Real Radio Scotland
Celtic v Rangers Ewen Cameron, Alan Rough and Derek Johnstone (commentary) I assume that Mark Benstead is reporting


Radio Clyde
Studio Jim Delahunt (host), Hugh Keevins, Gordon Daziel and Fraser Wishart
Celtic v Rangers Shelagh MacLaren and Jim Duffy
Hibs v Inverness Bob Smith
St Johnstone v Kilmarnock James Grady
St Mirren v Dundee United Gordon Duncan and Ian McColl
No reporter, seemingly, covering Aberdeen v Hearts. Northsound is providing commentary from Pittodrie with Dave (McDermid?) and Andrew (?)

Confirmation that the commentary team for Northsound includes Dave MacDermid. The normal co-commentator is Steven McMenemy but not tonight.

Newspaper snobbery aside, I thought that was a really good article on Jimmy Armfield with some glowing tributes from Conor McNamara, Ian Dennis and David Pleat. Ian Ladyman has put it together very well and deserved to see his article making a back page banner and a full page in the print edition.

If the Daily Mail were to give us more articles like that and less of the sort they are "famed" for, then I'd be more than happy to give them hits on their website.

Wednesday 28th December - BBC Radio 5 Live

Mark Chapman presented 5 Live Sport alongside Neil Ashton

Scottish Premier League
Aberdeen v Hearts - Dave Donaldson
Celtic v Rangers - Roddy Forsyth, Ian Dennis and Pat Nevin (commentary)
Hibernian v Inverness Caledonian Thistle - Ian Turner
St Johnstone v Kilmarnock - Brian McLauchlin

There was no reporter at St Mirren v Dundee United while Motherwell v Dunfermline Athletic was postponed.


Mark Saggers presented Kick-Off alongside Gabriele Marcotti with Geoff covering Celtic v Rangers and Dan Dawson reporting on the PDC World Darts Championship.

I don't think it's snobbish to oppose what the Mail stands for. If opposing the encouragement of fear and ignorance by a newspaper is considered on a par with saying that everyone from an entire social class is stupid, then certain words really have been dangerously denuded of meaning.

I agree with the basis of those sentiments but nonetheless I feel it's unfair to think any less of this article solely because of the newspaper Ian Ladyman (or any of the other Mail sports journalists, some of whom I have a lot of time for) writes for. It was an enjoyable article about Jimmy Armfield regardless of the outlet publishing it.

I agree, my comment was in jest and I agree that the DM sports coverage can be good.

Jackland V Queens Park Rangers (Tuesday 1700GMT KO)

BBC Radio Wales - Steffan Garrero hosting with commentary from Simon Davies and Ian Walsh (All frequencies)

BBC Radio Cymru - Gareth Rhys Owen hosting with commentary from Gareth Blainey and Osian Roberts (nationwide commentary)

Even though it was a Premier League game, you were also able to listen to Radio Wales' commentary online. I watched Tim Vine's 'Joke-A-Motive' DVD instead

talkSPORT

Mark Saggers presenting Kick-Off: Exclusive, followed by Andy Goldstein’s Sports Bar.

Premier League
Liverpool v Newcastle - Sam Matterface and Stan Collymore, with Graham Courtney pitchside (19:45 commentary)

Championship
Southampton v Bristol City - Toby Giles

PDC World Darts Championship
Alexandra Palace, London - Dan Dawson

BBC Bristol / Somerset

Geoff Twentymann (studio host)

Southampton V Bristol City - Richard Hoskin and Adam Baker (94.9FM / 95.5FM / 104.6FM / 1566MW / DAB)

BBC Radio Five Live
Host Colin Murray with Perry Groves and Pat Nevin
Liverpool v Newcastle Darren Fletcher and Jan Molby
Southampton v Bristol City Andy Gillies
Huddersfield v Carlisle Alistair Yeomans
Crawley v Barnet Rob Nothman

Odd that Talk Sport are doing tonight's commentary game, which I believe is Liverpool's first Friday evening top-flight league game since it lost the First Division title decider to Arsenal.

Why is it odd?

I thought that Talk Sport's commentary slots were Saturday evening, Sunday early afternoon and Wednesday evenings with BBC Radio having the rest.

It's all a bit complicated due to NY, if this was a "normal" weekend

Liverpool vs Newcasle 12:45 (Sky and 5Live)
Man Utd vs Blackburn 17:30 (ESPN and TS)

Now, the police wouldn't allow a late NYE KO so everything was moved forwards.

Last Thurs there was Spurs vs Chelsea which 5Live had and I've no idea how that was decided but I think tonight's is based on games moving due to NYE.

BBC Newcastle (all frequencies):

Total Sport hosted by Simon Pryde in the studio with Gary Bennett, and John Andreson at Anfield.

