Brian Moore. I also like Jimmy Armfield as summariser on 5, bit young to have heard Wolstenholme in his pomp, but hearing clips of his and watching the video of the Matthews final of '53 made me wish we had someone like him around in the skytastic pomp and bluster world of today, very gentlemanly!
Has the knack of not coming across as a know-it-all while being knowledgable about the game.
He also seems like a decent bloke.
IMHO Ian Darke is the most irritating football commentator about. He does act like the font of all knowledge and just machine guns facts at the listener. I usually mute his games!
Wallowing in the bath on a wintry night with football on the radio is one of life's pleasures - I love the whole "painting pictures with words" thing (which is why sulky Alan Green is so irritating). Actually, I quite enjoy hearing Graham Taylor as a summariser, and closer to home, Dean Kiely's outings have been pretty good.
(Also - didn't realise Scott Minto was being used as a reporter by Sky as well as a pundit.)
The reason why John Arlott didn't commentate in the afternoons was because he used to work as cricket correspondent for the Guardian and would write up his match reports.
I quite like the current Sky cricket team, a good mix of characters and perspectives with Mike Holding the replacement for Benaud making some shrewd comments on the game.
The best ever though was Peter O'Sullevan, it was once said of him that he could have called the charge of the Light Brigade.
I remember when he was at the height of his powers on Capital Gold. It was when we were at Upton Park and listening to him as you battled back through horrendous traffic was always a highlight.
But you're right, he doesn't work anywhere near as well on TV.
[cite]Posted By: Valley11[/cite]Yeah that's weird about Jonathan Pearce.
I remember when he was at the height of his powers on Capital Gold.
It was when we were at Upton Park and listening to him as you battled back through horrendous traffic was always a highlight.
But you're right, he doesn't work anywhere near as well on TV.
Odd.
Pearce was terrific on Capital Gold - he also ran the sports operation, and it's no wonder it was wound up a year after he went to the BBC.
He's better on TV than he used to be - he's realised that you can just sit back and let the pictures do the talking on telly (a skill very few people on telly, in sport or news, have). Whereas on radio, it's a benefit to have that "the sky's glowing golden yellow over Highbury, as David Seaman runs up to take the goal kick" stuff he used to get away with.
Footie: Brian Moore & Barry Davies are hard to split as the best. Tennis: Has to be Dan 'Oh I Say!' Maskell. Cricket: Must say I still turn the sound down on the TV and listen to the radio. The classic line up for me would be Johnners, CMJ and the brilliant Henry Blofeld. The best summarisers were Trevor Bailey (The Boil), Freddie Truman and Aggers before he was a main commentator. Motor Racing: There's only one- Murray Walker Horse Racing: The wonderful Peter O'Sullevan Golf: Always loved the Peter Alliss/Alex Hay combo. Rugby: I liked Bill McClaren but prefer Ray French, who commentates on Rugby League Snooker: Has to be Ted Lowe, with notable nods to Clive Everton & Jack Karneham Showjumping: It can only be Raymond 'Oh she's fallen orf' Brooks-Ward Darts: The one and only Sid Waddell (he wrote Jossy's Giants you know) with special mention to Tony Green, still doing it for the BBC. Athletics: David Coleman, for calling those great moments in the home straight (And Gunnell GOES for gold, and Gunnell GETS the gold'!, 'Its Linford Christieeeee' etc) as our top runners won and for 'One Nil!' in the 70's footie.
was listening to tms this morning and decided to look for (as requested on page 1 of this thread) the brian johnston and jonathan agnew 'leg over' commentary.
heard it so many times before but still makes me cry with laughter.
Totally agree about johnners, everything would stand still when he was on the wireless, defined the art, not really because of his sports commentating alone, but because you just loved the man.
Brian Moore in the 70s and 80s. His commentaries on the Big Match of a Sunday afternoon were a memorable part of my childhood, especially when Charlton were on, which wasn't often enough for me. Barry Davies on the BBC was aways professional, too.
Loved David Coleman for his athletics in particular and football commentary. Also Barry Davies.
Found Wolstenholme too dreary.
Sorry, but hated Brian Moore; for his abject pessimism when covering England and especially for his sucking up to those egotistical Palace scum Allison and Venables.
