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Old 04-05-2010, 20:46
bwfcol
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Aye Roddy has been there since 1986 I think. There was a fella called David Francey before him, he had a good turn of phrase too. I think Mike Ingham used to cover the Scotland games with him
'86 is a bit before my radio memories begin!

My first 5Live memories consist of Ron Jones and Peter Drury along with Ingham/Green
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Old 04-05-2010, 21:00
IanFergus
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BBC London 94.9
Host Steve Bunce
Chelsea Youth v Aston Villa Youth Jamie Hill
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Old 05-05-2010, 00:55
The Difference
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Roddy Forsyth is one of those comms/reporters that take me back to my childhood.

There's probably only him and Green/Ingham that are around from my early radio listening days
'86 is a bit before my radio memories begin!

My first 5Live memories consist of Ron Jones and Peter Drury along with Ingham/Green
By being "around", I'm sure you mean the commentators who still remain at Five Live.

Of course, early Radio 5 commentators like Peter Drury, Rob Hawthorne and Jon Champion are now successful TV commentators, while Ron Jones regularly commentates for Today FM in Ireland.

But as for Five Live football commentators from "our youth" (as I guess you're of a similar age to me) who are still with the station, I think you are just looking at Green, Ingham and Forsyth as you mention, plus Simon Brotherton, Ian Brown - who rejoined the station in 1995 - and Dave Woods (who started at the station around the same time Brown returned but was then mostly only used on rugby league).

Other than those guys, most of Five Live's current crop of commentators joined the station around the time of (or after) the launch of Five Live Sports Extra, when the amount of weekly commentaries they were doing was significantly increasing.


To add to the air of nostalgia over the past page of the thread - my earliest radio football memories chart back to BBC WM's Saturday afternoon Around the Grounds show from the early to mid 90s (BRMB and Beacon held the lions share of West Midland commentary rights back then), and quite a number of those I grew up listening to are still involved today.

Paul Franks was in the chair at Pebble Mill back then, and he's still their lead weekend football presenter to this day. Reporters included Richard Wilford, Andrew Dawkins and John Platt who are all still at the station, plus Clive Eakin who's now commentating on neighbouring BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and Nick Clitheroe of Midlands Today.

Something I was thinking about the other day - it's interesting how many of BBC WM's sports broadcasters have stayed in the area, while so many of their counterparts from neighbouring commercial stations have gone on to enjoy national success with commercial broadcasters.

I've often wondered why this was, as I firmly believe there are a number of BBC broadcasters around here who are more than capable of doing a fine job nationally. Perhaps there is some truth in what they say about the BBC in London having an aversion to Midlands accents.
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Old 05-05-2010, 02:10
RobinCarmody
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I go all the way back to Peter Thompson on the Scottish Home Service in the fifties and sixties
Indeed. I think he also did some early TV work for BBC Scotland.

Douglas Lowe is another name that rings a slight bell.
I've never heard him, or anything - I imagine *that* Scottish version of RP which is now in an even sharper decline than its model - but I know the name from checking old Radio Times; he used to do England v Scotland matches for the Light Programme, alongside Raymond Glendenning. Then it was David Francey as stated, although Radio 2 used Jock Brown alongside Peter Jones for the 1979 England-Scotland renewal, and David Begg for the 1982 World Cup.
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Old 05-05-2010, 02:15
RobinCarmody
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Something I was thinking about the other day - it's interesting how many of BBC WM's sports broadcasters have stayed in the area, while so many of their counterparts from neighbouring commercial stations have gone on to enjoy national success with commercial broadcasters.

I've often wondered why this was, as I firmly believe there are a number of BBC broadcasters around here who are more than capable of doing a fine job nationally. Perhaps there is some truth in what they say about the BBC in London having an aversion to Midlands accents.
Well, it is true that Midlands accents are still seen as ugly by some, and haven't developed the metropolitan media chic that Northern English accents, and especially most of the Celtic (hard C!) accents, have. Personally, I rather like them, and I think they're quite unfairly maligned - I always like to hear them wherever they turn up. But it is certainly not the part of the UK where the accent has withered most heavily on the vine - recently, on 1Xtra, someone with a *very* broad Brummie accent rang up and did a Lil Wayne freestyle. Anyone listening to that station from the West Country would sound half-Basildon, half-LA. You in the West Midlands are *far* luckier than some of us ...
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Old 05-05-2010, 09:28
bwfcol
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I didn't realise Brotherton had been at 5Live since the mid 90's! I thought it was in the last 10 years or so. Ian Brown is one I remember form a while ago.