Followed by:

Liverpool v Newcastle with commentary from Mick Lowes and John Anderson

It was actually talkSPORT's other Graham - Graham Beecroft - who was the station's pitchside reporter at Anfield tonight. Carl Ralley was their producer.


The seven commentary packages sold to the talkSPORT, Absolute and the BBC only cover Premier League matches played between Saturdays and Wednesdays.

Over the past few weeks we've seen a couple of games played on unusual matchdays, Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea last Thursday and tonight's Friday night game.

These games don't fall into any of the seven packages in an obvious way yet as Absolute only hold Saturday afternoon rights and both talkSPORT and the BBC hold rights to midweek matches, I guess the Premier League must have decided it fairest to split these games between each of the latter broadcasters, most probably equating the Thursday game to the Monday/Tuesday package and the Friday game to the Saturday 5.30pm/Wednesday bundle.

Although the BBC still has the lion's share of the rights (just), it shouldn't be assumed that any game in an abnormal timeslot should fall automatically into their lap as it would have prior to 2010/11. To me it seems as if the Premier League have divided out these two games in the fairest possible way. I'm certainly not complaining as I enjoyed being able to listen to tonight's game on talkSPORT on my way back home from a family visit.

Presuming tonight's game counts as one from the Saturday 5.30pm/Wednesday package, at the halfway point in the Premier League season talkSPORT have done 15 commentaries from that bundle and 15 Sunday pre-3pm kick-offs, leaving them able to do 17 more commentary games from each package between now and May.

BBC Radio Leeds and official Huddersfield Town website
Huddersfield Town verses Carlisle United
host: Gareth Jones
commentator: Paul Ogden
summariser: Kieran O'Regan


BBC Radio Sheffield
Cheltenham Town verses Rotherham United
reporter: Murray Burnell

BBC Radio 5 Live

Mark Pougatch presenting 5 Live Sport and Sports Report, followed by 6-0-6 with Mark Chapman and Jason Roberts.

Premier League
Arsenal v QPR - David Oates
Bolton v Wolves - Will Perry
Chelsea v Aston Villa - John Murray and Pat Nevin (15:00 commentary)
Manchester United v Blackburn - Alan Green, Conor McNamara and Jimmy Armfield (12:45 commentary)
Norwich v Fulham - Mike Sewell
Stoke v Wigan - Peter Slater
Swansea v Tottenham - Alistair Bruce-Ball

Championship
Birmingham v Blackpool - John Southall
Burnley v Hull - Juliette Ferrington
Coventry v Brighton - Jonathan Overend
Derby v West Ham - John Hunt (13:00 commentary on 5 Live Sports Extra with Jacqui Oatley and Matt Jackson)
Middlesbrough v Peterborough - Ian Dennis (15:00 commentary on 5 Live Sports Extra with Ross Fletcher and Craig Short)
Nottingham Forest v Cardiff - Simon Mann
Reading v Ipswich - Rob Nothman

League One
Preston v Sheffield Wednesday - Gary Flintoff

BBC Radio Leicester

Charles Dagnall presenting BBC Radio Leicester Sport.

Championship
Leicester City v Portsmouth – Ian Stringer and Alan Young (12:15 commentary)

Absolute Radio

Russ Williams presenting Rock & Roll Football Live.

Premier League
Arsenal v QPR - Jim Proudfoot and Tony Dorigo (1215 AM & DAB commentary)

talkSPORT

Adrian Durham with Ray Parlour and Stan Collymore on Matchday Live, followed by Call Collymore live from Stamford Bridge.

Premier League
Arsenal v QPR - Tony Incenzo
Bolton v Wolves - Simon Humphreys
Chelsea v Aston Villa - Mike Bovill and Stan Collymore
Manchester United v Blackburn - Graham Beecroft
Norwich v Fulham - Kevin Lawrence
Stoke v Wigan - Ian Abrahams
Swansea v Tottenham - Roger Hughes

Championship
Birmingham v Blackpool - Nigel Pearson
Derby v West Ham - Geoff Peters
Leicester v Portsmouth - Ian Danter
Middlesbrough v Peterborough - Graham Courtney
Millwall v Crystal Palace - Andrew McKenna
Nottingham Forest v Cardiff - Dave Rowe

BBC Radio Leeds and official Bradford City website
host: Gareth Jones at Valley Parade
Bradford City verses Shrewsbury Town
commentator: Derm Tanner
summariser: Mark Bower
Barnsley verses Leeds United
reporter: Dave Callahan


Yorkshire Radio (DAB), Minster FM and official Leeds United website
host Michael Weadock
Barnsley verses Leeds United
commentator: Tom Kirwin
summariser: Eddy Gray


The Pulse
Bradford City verses Shrewsbury Town
host and commentator: Tim Thornton
summariser: Ian Ormondroyd


