosgrove irritates me.   Instead I now listen to the Monday podcast as I enjoy listening to Levein and English talking sense and taking Clubfoot to pieces.

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English, Levein and Stewart are good

 

The rest are horrific. Even the new lassies are really painful to listen to.   As for Off the Ball , absolutely the worst program ever

Edited by 1971fozzy
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9 hours ago, Section Q said:

Who really needs them.......?

 

No one needs them.  There were no pundits when watching Serie A on Premier Sports the other night.  It was great.

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Hardly any of them have been top players or even dipped their toe into management but all have the egos as if they were Johan Cruijff

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Bazzas right boot

 

CL is OK just now, pat Nevin and Mcoist along with English are the only ones I think are OK. 

Mcall and Collins were OK as well iirc 

Sutton was OK when not talking about celtic and Stewart is OK until his trigger name comes up. 

 

Millar, bonnar, walker, commons, Nicholas, Provan. Basically all the OF slavers with a few Aberdeen chucked in are just complete tits. 

Even guys like McCann and Dodds talk pish, but it's general pish not generally a OF circle jerk with the rest. 

 

During our demotion every pundit grinded my gears, I think I heard Dodds, Collins, English and Mcoist call it out as- bull shit. Collins was the one that surprised me, talked 100% sense and stuck up for us. 

Edited by Smith's right boot
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23 minutes ago, 1971fozzy said:

English, Levein and Stewart are good

 

The rest are horrific. Even the new lassies are really painful to listen to.   As for Off the Ball , absolutely the worst program ever

English and Levein are good value - both tend to avoid the bullshitting that others are prey to. Stewart is okay until he tries to be funny. His contrived act with Sutton on Premier Sports and Thomson on the BBC is simply dire. I still have time for Tam Cowan on OTB, but Cosgrove needs retired pronto. At one time he was a refreshingly independent voice, now he’s a doddery old fool.

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Pundits are either brilliant to listen to, or complete slavers. Gary Neville is a good listen, as was Jose Mourinho when he was on Sky. I actually recall Neil Lennon not being too bad on MOTD and not being alone in that view. Up here, like the football, the coverage, and the journalism, punditry is unanimously shite.

 

Michael Stewart is actually good, when he's not getting dragged into daft point scoring exercises with the likes of Levein and Sutton. Craigan just runs his mouth off and doesn't really pay attention to what he says, and Chris Sutton is honestly just here to wind folk up.

Edited by Locky
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10 hours ago, Section Q said:

Who really needs them.......?

No one, get back to the old days of Scotsport and Sportscene where they gave you highlights, commentated on the match and moved on to the next item.

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1 hour ago, 1971fozzy said:

English, Levein and Stewart are good

 

The rest are horrific. Even the new lassies are really painful to listen to.   As for Off the Ball , absolutely the worst program ever

I have been a big fan of OTB for years as it was the only Scottish football themed broadcast not obsessed with OF.  Indeed they would often take the mick out of OF.  However Cosgrove's attitude in recent months has made me switch off, dick.  It's a shame coz Tam Cowan has given us a bit of backing.   I have binned all the rag Scottish newspapers and don't listen to radio.  Why am I being driven away?  ONLY HEARTS.  

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Allowayjambo1874
26 minutes ago, JoeHarper said:

No one, get back to the old days of Scotsport and Sportscene where they gave you highlights, commentated on the match and moved on to the next item.

100% this. I enjoy watching analysis of matches, looking at formations or the role/positions of players and what leads to goals both offensively  and defensively. A guy sitting next to a commentator who interjects with comments like ‘nice pass’ ‘good run’ or ‘that’s a red for me’ are bringing nothing at all to the party. Really irks me, these guys get a fortune for this as well!

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11 hours ago, Section Q said:

Who really needs them.......?

I think the problem is all the auld farts like Miller & Bonnar should be put out to graze and bring in the new youngish pundits lol.

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11 hours ago, been here before said:

All hate Hearts, Mickey Stewart, Old Firm cabal, Pat Bonner, that nippy lassie on Sportscene whose there to tick a box, Jonathon Sutherland weirdo etc...

 

 

The lassie who looks like a McGinn brother 🤢

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They're all arseholes of the highest order and that's why I don't watch or listen to any of it. As was stated above, the coverage of Scottish Football is "universally shite".

 

As my English work colleagues often tell me..."You've only got two team up there" and that's EXACTLY what that lot have done for Scottish Football.

 

Its a cringe fest!

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Where would football be without all the mindless chat? We'd miss it, even if it is mostly b*****s.