I remember Drury, Hawthorne and Champion and I was referring to those still with 5Live.
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Old 05-05-2010, 13:08
Arthur Pringle
 
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To add to the air of nostalgia over the past page of the thread - my earliest radio football memories chart back to BBC WM's Saturday afternoon Around the Grounds show from the early to mid 90s (BRMB and Beacon held the lions share of West Midland commentary rights back then), and quite a number of those I grew up listening to are still involved today.

Paul Franks was in the chair at Pebble Mill back then, and he's still their lead weekend football presenter to this day. Reporters included Richard Wilford, Andrew Dawkins and John Platt who are all still at the station, plus Clive Eakin who's now commentating on neighbouring BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and Nick Clitheroe of Midlands Today.

Something I was thinking about the other day - it's interesting how many of BBC WM's sports broadcasters have stayed in the area, while so many of their counterparts from neighbouring commercial stations have gone on to enjoy national success with commercial broadcasters.

I've often wondered why this was, as I firmly believe there are a number of BBC broadcasters around here who are more than capable of doing a fine job nationally. Perhaps there is some truth in what they say about the BBC in London having an aversion to Midlands accents.
Pat and Pete were good on Beacon, also the WABC Wide World of Sport (a name which was basically a piss take) with The Prof was a good listen. Very much an around the grounds program, only the derby games had commentary. Wolves, Walsall, WBA and Shrewsbury all had dedicated reporters and they used the IRN ones for Villa and Blues as there would be some local interest in them, even though BRMB would be the official station for them. The Prof (Phil? Dixon) would also have his quiz questions going on all afternoon. It was a fairly light hearted show but was always good to listen to.
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Old 05-05-2010, 13:17
Arthur Pringle
 
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I didn't realise Brotherton had been at 5Live since the mid 90's! I thought it was in the last 10 years or so. Ian Brown is one I remember form a while ago.
.
I was trying to recall who covered Le Tour before Brotherton and I really can't remember. Ian Brown was the lead commentator on BBC Radio Wales for a number of years prior to joining 5 live
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Old 05-05-2010, 17:48
RobinCarmody
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the WABC Wide World of Sport (a name which was basically a piss take)
Indeed so, but perhaps a glancing reference as part of their general pisstake of American-style broadcasting in reduced circumstances? The WABC name after all was only really adopted so they could reuse jingles from the 1960s New York station of that name, then considered to be maybe the world's best pop station and a massive influence on the offshore stations here (loved it when they pretended it stood for Wolverhampton and Black Country and, better still, Wrekin and Border Communities). And 'Wide World of Sports' (note the plural - 'Sport' in the singular is rarely used in American English) was the title of the US programme that inspired World of Sport, which was going to be called 'Wide World of Sport' until someone pointed out that it wasn't really wide at all.
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Old 05-05-2010, 17:49
RobinCarmody
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I was trying to recall who covered Le Tour before Brotherton and I really can't remember.
Maybe no-one? It never inspired all that much interest in the UK until the Channel 4 coverage came along, and even that was before the great expansion of radio sport.
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Old 05-05-2010, 18:40
The Difference
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Pat and Pete were good on Beacon, also the WABC Wide World of Sport (a name which was basically a piss take) with The Prof was a good listen. Very much an around the grounds program, only the derby games had commentary. Wolves, Walsall, WBA and Shrewsbury all had dedicated reporters and they used the IRN ones for Villa and Blues as there would be some local interest in them, even though BRMB would be the official station for them. The Prof (Phil? Dixon) would also have his quiz questions going on all afternoon. It was a fairly light hearted show but was always good to listen to.
Sounds like a good show, the kind I would have enjoyed listening to. Do you remember who was reporting on the Baggies, Wolves, Saddlers and Shrews for them back then?