BBC Radio Humberside
hosts: Mike White then Matt Dean
Scunthorpe United verses Chesterfield
commentator: Mike White
summariser: Lee Turnbull
Burnley verses Hull City
commentators: David Burns and Matt Dean
summariser: Peter Swan


BBC Radio Sheffield
host: Nick Wilson?
Preston North End verses Sheffield Wednesday (AM and DAB)
commentator: Rob Staton
summariser: Lee Bullen

(FM)
Barnsley verses Leeds United
commentator: Andy Giddings
summariser: Scot Jones
Watford verses Doncaster Rovers
reporter: Steve Crossman
Sheffield United verses Hartlepool United
reporter: Nick Wilson
Scunthorpe United verses Chesterfield
reporter: Paul Fisher

BBC Radio Wales

Jackland V Tottenham Hotspur - Stefan Garrero (hosting) Rob Phillips and Ian Walsh (SW FM)
Nottingham Forest V Cardiff City - Ian Hunt and Kevin Ratcliffe (SE FM / North FM / AM / Digital TV / Digital Radio)

BBC Radio Cymru

Eleri Siôn (studio host)

Jackland V Tottenham Hotspur - John Hardy and Osian Roberts (SW Wales commentary)
Nottingham Forest V Cardiff City - Gareth Blainey and Iwan Roberts (commentary everywhere else)

BBC Bristol / Somerset

Geoff Twentymann (studio host)

Yeovil Town V AFC Bournemouth (1pm) - Chris Spittles and Chris Sweet (All frequencies)
Bristol Rovers V Crewe Alexandra - Ed Hadwin and Keith Brookman (All frequencies)

Swansea Sound

Jackland V Tottenham Hotspur - Antony O'Connell (commentary)

IRN
Arsenal v QPR Guy Swindells
Bolton v Wolves Tom Parker
Chelsea v AstonVilla Andrew Cheal
Norwich v Fulham Phil Daley
Swansea v Tottenham Sam Fleet
Stoke v Wigan Clive Edwards
Man Utd v Blackburn Darren Stannage


BBC London 94.9
Arsenal v QPR Phil Parry (also host) and Steve Brown (FM commentary) with Jamie Hill
Chelsea v Aston Villa Emma Jones
Norwich v Fulham Mark Taylor
Swansea v Tottenham Andy Rowley and Rufus Brevett (DAB commentary)
Derby v West Ham (1300) Kevin Hand
Millwall v Crystal Palace Nick Godwin
Watford v Doncaster (1300) John Marks
Brentford v MK Dons Billy Reeves
AFC Wimbledon v Southend Alan Seabrook


BBC Radio Ulster
Hosts Michael McNamee and Nikki Gregg
Ballymena v Donegal Michael Hammond
Cliftonville v Coleraine Stephen Baxter and Grant Cameron (second-half commentary)
Dungannon v Glentoran Barry Green
Linfield v Glenavon Joel Taggart and Chris ? (commentary)
Lisburn v Carrick Barry Flynn

May I wish you all a Guid New Year. I seem to have developed a lurgy which has sent my temperature into the stratosphere so all my plans for tonight (including the Viennese Concert at the Barbican) have evaporated. Ah well.
Last edited by IanFergus : 31-12-2011 at 16:18

New Year's Eve - BBC WM

Paul Franks presenting WM Sport from Stamford Bridge, followed by BBC WM Sports Report with Richard Wilford from the Mailbox

Premier League
Bolton Wanderers v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Mike Taylor (DAB in the Black Country commentary)
Chelsea v Aston Villa - Mark Regan and Paul Franks (95.6FM commentary)

Championship
Birmingham City v Blackpool - Rob Gurney

League One
Walsall v Rochdale - Dan Wheeler


BRMB, Beacon Radio (Black Country and Shropshire), Mercia and Gold (Birmingham)

Tom Ross presenting The Goalzone from St Andrew's

Premier League
Bolton Wanderers v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Steve Hermon and Matt Murray (Beacon commentary)
Chelsea v Aston Villa - Joe Holt and Pat Heard (BRMB commentary)

Championship
Birmingham City v Blackpool - Tom Ross and Darren Carter (Gold commentary)
Coventry City v Brighton & Hove Albion - Adam Bridge and Dave Bennett (Mercia commentary)


Perry Groves joined Russ in the studio for the build-up and to provide updates during commentary while Ian Wright and Ian Stone are hosting tonight's phone-in.

In other news, Hugh Ferris - Key 103 and Magic 1152's Manchester United commentator over the past few seasons, who left his role as sports editor at those stations at the end of September - was reading the sports news during (and making other contributions to) BBC Radio 5 Live's World Football Phone-In last night.

I don't listen to that station enough to know whether or not that was one of his first appearances on the BBC, but it shall be interesting to see if he joins the 5 Live or Final Score reporting team in 2012.