I thought the ESPN name was carrying on next season but under the finances of BT. So their remaining rights; FA Cup, SPL and Bundesliga, will still be on ESPN? So won't Rae be doing that?
I thought the ESPN name was carrying on next season but under the finances of BT. So their remaining rights; FA Cup, SPL and Bundesliga, will still be on ESPN? So won't Rae be doing that?
ESPN will only remain around in the form of the US sport that BT has obtained.
All of the competitions you've outlined will be under the BT banner.
I doubt Rae will be part of BT's plans. As far as commentators go I think it's going to be
Darke - PL, bigger FA Cup games and EL
Fletcher - smaller FA Cup games, EL, SPL and lesser foreign league games
Proudfoot - bigger foreign league games
Plus a few others on occasion (Drury, Speight etc.) along with world feeders.
I hadn't considered the possibility of neither Neville or Quinn doing co-commentary! It did occur to me at the Reading game today (especially considering that meant both sides represented in the studio) - but then I'd have thought it would be Smith rather than Provan. Good appointment for Provan - I'm pleased. I wonder if there's a chance we'll hear Matt Le Tissier this weekend? I know there's now only 3 games this weekend but I'd have thought they'd have made the assignments before the Southampton V Chelsea game got postponed - so I'd have thought it would be Quinn and Smith tomorrow (originally) as I wouldn't expect Neville to work 3 days in a row. Of course things might have become rather more complicated and changed because of the Chelsea game being rescheduled!
It was Tony Jones at Southampton v chelsea. I THINK he was with Dean Sturridge but I was doing my usual trick of watching on mute while listening to Bolton choke
I know I bang on about him as he is one of my favourite commentators, but given his availability and credentials I feel that Jim Proudfoot would have been a much better fit for the kind of SPL/European league portfolio Fletcher, should he join BT, is likely to receive.
I said exactly the same on the other forum the other day
(This post is sponsored by the word 'other')
I hadn't considered the possibility of neither Neville or Quinn doing co-commentary! It did occur to me at the Reading game today (especially considering that meant both sides represented in the studio) - but then I'd have thought it would be Smith rather than Provan. Good appointment for Provan - I'm pleased. I wonder if there's a chance we'll hear Matt Le Tissier this weekend? I know there's now only 3 games this weekend but I'd have thought they'd have made the assignments before the Southampton V Chelsea game got postponed - so I'd have thought it would be Quinn and Smith tomorrow (originally) as I wouldn't expect Neville to work 3 days in a row. Of course things might have become rather more complicated and changed because of the Chelsea game being rescheduled!
I wouldn't be surprised to hear Smith twice to be honest. I'd love a bit of "My Word" on Fulham vs QPR. I miss him from co-comm, the Real Madrid vs Spurs game is one of the funniest things ever "Stay on your feet" etc. Then came NotBigSam's Ray stories afterwards
Whoever it was, he was awful... (Not just Horne either! )
Through that 3news site... Banyard and Robson on Everton's goal... . Tell you what that would be a great #2 BT partnership behind Darke... Banyard deserves a UK audience!
ESPN will only remain around in the form of the US sport that BT has obtained.
All of the competitions you've outlined will be under the BT banner.
I doubt Rae will be part of BT's plans. As far as commentators go I think it's going to be
Darke - PL, bigger FA Cup games and EL
Fletcher - smaller FA Cup games, EL, SPL and lesser foreign league games
Proudfoot - bigger foreign league games
Plus a few others on occasion (Drury, Speight etc.) along with world feeders.
Thanks for the explanation. It'd be a great shame if Derek Rae didnt have a regular gig as of next year. He's the only Scottish commentator I rate. And deserves more than the SPL, with respect.
Will be interesting to see how BT's European coverage pans out. They said for Serie A they'd show all games simultaneously, wonder if they will employ freelancers all weekend, or use some of the world feeders... I presume if they intend to do this for Serie A, they will maybe do this for the likes of the Bundesliga too... (although that would mean, if they pay freelancers, a heck of a lot of dosh every weekend).