 

Going slightly off-topic, but only slightly, what I cannot stand is how punditry has been merged with commentary. I happily admit I'm a boring old ***, but the first, and perhaps only, job of a commentator is to say the name of the player who is currently on the ball. He may also mention the names of players who are coming into the picture (Boyce has Wighton outside him). He especially must mention the name of every defender. 

 

What tends to happen is that when the ball is being passed around at the back, the commentator rarely mentions who is on the ball. Once a team crosses the half-way line, and the commentator can read the number on their back, they get mentioned a bit more, but only haphazardly. So, the TV viewer has less idea about the pattern of play, that this guy tends to pass to that guy, that this one always hoofs it, this other one likes to run forward. Or you might notice that this one pops up everywhere plugging the gaps. These are all things you would notice if you were at the match but on TV, because you only have a little bit of the pitch in view at any time, you get much less sense of the pattern of play. Who knew we had a player called Popescu, or what he contributes? Quite a lot I think but he's rarely been mentioned in commentary.

 

Instead we get a conversation between two relatively boring individuals (like on Friday) about smokie suppers and Arbroath storms. I'm glad for them, getting paid to go to the game with a bit of hospitality thrown in. But they can have that chat when a player is down injured or in some other gap. But when the ball is live, at least give us the name of the player and that's about it.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if commentators actually don't know which player is which. If so, they should trade them in for commentators who do. 

 

Rant ends.

Edited by 4marsbars
correction
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3 minutes ago, 4marsbars said:

Where would football be without all the mindless chat? We'd miss it, even if it is mostly b*****s.

 

Going slightly off-topic, but only slightly, what I cannot stand is how punditry has been merged with commentary. I happily admit I'm a boring old ***, but the first, and perhaps only, job of a commentator is to say the name of the player who is currently on the ball. He may also mention the names of players who are coming into the picture (Boyce has Wighton outside him). He especially must mention the name of every defender. 

 

What tends to happen is that when the ball is being passed around at the back, the commentator rarely mentions who is on the ball. Once a team crosses the half-way line, and the commentator can read the number on their back, they get mentioned a bit more, but only haphazardly. So, the TV viewer has less idea about the pattern of play, that this guy tends to pass to that guy, that this one always hoofs it, this other one likes to run forward. Or you might notice that this one pops up everywhere plugging the gaps. These are all things you would notice if you were at the match but on TV, because you only have a little bit of the pitch in view at any time, you get much less sense of the pattern of play. Who knew we had a player called Popescu, or what he contributes? Quite a lot I think but he's rarely been mentioned in commentary.

 

Instead we get a conversation between two relatively boring individuals (like on Friday) about smokie suppers and Arbroath storms. I'm glad for them. They can have that chat when a player is down injured or in some other gap. But when the ball is live, at least give us the name of the player and that's about it.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if commentators actually don't know which player is which. If so, they should trade them in for commentators who do. 

 

Rant ends.

 

A major part of the issues you mention is that due to so much football being televised the vast majority of 'commentators' don't have to cut their teeth on the radio first so can rely on the TV viewer being able to see what the pattern of play is and are only generally required to add supplementary information (normally stats that are fed to them)

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2 minutes ago, Ribble said:

 

A major part of the issues you mention is that due to so much football being televised the vast majority of 'commentators' don't have to cut their teeth on the radio first so can rely on the TV viewer being able to see what the pattern of play is and are only generally required to add supplementary information (normally stats that are fed to them)

 

I think that is correct, especially the radio bit. What I'm trying to get at is that although you get something of the pattern of play from a TV picture (which at least is normally the view from the half-way line at a good angle), to make sense of it you also need to know which players are contributing to that pattern. Sometimes it's obvious. Some players are very recognisable (Maradona, Robbo, Rudi) and other players just blend in. And there's such a turnover of players. For years you could go to Hearts v Celtic and the centre halves would be Anderson and McNeill; now things chop and change.

 

My point is that the first part of a commentator's job is 'identify the player on the ball' but they really cannot be bothered much of the time.

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1 hour ago, TexasAndy said:

I have been a big fan of OTB for years as it was the only Scottish football themed broadcast not obsessed with OF.  Indeed they would often take the mick out of OF.  However Cosgrove's attitude in recent months has made me switch off, dick.  It's a shame coz Tam Cowan has given us a bit of backing.   I have binned all the rag Scottish newspapers and don't listen to radio.  Why am I being driven away?  ONLY HEARTS.  