It's the current cop of motor/motorcycle racing commentators that annoy me most these days other than the usual soccer wallies. We're watching because we're fans of whichever sport it is, we know who's who and what's going on: there 's no need to waffle on and on about tyre temperatures or what might happen if it rains. If some technacality arises (as it did at Mallory Park recent'ly), fair enough-explain it, otherwise let's enjoy the sound of the cars/'bikes hammering down the straight!
Someone mentioned Peter Jones in the 70's, those midweek European games with Jones and Bryon Butler were tremendous listening - the radio used to spontaneously combust when a goal went in.
Comments
"I've got to stop now because I have a lump in my throat"
A true golden moment in sports commentary. I felt he almost won that title with Damon Hill.
Did someone mention Clive Tyldsley? I'd rather stick stinging nettles in my ears.
Peter Alliss anyone.
Commentators.They don't make 'em like they used to.
Has the knack of not coming across as a know-it-all while being knowledgable about the game.
He also seems like a decent bloke.
IMHO Ian Darke is the most irritating football commentator about.
He does act like the font of all knowledge and just machine guns facts at the listener. I usually mute his games!
Bet you didn't know that!
Genius
Wallowing in the bath on a wintry night with football on the radio is one of life's pleasures - I love the whole "painting pictures with words" thing (which is why sulky Alan Green is so irritating). Actually, I quite enjoy hearing Graham Taylor as a summariser, and closer to home, Dean Kiely's outings have been pretty good.
(Also - didn't realise Scott Minto was being used as a reporter by Sky as well as a pundit.)
I quite like the current Sky cricket team, a good mix of characters and perspectives with Mike Holding the replacement for Benaud making some shrewd comments on the game.
The best ever though was Peter O'Sullevan, it was once said of him that he could have called the charge of the Light Brigade.
Martin Tyler
Geoff Boycott
Ron Pickering
Jonathan Pearce (only on radio)
I remember when he was at the height of his powers on Capital Gold.
It was when we were at Upton Park and listening to him as you battled back through horrendous traffic was always a highlight.
But you're right, he doesn't work anywhere near as well on TV.
Odd.
Dave Higson
Pearce was terrific on Capital Gold - he also ran the sports operation, and it's no wonder it was wound up a year after he went to the BBC.
He's better on TV than he used to be - he's realised that you can just sit back and let the pictures do the talking on telly (a skill very few people on telly, in sport or news, have). Whereas on radio, it's a benefit to have that "the sky's glowing golden yellow over Highbury, as David Seaman runs up to take the goal kick" stuff he used to get away with.
(edit: not sport, but here's an example of letting the pictures do the talking - NBC shutting up for a couple of minutes after the US election was called for Obama).
Have the 2 ever been seen in the same room at the same time ?
Tennis: Has to be Dan 'Oh I Say!' Maskell.
Cricket: Must say I still turn the sound down on the TV and listen to the radio. The classic line up for me would be Johnners, CMJ and the brilliant Henry Blofeld. The best summarisers were Trevor Bailey (The Boil), Freddie Truman and Aggers before he was a main commentator.
Motor Racing: There's only one- Murray Walker
Horse Racing: The wonderful Peter O'Sullevan
Golf: Always loved the Peter Alliss/Alex Hay combo.
Rugby: I liked Bill McClaren but prefer Ray French, who commentates on Rugby League
Snooker: Has to be Ted Lowe, with notable nods to Clive Everton & Jack Karneham
Showjumping: It can only be Raymond 'Oh she's fallen orf' Brooks-Ward
Darts: The one and only Sid Waddell (he wrote Jossy's Giants you know) with special mention to Tony Green, still doing it for the BBC.
Athletics: David Coleman, for calling those great moments in the home straight (And Gunnell GOES for gold, and Gunnell GETS the gold'!, 'Its Linford Christieeeee' etc) as our top runners won and for 'One Nil!' in the 70's footie.
heard it so many times before but still makes me cry with laughter.
johnners = legend
Loved David Coleman for his athletics in particular and football commentary. Also Barry Davies.
Found Wolstenholme too dreary.
Sorry, but hated Brian Moore; for his abject pessimism when covering England and especially for his sucking up to those egotistical Palace scum Allison and Venables.