Nottingham Forest v Brighton & Hove Albion - Alistair Mann Crystal Palace v Birmingham City (Friday) - Martin Fisher Leicester City v Millwall (Friday) - Kevin Keatings Huddersfield Town v Hull City - Dan O'Hagan Fleetwood Town v Gillingham - Mark Clemmit (reporting)
Championship round-ups - Dave Beckett, Dan Mason and Jonathan Legard League One round-ups - Jonathan Legard, Paul Walker and Andy Giddings League Two round-ups - Dave Beckett, Dan Mason, Andy Giddings and Paul Walker
The reporter who Dave Jones deadpanned after Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley was Seth Bennett of BBC Radio Sheffield (and occasionally of FLS voiceover fame).
Arsenal v Reading - Gary Taphouse & Tony Gale Manchester City v Newcastle Utd - Rob Palmer & Trevor Francis Swansea City v Spurs - Joe Speight & Brian Little West Ham Utd v West Brom - Phil Blacker & Kevin Kilbane Wigan v Norwich City - Andy Clarke & Barry Horne Southampton v Chelsea - Tony Jones & Dean Sturridge
And on delay last night at 10pm on ESPN HD:
Bayern Munich v SV Hamburg - Mark Donaldson & Shaka Hislop
ESPN will only remain around in the form of the US sport that BT has obtained.
All of the competitions you've outlined will be under the BT banner.
I doubt Rae will be part of BT's plans. As far as commentators go I think it's going to be
Darke - PL, bigger FA Cup games and EL
Fletcher - smaller FA Cup games, EL, SPL and lesser foreign league games
Proudfoot - bigger foreign league games
Plus a few others on occasion (Drury, Speight etc.) along with world feeders.
Looking at the break down you have done there it really should be Proudfoot 2nd and Fletcher 3rd.
It will be interesting when the official BT announcement comes along as to commentary roles particular those behind Darke.
I really hate anyone covering Liverpool. Gerrard could take a shit on the pitch and still get MoM and all Jamie talks about are how good him & Suarez are. Gerrard wasn't MoM today but won it. Hate the love in the media have with certain players.
I'm not sure I'd agree with that, as a lot of ITV's regional Football League coverage from the mid 1990s to mid 2000s was very strong in my opinion, specifically the live regional games and the Soccer Sunday highlights shows at the turn of the decade. I grew up with Football League Extra so I'll always be very fond of it and I thought The Championship developed into a decent show as well (improving as it went along like The FLS has).
However, given the amount of footage - often less than brilliant quality pictures at that - needed to be turned over for a complete highlights show, I find it impressive that the BBC are able to put together a full programme before midnight on Saturday as opposed to Sunday/Tuesday morning.
Given the big cuts to ITV's regional news output, even though I really enjoyed Central's (as was) Football League coverage at the time, I'm not sure I'd want FL highlights to return their way today as I'm not sure how they would improve on what the BBC give us today. The BBC's coverage isn't perfect but I think Steve Williams and The Wanderer have made good points, as much as we'd like extra highlights shows here and there, we don't get/haven't got these on other channels which have covered the league and I doubt any other free-to-air channel would be prepared to provide any more coverage on top of what the BBC do currently. I think you have to be realistic about this.
On the midweek highlights score, perhaps a reasonable and realistic suggestion would be that the regional Late Kick Off shows would be better suited to a late midweek week timeslot as opposed to the Sunday one (personally I don't particularly like this slot and preferred the Monday one, but given the BBC One's regional Sunday night opt-outs in the Celtic nations I can understand why this makes sense). Obviously the Thursday night slot that ITV's Soccer Night had is out of the question because of Question Time and This Week, but would giving it a late Friday night slot similar to BBC Wales' Sport Wales, perhaps delaying the late film on BBC One, be a possibility?
Some of ITV's regional Soccer Sunday/Soccer Night stuff was very enjoyable, you certainly can't beat a bit of classic Roger Tames Tyne Tees commentary. But the show The Championship was definitely worse than what BBC do, and they never ever did shows on international weekends when games in the bottom two divisions took place.
Will be interesting to see how BT's European coverage pans out. They said for Serie A they'd show all games simultaneously, wonder if they will employ freelancers all weekend, or use some of the world feeders... I presume if they intend to do this for Serie A, they will maybe do this for the likes of the Bundesliga too... (although that would mean, if they pay freelancers, a heck of a lot of dosh every weekend).