 

Precisely my feelings and thoughts.  A shame as I used to really enjoy it, and Tam Cowan is genuinely hilarious, however even before his attitude towards this Spring/Summer's shambles, Cosgrove's meandering gibbering was becoming increasingly irrelevant and the signs were there that the show had run its time.  A real pity as there is a place for this type of show amongst the dross that this thread has highlighted.

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1 hour ago, 4marsbars said:

Where would football be without all the mindless chat? We'd miss it, even if it is mostly b*****s.

 

Going slightly off-topic, but only slightly, what I cannot stand is how punditry has been merged with commentary. I happily admit I'm a boring old ***, but the first, and perhaps only, job of a commentator is to say the name of the player who is currently on the ball. He may also mention the names of players who are coming into the picture (Boyce has Wighton outside him). He especially must mention the name of every defender. 

 

What tends to happen is that when the ball is being passed around at the back, the commentator rarely mentions who is on the ball. Once a team crosses the half-way line, and the commentator can read the number on their back, they get mentioned a bit more, but only haphazardly. So, the TV viewer has less idea about the pattern of play, that this guy tends to pass to that guy, that this one always hoofs it, this other one likes to run forward. Or you might notice that this one pops up everywhere plugging the gaps. These are all things you would notice if you were at the match but on TV, because you only have a little bit of the pitch in view at any time, you get much less sense of the pattern of play. Who knew we had a player called Popescu, or what he contributes? Quite a lot I think but he's rarely been mentioned in commentary.

 

Instead we get a conversation between two relatively boring individuals (like on Friday) about smokie suppers and Arbroath storms. I'm glad for them, getting paid to go to the game with a bit of hospitality thrown in. But they can have that chat when a player is down injured or in some other gap. But when the ball is live, at least give us the name of the player and that's about it.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if commentators actually don't know which player is which. If so, they should trade them in for commentators who do. 

 

Rant ends.

Absolutely spot on, I also hate how the likes of Mitchell can't wait to tell us the next manager he thinks is under pressure the minute a goal goes in against them. I'd love to know who started the opinionated commentary but I'd hazard a guess it was Rob Maclean, another who I can't stand.

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Had a good laugh at a load of ex-players in England.

 

Still going on about things like 'if you get the ball first' it's not a foul. A lot of them live in their own worlds of when they played. 

 

Another example too questioning a manager because of what happened in another job in another country. Again lost in his own experience. 

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14 hours ago, Section Q said:

Who really needs them.......?

I don't ! 

I go away and do something else when they are on. 

I watch for the football not the blethers. 

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3 hours ago, JoeHarper said:

No one, get back to the old days of Scotsport and Sportscene where they gave you highlights, commentated on the match and moved on to the next item.

Good call and stop this co commentator pish as well. 

They spend more time talking to each other than actually commentating on the game. 

They want to make it more about themselves than the actual match. 

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Most of them are a waste of time. Who was the smug idiot with Michael Stewart on the weekend....?

Bring back big Craig Paterson. Genuinely nice guy who could give his opinion without the self importance thing......!

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1 hour ago, JoeHarper said:

Absolutely spot on, I also hate how the likes of Mitchell can't wait to tell us the next manager he thinks is under pressure the minute a goal goes in against them. I'd love to know who started the opinionated commentary but I'd hazard a guess it was Rob Maclean, another who I can't stand.

 

I think the opinionated pundit chatting to the commentator whilst avoiding commenting on what is happening right now really took off in the nineties with (especially ITV, perhaps Ron Atkinson's self-indulgent ramblings) ubiquitous live coverage of Champions League matches. I dare say it has got some connections with Sky and the Premiership but I never had Sky so that is just a guess.

 

I can't remember his name but BT's coverage of Champions League more recently has featured a really good (in my terms) commentator. 

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Borders Jambo

I can cope with most of the folk mentioned on here but have to admit, I absolutely detest David Currie.

 

He epitomises for me the worst of the BBC -  thinks he is funny, indulges in jocular/matey chatter, is completely inane and can't resist a dig at us.

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Agree with most of  the above. It's  another example of the modern life inventing something completely unnecessary.    And not just the commentator and studio pundit drivel - the endless replays of humdrum incidents (a tackle, a foul, a cross which the goalie catches easily .....) - now made worse by VAR stoppages in England.

 

Disagree with the point made above about today's commentators not having a grounding in radio - guys who have come from radio into TV are probably  the worst.   They can't stop talking.   Rob McLean, Paul Mitchell etc - we can see what's happening, so just stop stating the obvious !!

 

Anyone remember George Davidson, back in the 60s days of Sportscene/Scotsport ?  He was at the other end of the spectrum.  

