Ian (or any other Wales-based DS member), do you know if BBC Radio Wales/Radio Cymru had any coverage of this match?

Given the result, it wouldn't surprise me if those stations cover the second leg live, and perhaps (given their lack of live sport at the moment) S4C might pitch up in Llanelli to televise the second leg live.


I agree, I rate Ken McRobb from what I've heard of his commentaries on Radio Scotland/Five Live/Sportscene, I hope he gets a regular commentary gig somewhere in the coming season.

Also, I noticed towards the end of last season that Dave McKinney - the former ITV Scotland SFL commentator who covered SPL games for Setanta's highlights last season - began to pop up on Five Live reporting on SPL/Scottish Cup games.

Now Setanta have gone, I wonder if we'll hear him regularly on Five Live/Radio Scotland this season?

They've already taken back Bill Leckie (who appeared to join Setanta mid-way through last season) and Charlie Mann (who left to become Vladimir Romanov's official spokesman, before promptly being fired).

So we can but hope.

He popped up on "open all mics" on Radio Scotland a couple of times as well.

I'm afraid I don't rate him as a commentator, but as a reporter he's solid enough and deserves a job somewhere.

Nope. Radio Wales/Cymru didn't have anyone there. Scarlet FM may have, but didn't want to listen to a "12 shit hits in a row" type station to see if there was. TBH, I only knew that Roddy Forstyth was there due to "5 Live Lions" being on at that time.

I doubt anyone would be there for the 2nd leg either.

Loved David Currie on Reporting Scotland trying to pronounce Llanelli, it was like he was halfway through 'hailing' a Taxi

Llanelli FC V Motherwell (UEFA Europa League)

BBC Radio Wales - Rob Phillips and Jason Perry (commentary)
BBC Radio Cymru - Dafydd Roberts (updates)

(Dylan Griffiths doing updates on The New Saints V Fram Reykjavik on both Radio Wales/Cymru)
Last edited by Ian Cleverly : 09-07-2009 at 19:32

BBC Radio Scotland - Bill Leckie and Craig Paterson

Don't you just love it when you get proved right? (Ian, I don't blame you for giving Scarlet FM a miss either).

Just spotted that S4C televised the match as well - which doesn't surprise me given that they devote so much airtime to Welsh Premiership clubs during the season, so they might as well cover one of their side's home European ties against another UK side (especially when the Welsh club in question could take a lead into the second leg).

From S4C/Radio Wales's point of view, just a shame Llanelli weren't able to pull off a famous result at Parc y Scarlets tonight.

Dylan Griffiths is doing updates for BBC Radio Cymru on the Rhyl FC V Partizan Belgrade (UEFA Champions League 2nd qualifying round) game

In light of today's SPL TV rights news, I wonder if the likes of Ken McRobb might look towards ESPN next season - if not to do the live games, maybe to take the mic for a possible highlights show.

After all, Scottish radio does look pretty crammed for commentators now.

BBC Radio Scotland currently have a roster of David Begg, Scott Davie, John Barnes, Kheredine Idessane, plus Paul Mitchell, Liam McLeod and Alisdair Lamont (who all also commentate - off-tube - for the BBC Scotland TV Sportscene highlights show).

That's plenty of commentary voices, plus they have lots of reporters - including Charlie Mann and Bill Leckie as you mention.

On Bill Leckie, did he actually ever "leave" Radio Scotland for Setanta?

I seem to remember he usually only ever commentated on the midweek Scottish Cup replays involving SFL teams, and as Sports Editor of the Scottish Sun - seemed to pop up everywhere, including talkSPORT and Five Live. It doesn't surprise me Leckie appeared on Setanta's coverage but would that necessarily have cut him loose from Radio Scotland?

Elsewhere, Five Live seem happy using English guys on Scottish games plus Roddy Forsyth, Andy Gillies, Ian Turner and now Dave McKinney as their SPL match reporters, which is more than enough. talkSPORT have Mark Donaldson in Scotland (although IMO could do with a second reporter to cover Old Firm games when Donaldson is at Hearts matches).

So perhaps for the likes of McRobb, Brian Etherson etc, a move to ESPN might be a better decision - especially seeing as ESPN's new sports producer is the same guy who was in that role at Setanta UK.


On an unrelated note, does anyone know of stations covering any pre-season football this Saturday?

I will be interested to see what BBC WM do, what with Villa, West Brom and Walsall all in action away from home.

On their summer sports shows this time last year, WM had full-time reports on the games - not from their usual pool of commentators/reporters but from each team's correspondents from the local Sunday papers (Sports Argus and Sunday Mercury).

Falkirk V FC Vaduz (UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round) - Andy Gillies for R5L
England V Iceland (Women's Friendly International) - Jacqui Oatley for R5L

British Open Golf - Mark Naylor updating for BBC Radio Bristol
Antony O'Connell commentating on Jackland V FC Twente on Swansea Sound.