Why on earth are Sky showing Leeds V Derby tomorrow? It's about as midtable an affair as you can get! Considering Hull and Watford are meeting in this set of fixtures surely that would be a far better match to show?
Comments
ESPN will only remain around in the form of the US sport that BT has obtained.
All of the competitions you've outlined will be under the BT banner.
I doubt Rae will be part of BT's plans. As far as commentators go I think it's going to be
Darke - PL, bigger FA Cup games and EL
Fletcher - smaller FA Cup games, EL, SPL and lesser foreign league games
Proudfoot - bigger foreign league games
Plus a few others on occasion (Drury, Speight etc.) along with world feeders.
It was Tony Jones at Southampton v chelsea. I THINK he was with Dean Sturridge but I was doing my usual trick of watching on mute while listening to Bolton choke
I'm sure it was posted on here a while back that BT don't really want to use ESPN talent
I said exactly the same on the other forum the other day
(This post is sponsored by the word 'other')
I wouldn't be surprised to hear Smith twice to be honest. I'd love a bit of "My Word" on Fulham vs QPR. I miss him from co-comm, the Real Madrid vs Spurs game is one of the funniest things ever "Stay on your feet" etc. Then came NotBigSam's Ray stories afterwards
Can't make out the Norwich/Wigan comm!
http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-all-goals-1-0-Wigan-Vs-Norwich-Premier-League-2013/tabid/317/articleID/292400/Default.aspx
I think it's Barry Horne as co-comm.
Whoever it was, he was awful... (Not just Horne either!
Through that 3news site... Banyard and Robson on Everton's goal... . Tell you what that would be a great #2 BT partnership behind Darke... Banyard deserves a UK audience!
Thanks for the explanation. It'd be a great shame if Derek Rae didnt have a regular gig as of next year. He's the only Scottish commentator I rate. And deserves more than the SPL, with respect.
I am pretty sure that is Andy Clarke. I think you are right about Barry Horne being the co-commentator too.
The Football League Show
Manish Bhasin presented alongside Leroy Rosenior
Nottingham Forest v Brighton & Hove Albion - Alistair Mann
Crystal Palace v Birmingham City (Friday) - Martin Fisher
Leicester City v Millwall (Friday) - Kevin Keatings
Huddersfield Town v Hull City - Dan O'Hagan
Fleetwood Town v Gillingham - Mark Clemmit (reporting)
Championship round-ups - Dave Beckett, Dan Mason and Jonathan Legard
League One round-ups - Jonathan Legard, Paul Walker and Andy Giddings
League Two round-ups - Dave Beckett, Dan Mason, Andy Giddings and Paul Walker
The reporter who Dave Jones deadpanned after Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley was Seth Bennett of BBC Radio Sheffield (and occasionally of FLS voiceover fame).
Arsenal v Reading - Gary Taphouse & Tony Gale
Manchester City v Newcastle Utd - Rob Palmer & Trevor Francis
Swansea City v Spurs - Joe Speight & Brian Little
West Ham Utd v West Brom - Phil Blacker & Kevin Kilbane
Wigan v Norwich City - Andy Clarke & Barry Horne
Southampton v Chelsea - Tony Jones & Dean Sturridge
And on delay last night at 10pm on ESPN HD:
Bayern Munich v SV Hamburg - Mark Donaldson & Shaka Hislop
World Feed - David Gladwell
ESPN HD - Joe Speight
Sky Sports 4 HD - Ian Crocker & Andy Walker
It will be interesting when the official BT announcement comes along as to commentary roles particular those behind Darke.
Sky Sports 1 HD - Rob Hawthorne & Alan Smith
World Feed - Jon Champion & Craig Burley
I really hate anyone covering Liverpool. Gerrard could take a shit on the pitch and still get MoM and all Jamie talks about are how good him & Suarez are. Gerrard wasn't MoM today but won it. Hate the love in the media have with certain players.
Some of ITV's regional Soccer Sunday/Soccer Night stuff was very enjoyable, you certainly can't beat a bit of classic Roger Tames Tyne Tees commentary. But the show The Championship was definitely worse than what BBC do, and they never ever did shows on international weekends when games in the bottom two divisions took place.
Bring back football Italia!
Nat Coombs presenting with Raphael Honigstein & Steffen Freund
Commentators: Steve Bower & Jim Beglin