 

"Chalmers with the ball".       5 second pause

"Out to ........ Johnstone"        5 second pause

"Now ........  Lennox"              10 second pause during which Lennox scores

"And ............. it's a goal"       (sounding surprised)

"Goal for Celtic"

 

Wonderful stuff  .... it's been downhill every since. 

 

 

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17 minutes ago, Section Q said:

Most of them are a waste of time. Who was the smug idiot with Michael Stewart on the weekend....?

Bring back big Craig Paterson. Genuinely nice guy who could give his opinion without the self importance thing......!

Aye. I quite liked Paterson too, despite him being a Hobo.   Wonder why he suddenly disappeared off the radio & TV a few years back.

 

4 minutes ago, Borders Jambo said:

I can cope with most of the folk mentioned on here but have to admit, I absolutely detest David Currie.

 

He epitomises for me the worst of the BBC -  thinks he is funny, indulges in jocular/matey chatter, is completely inane and can't resist a dig at us.

Very true 👍    A knob of the highest order.

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15 hours ago, Jamhammer said:

Tom English sticks up for us but he’s a journo really. Robbo is the only one really who sided with us


Apart from Alan Preston, Craig Levein, Neil McCann and Michael Stewart? Can add in Craig Gordon, Robbie and Andy Halliday now too. There’s also Kevin Kyle and Gary Locke. 

Edited by Last Laff
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15 minutes ago, Last Laff said:


Apart from Alan Preston, Craig Levein, Neil McCann and Michael Stewart? Can add in Craig Gordon, Robbie and Andy Halliday now too. There’s also Kevin Kyle and Gary Locke. 

 

 

I'd like to see big Kev get onto the highlights show at the weekend. He speaks his mind and sense on open goal I feel Kevin keeps open goal serious where Si is more laid back and always trying to make it a joke or take the mick out of Slane Kevin is the main man on that show and should go further than Simon Ferry .

 

I used to hate that Pat Nevin growing up watching him twiddle the pen and speak absolute nonsense where has he disappeared to .   

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Guess The Crowd
32 minutes ago, Lone Striker said:

Agree with most of  the above. It's  another example of the modern life inventing something completely unnecessary.    And not just the commentator and studio pundit drivel - the endless replays of humdrum incidents (a tackle, a foul, a cross which the goalie catches easily .....) - now made worse by VAR stoppages in England.

 

Disagree with the point made above about today's commentators not having a grounding in radio - guys who have come from radio into TV are probably  the worst.   They can't stop talking.   Rob McLean, Paul Mitchell etc - we can see what's happening, so just stop stating the obvious !!

 

Anyone remember George Davidson, back in the 60s days of Sportscene/Scotsport ?  He was at the other end of the spectrum.  

 

"Chalmers with the ball".       5 second pause

"Out to ........ Johnstone"        5 second pause

"Now ........  Lennox"              10 second pause during which Lennox scores

"And ............. it's a goal"       (sounding surprised)

"Goal for Celtic"

 

Wonderful stuff  .... it's been downhill every since. 

 

 

 

You're right, the best TV commentators say very little, but pick their moments well on when to speak, and what to say.

 

And the George Davidson stuff made me chuckle. Just before my time, but I've heard plenty of re-runs.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Lone Striker said:

Aye. I quite liked Paterson too, despite him being a Hobo.   Wonder why he suddenly disappeared off the radio & TV a few years back.

 

Very true 👍    A knob of the highest order.

Paterson was let go in favour of Willie Miller because, (let's call it a rumour), Miller was climbing on the producer...!

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4 hours ago, Last Laff said:


Apart from Alan Preston, Craig Levein, Neil McCann and Michael Stewart? Can add in Craig Gordon, Robbie and Andy Halliday now too. There’s also Kevin Kyle and Gary Locke. 

Really? I don't think I've ever heard Preston say anything positive about Hearts. Stewart should be ashamed of his immature, unprofessional behaviour towards our former manager Gordon, Robbie and Halliday are employees so you would expect nothing less. I' haven't seen Levein as I'm boycotting Sportscene but the way the majority of pundits have just stuck to the party line re our expulsion is disgusting IMO. Particularly on the BBC

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gorgie rd eh11
5 hours ago, Last Laff said:


Apart from Alan Preston, Craig Levein, Neil McCann and Michael Stewart? Can add in Craig Gordon, Robbie and Andy Halliday now too. There’s also Kevin Kyle and Gary Locke. 

 

 

 Alan Preston and michael Stewart siding with us 😄.  Gies a break.