Saturday 18th July: BBC WM

Summer Saturday presented by Richard Wilford

Rotherham United v Walsall - Phil Cartwright & Mick Kearns (reports only)
Warwickshire v Lancashire (County Championship Cricket) - Mike Taylor (again, just reports but I believe commentary was available online)

The Saddlers match at the Don Valley Stadium was the only featured friendly, despite Aston Villa playing at Peterborough United at 3pm today, although throughout the show they aired a montage of clips from last Friday's Cardiff City v Chasetown friendly, which Rob Gurney had reported on at the time.



Kearnsy is the usual Saddlers summariser (and has just accepted a job as goalkeeper coach at the club to boot), but Phil Cartwright is not a name familiar to me.

He's not one of WM's usual commentators/reporters or a sports writer in the local press. Does anyone know if he's from BBC local radio in Yorkshire?

As you might imagine, Phil didn't sound too familiar with the Saddlers players, although Mick could have helped him out by telling him Walsall's left-back is called Netan Sansara not Nathan Sansara!

There was a Phil Cartwright who did an away commentary on Port Vale for BBC Radio Stoke two seasons ago, but I know not where.

Thanks Ian. A quick search tells me Phil is a sports reporter for BBC Radio Stoke, who reads the sports news and co-hosts the station's weekly football round-up. Apparently he's from Wolverhampton.

He's not the first former Port Vale commentator to pop up on WM, Phil Bowers was Radio Stoke's Vale man until 2007 before WM snapped him up to replace Richard Wilford after his (temporary) move to host drivetime on BBC Hereford & Worcester.

On that subject, I read recently that Phil is now working as Press Officer for Stoke City Council, which IMO is a shame as he was a really good broadcaster. It was unfortunate that he seemed to be phased out at WM after Wilford returned.

Phil Bowers occasionally reported in the North for other local radio stations such as BBC London last year.

Monday 20th July: talkSPORT

The All Sports Show with Danny Kelly

Shamrock Rovers v Real Madrid - Andy Clarke
Monday Night Racing from Windsor - Ian Abrahams


Clarkey sounds like he's at the game as well. Not bad work if you can get it.

4-4-2 (or anyone else), any information about talkSPORT's plans to cover The Wembley Cup?

Paul Hawksbee confirmed today that Ian Danter & Jason Cundy will be "talkSPORT's team" on the Friday evening games (which I'm going to, so would appreciate someone posting details about TS's coverage on here ) but he did not say whether they'd be the presenting or commentary team, or if the station was providing commentary on either/both games.

Tuesday 21st July: BBC WM

WM Sport with Dan Wheeler (no Rob Gurney tonight)

Walsall v Wolves - Mark Regan (reports only)

Bit of a shame this is just reports only, as Walsall's home friendlies with Aston Villa, Wolves and West Brom last year were all midweek commentary games on WM.



Moving onto the Wembley Cup, Ian Danter said that talkSPORT would be doing commentary on Spurs v Barcelona (Friday) and Spurs v Celtic (Sunday) on his show today.

Presumably they'll be doing reports on the Celtic v Al Ahly and Barcelona v Al Ahly games given they will have OB teams at Wembley anyway.

Former BRMB and The Villain commentator Jack Woodward is on BBC WM Sport tonight talking about Aston Villa's new kit launch and their upcoming involvement in the Peace Cup pre-season tournament in Spain.

Jack is currently an AVTV and Aston FM commentator, and also occasionally pops up as a match reporter on talkSPORT.

WM don't have a reporter on Villa's friendly at Colchester United though. However, they did have Richard Wilford reporting from The Rose Bowl earlier on the Hampshire v Warwickshire county cricket game - shame he only got to watch 6 overs!

Huddersfield Town V Newcastle United (friendly) - Peter Slater for R5L

Today's reporters:

Wednesday 22nd July

talkSPORT

Sven Goran Eriksson's initial press conference as Notts County director of football - Dave Rowe

(Does anyone know who Five Live or BBC Radio Nottingham had at this press conference?)

BBC Radio Five Live

Cardiff City v Celtic - Ian Brown

(Unusually, they don't appear to have Jacqui Oatley or someone else reporting on the England Women's game against Denmark)

BBC WM

Port Vale v Wolves - Mark Regan

Robbie Savage is to be part of 5 Live's commentary team as of this season.

Clicky

Interesting stuff on talkSPORT today.

Ian Danter, when cueing up the station's coverage of Spurs v Barcelona in the Wembley Cup, announced the station's commentary team for that match will be Jim Proudfoot and Jason Cundy - only to be contradicted by a trailer for their coverage, which said the team would be Ian & Jason!

Talk about getting contradicted!

If Cundy is to be co-commentator - then I wonder who'll be presenting Bowtime alongside Darren Gough, seeing as Jason has subbed for Adrian Durham on the show this week, but presumably wouldn't be able to tomorrow.

Anyway, I'll be at the said match tomorrow, so if anyone can post on here details of talkSPORT's coverage team for Spurs v Barcelona, plus their reporter on the preceding game Celtic v Al Ahly, I'd appreciate it.

BBC Radio Scotland

Europa League qualifier:

Motherwell v Flamurtari - Bill Leckie and Craig Paterson (commentary)

BBC RADIO SCOTLAND

F.C Vaduz v Falkirk Brian McLaughlin (updates)