Round where I live we can't get that great a signal for Beacon, and to be honest WM offered a pretty similar service (including a Saturday quiz) which I was really happy with at the time. In many ways I'd prefer something like that to the wall-to-wall commentaries we get across the FM dial on Saturdays now.

I never really ventured away from BBC radio until the turn of the millennium - the advent of talkSPORT changed that for me, I now listen to far more commercial radio than I do BBC radio.
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Old 05-05-2010, 18:53
The Difference
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Wednesday 5th May - talkSPORT

Mark Saggers presenting Kick-Off: Wednesday Night Football alongside Stan Collymore (from the City of Manchester Stadium)

Premier League
Fulham v Stoke City - Mike Bovill
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur - Dom McGuinness and Stan Collymore

Scottish Premier League
Hearts v Dundee United - Mark Donaldson

Tony Carr Testimonial
West Ham United v West Ham Academy All Stars - Ian Abrahams

Cricket: ICC World Twenty20
Australia v Bangladesh & Afghanistan v South Africa - Jack Bannister
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Old 05-05-2010, 20:04
Arthur Pringle
 
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Maybe no-one? It never inspired all that much interest in the UK until the Channel 4 coverage came along, and even that was before the great expansion of radio sport.
There was someone, but i can't remember who (and yes it was from R5 / 5 Live days, not the old Radio 2)

Sounds like a good show, the kind I would have enjoyed listening to. Do you remember who was reporting on the Baggies, Wolves, Saddlers and Shrews for them back then?
.
John Bastow did Wolves, Mike Jones did Shrews and my memory fails me for the other two, a young Nigel Pearson was also onboard and a fella called Nick Dye. Malcolm Boyden always covered the Baggies for WM and Mike Hollis covered their Saturday games for BRMB
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Old 05-05-2010, 20:12
Arthur Pringle
 
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Indeed so, but perhaps a glancing reference as part of their general pisstake of American-style broadcasting in reduced circumstances? The WABC name after all was only really adopted so they could reuse jingles from the 1960s New York station of that name, then considered to be maybe the world's best pop station and a massive influence on the offshore stations here (loved it when they pretended it stood for Wolverhampton and Black Country and, better still, Wrekin and Border Communities). And 'Wide World of Sports' (note the plural - 'Sport' in the singular is rarely used in American English) was the title of the US programme that inspired World of Sport, which was going to be called 'Wide World of Sport' until someone pointed out that it wasn't really wide at all.
Yes, they gave it the full "Highs of 23 WABC degrees" when reading the weather.
Beacon was to be called WABC when it launched apparently, but the IBA decided it was too American.
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Old 05-05-2010, 20:35
IanFergus
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Pat and Pete were good on Beacon, also the WABC Wide World of Sport (a name which was basically a piss take) with The Prof was a good listen. Very much an around the grounds program, only the derby games had commentary. Wolves, Walsall, WBA and Shrewsbury all had dedicated reporters and they used the IRN ones for Villa and Blues as there would be some local interest in them, even though BRMB would be the official station for them. The Prof (Phil? Dixon) would also have his quiz questions going on all afternoon. It was a fairly light hearted show but was always good to listen to.
There was a Brian Smith on Beacon in days gone by. I don't know whether this is Brian Seymour-Smith who currently reports on Sky Sports. Mike Jones (also of Sky Sports News fame) was the Shrewsbury Town reporter and Malcolm Boyden was also at Beacon.

In those days (the eighties), Independent Local Radio had some great sports coverage with (in my opinion) Red Rose Radio, Chiltern Radio and Radio Orwell leading the way.

EDIT -> I see that Arthur Pringle has beaten me to some of the above. Whatever happened to Mike Hollis. I last heard of him at Jazz FM.
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Old 05-05-2010, 20:54
IanFergus
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BBC Radio Five Live
Man City v Tottenham Alistair Bruce-Ball, Alan Green and Mark Lawrenson (commentary)
Fulham v Stoke David Oates


BBC London 94.9
Man City v Tottenham Phil Parry and Clive Walker (commentary)
Fulham v Stoke Emma Jones
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Old 05-05-2010, 21:03
bwfcol
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Ali BB is a poor commentator and should not be on such an important game IMO
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Old 05-05-2010, 22:20
shaun_d
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I half agree, I don't think he's poor (though he's better on golf than football) but I do think he's well down the pecking order and therefore I'm surprised he got the game given the hype around it, Murray/Brotherton/McNamara or Fletcher should have been with Green in my opinion.