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9 hours ago, Anderson5 said:

Wait. I thought Michael Stewart was on the good guy list after sticking up for us over the summer. What’s happened??

 

Think they have him on a tight leash now,the rest are garbish, thomson in the chair, the mind boggles,could he not get a useful job stacking shelves somewhere.

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Where did they get this stupid saying : 'Just about' as in he just about did enough there to keep that out... no he did do enough that's why it's no a goal!! Gets on my nerves!

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Bazzas right boot

Having watch the football in a few pubs with no sound I'm 100% for commentary, it's a bit shit without it. 

 

Pundits tho are a different matter. 

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3 hours ago, Section Q said:

Paterson was let go in favour of Willie Miller because, (let's call it a rumour), Miller was climbing on the producer...!

Wasn't  the chip ship business tycoon already on Sportsound at the same time as Paterson ?   Or are you suggesting there may have been a bit of argy bargy between the 2 of them ?      "Ah wiz a better defender than you"   "Naw ye werny"        

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Motd is the worst. Analyse the shit out of everything. Absolutely no need for them. 

 

That's why I think I enjoy watching the EFL on quest, there's more highlights and little chat. 

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Horatio Caine
6 hours ago, Lone Striker said:

Agree with most of  the above. It's  another example of the modern life inventing something completely unnecessary.    And not just the commentator and studio pundit drivel - the endless replays of humdrum incidents (a tackle, a foul, a cross which the goalie catches easily .....) - now made worse by VAR stoppages in England.

 

Disagree with the point made above about today's commentators not having a grounding in radio - guys who have come from radio into TV are probably  the worst.   They can't stop talking.   Rob McLean, Paul Mitchell etc - we can see what's happening, so just stop stating the obvious !!

 

Anyone remember George Davidson, back in the 60s days of Sportscene/Scotsport ?  He was at the other end of the spectrum.  

 

"Chalmers with the ball".       5 second pause

"Out to ........ Johnstone"        5 second pause

"Now ........  Lennox"              10 second pause during which Lennox scores

"And ............. it's a goal"       (sounding surprised)

"Goal for Celtic"

 

Wonderful stuff  .... it's been downhill every since. 

 

 

I remember Davidson once commentating on a Hibs match -" Jimmy O'Rourke - well these legs are like tree trunks"

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SectionDJambo
6 hours ago, Lone Striker said:

Agree with most of  the above. It's  another example of the modern life inventing something completely unnecessary.    And not just the commentator and studio pundit drivel - the endless replays of humdrum incidents (a tackle, a foul, a cross which the goalie catches easily .....) - now made worse by VAR stoppages in England.

 

Disagree with the point made above about today's commentators not having a grounding in radio - guys who have come from radio into TV are probably  the worst.   They can't stop talking.   Rob McLean, Paul Mitchell etc - we can see what's happening, so just stop stating the obvious !!

 

Anyone remember George Davidson, back in the 60s days of Sportscene/Scotsport ?  He was at the other end of the spectrum.  

 

"Chalmers with the ball".       5 second pause

"Out to ........ Johnstone"        5 second pause

"Now ........  Lennox"              10 second pause during which Lennox scores

"And ............. it's a goal"       (sounding surprised)

"Goal for Celtic"

 

Wonderful stuff  .... it's been downhill every since. 

 

 

Was it David Francey on the radio for the BBC? Always only the second half though. Some kind of rule from Willie Allan at the SFA, to prevent us all staying at home and listening to a match on the radio instead of going. For younger listeners, I’m not joking there.

I remember listening to English midweek  games on the radio back in the early 70s. The commentators, the names of whom I can’t recall, gave such a vivid description of the scene, within the grounds, that you could almost imagine being there. Brilliant stuff.

In my opinion, in recent years, rather than just tell us what is actually happening, it’s become a contest of who can be the biggest smarty pants or the most controversial. Thereby the standards have plummeted.

Edited by SectionDJambo
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8 hours ago, jonnothejambo said:

 

 

Jobs for the boys these days, Joe. 

 

 

Correction : it seems it's very much jobs for the bhoys

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41 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

Having watch the football in a few pubs with no sound I'm 100% for commentary, it's a bit shit without it. 

 

Pundits tho are a different matter. 

Really ! 

I watch with the sound down quite a lot. 

Especially if it's a live England or Hibs match. 

They don't even tell you who's on the ball just endless drivel about who's turn it is to get the pies and the like. 

A more than even chance I'll be watching at least some of the semi final in silence. I'll switch the sound back up when Hearts score to hear how pissed off they are. 😂

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