It was mentioned pre-match that Green would be at Chelsea on Sunday.
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Old 05-05-2010, 22:38
Akilduff
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I was trying to recall who covered Le Tour before Brotherton and I really can't remember. Ian Brown was the lead commentator on BBC Radio Wales for a number of years prior to joining 5 live
I remember Phil Liggett used to do a round-up report each day back in the 80s on Radio 2, but can't remember when he stopped.

There may have been a gap, or S Brotherton may have taken over directly.
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Old 05-05-2010, 22:54
RobinCarmody
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Beacon was to be called WABC when it launched apparently, but the IBA decided it was too American.
Wildly off-topic here, of course, but Beacon did indeed have a lot of trouble when they began re. their reuse of US jingles, not having enough local coverage (presumably they tried to convince the IBA that WABC *did* stand for "Wolverhampton and Black Country" back in the mid-70s!?) ... all quite unthinkable now but then you know that anyway. They must be the only original ILR station that could be said to be *more* local now than in 1976, because in their early days I'm pretty sure they didn't do football. The Lew Grade / ATV of ILR, ironically at the time when ATV themselves were (largely forcibly / under pressure) taking a different direction. I've got a Beacon recording from August Bank Holiday 1977 - almost on topic! Steve Rider does a cricket report in the IRN bulletin! - and the DJ (Mark Williams, I think) sounds horribly cheesy and far more unnatural to listen to now than Peter Donaldson, but the music he plays is pretty much unimpeachably great.
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Old 05-05-2010, 22:54
RobinCarmody
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I remember Phil Liggett used to do a round-up report each day back in the 80s on Radio 2, but can't remember when he stopped.
Yes, perhaps he carried on into the Radio 5 / early Five Live era. Presumably he was working for Channel 4 and BBC Radio at the same time?
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Old 05-05-2010, 22:59
RobinCarmody
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Yes, they gave it the full "Highs of 23 WABC degrees" when reading the weather.
Amusing "Britain as cultural halfway house in every possible respect" incongruity when done in that style, of course, because an American station wouldn't say that unless it was well below freezing

Did they take Savile's Travels? I know a lot of the early Gold-format stations did, including WGMS Peterborough (officially "World's Greatest Music Station" but really so named so they could reuse a lot of jingles that went from American radio via the offshore stations to Radio 1).
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Old 05-05-2010, 23:33
Akilduff
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Yes, perhaps he carried on into the Radio 5 / early Five Live era. Presumably he was working for Channel 4 and BBC Radio at the same time?
In presumably nothing more than a freelance capacity though.

He also used to commentate on BBC TV on the likes of mountain cycling in the late eighties.
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Old 05-05-2010, 23:39
Ian Cleverly
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Ian Brown was the lead commentator on BBC Radio Wales for a number of years prior to joining 5 live
That would've been Richard Shephard surely? I can definitely remember Ian doing TV commentary on Welsh Cup games in the late 80s/early 90s, and on Cardiff's FA Cup run in 1993/94.
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Old 06-05-2010, 06:44
Arthur Pringle
 
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Did they take Savile's Travels? I know a lot of the early Gold-format stations did, including WGMS Peterborough (officially "World's Greatest Music Station" but really so named so they could reuse a lot of jingles that went from American radio via the offshore stations to Radio 1).
Yes they did on Sundays 12-2, oddly they also took the Network Chart under the banner of "Future Golden Oldies"

That would've been Richard Shephard surely? I can definitely remember Ian doing TV commentary on Welsh Cup games in the late 80s/early 90s, and on Cardiff's FA Cup run in 1993/94.
Yes I remember Shep but thought Brownie worked along side him for a while, I maybe wrong. Who did the Romania game in 1993?

Speaking of Cardiff, I heard a clip a few years back of the winner v Real Madrid, I couldn't make out who was commentating, it sounded like Alun Williams but I thought he only did rugby?
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