Saturday 7th January 2012 (FA Cup Round 3)

BBC Manchester
Host: Jimmy Wagg from Moss Rose, Macclesfield
Macclesfield v Bolton: Jack Dearden & Alan Gowling (Commentary)
Swindon v Wigan: Paul Rowley (Updates)
*Also had a reporter I didn't catch at Hartlepool v Rochdale in League 1

Tower FM
Macclesfield v Bolton: Mark Wilson & Gary Henshaw (Commentary)

Wish FM
Swindon v Wigan: Paul Chialton & Neill Rimmer (Commentary) *
Wasn't normal quality, not quite telephone but kind of inbetween.

BBC Lancashire 95.5FM/1557AM/Online
Norwich v Burnley: Scott Read & Chris Boden (Commentary)

BBC Lancashire 103.9FM/DAB Digital/Online
Newcastle v Blackburn: Andy Bayes & Ian Bryson (Commentary)

BBC Lancashire 104.5FM/855AM/Online
Fleetwood v Blackpool: Phil Cunliffe & John Hills (Commentary)
Morecambe v Northampton (League 2): Derek Quinn (Updates)

*BBC Lancashire presenter Gary Hickson was live from Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood.

BBC Merseyside
Everton v Tamworth: Mike Hughes & Ronnie Goodlass (Commentary)
Tranmere v Brentford: Derek Jones (Updates)

Radio City
Everton v Tamworth: Alan Irwin & Graeme Sharp

*Friday Liverpool v Oldham Commentary from Steve Hothersall & John Aldridge went out on City Talk 105.9 Only.

BBC Radio Leeds
host: Gareth Jones
Watford verses Bradford City (92.4, 95.3 and 102.7 FM, AM and DAB, and online)
commentator: Derm Tanner
summariser: Gareth Jones
The rugby union was on 103.9 FM and online


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


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


BBC Radio York*
host: Sharon Shortle
Lincoln City verses York City (FM and online)
commentator: Barry Parker
summariser: Chris Jones

(AM)
Harrogate Town verses Histon
commentator: Rob Wilson
York verses Scarborough (rugby union)
reporter: David Payne

*the programme started at 2 PM not 2:30. I'm not sure if 2 PM is the new start time.

Geoff stayed as studio host, and, commentary stayed on FM frequencies after 6pm, with 1548MW/1566MW opting-out do take the regional Rock 'n' Roll show.

Indeed the reason for this was because BRMB were sharing tonight's commentary with AVTV. According to the live text service on Aston Villa's official website, BRMB approached the club to see if they could take their commentary which I imagine was because their four other commentators were committed elsewhere.

Having listened this evening I thought the link-up worked well and I could definitely see this arrangement being repeated on future matchdays when Tom Ross is commentating on Birmingham or West Brom. It's a win-win situation really, BRMB get an excellent commentator in Jack Woodward who knows the club inside out and is a familiar voice to Villa fans, while AVTV get the insight of a European Cup winner in Pat Heard, who IMO is one of the best summarisers on the radio.

Saturday 7th January - Talk Radio Europe and Global Radio (Costa del Sol)

Kenny Jones presenting La Liga Saturday alongside Stuart Joseph

La Liga
Malaga v Atletico Madrid - Paul Breen-Turner, Stuart Joseph and Kenny Jones (9pm GMT off-screen commentary)

Their usual summariser Chris Williams is ill but is contributing via phone either side of the two halves. It's the first live Malaga game on TRE in a while, what with them not having covered the club's Copa del Rey games either side of the winter break, but PBT has confirmed that they'll be covering the second leg of their last 16 tie against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Now back up

#DaiCapsFTW

BBC Newcastle

Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers - Mick Lowes and John Anderson

BBC Radio Scotland - Sunday 8th January 2011

Sportsound presented by Richard Gordon with Craig Patterson and Chick Young in the studio.

Commentary
12:45 Arbroath v. Rangers - John Barnes and Billy Dodds with Jim Spence pitchside
15:00 Peterhead v. Celtic - Scott Davie, Murdo MacLeod and John Robertson with Charlie Mann pitchside

Sunday 8th January 2012 - FA Cup Round 3

BBC Manchester
Manchester City v Manchester United
Commentary: Ian Cheeseman (1-22) & Steve Wyeth (23-45)
Summarisers: Paul Simpson & Arthur Albiston

BBC Radio Sheffield
host: Paul Walker
commentators: Andy Giddings and Paul Walker
summariser: Mark Smith

talkSPORT

Sunday Exclusive with Alan Brazil, Matt Holland and Martin Allen, followed by Call Cundy.

FA Cup: Third Round
Chelsea v Portsmouth - Ian Abrahams
Manchester City v Manchester United - Dominic McGuinness
Peterborough v Sunderland - Kevin Lawrence
Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham - John Temple

Premiership Rugby
Saracens v Bath - Russell Hargreaves

I only caught a bit of the game on 5LSX (was listening to Bristol V Esher in the rug-bo), but it was Nigel Adderley (who believed Peterborough was still in Cambridgeshire) and Nigel Worthington.

The thing that always springs to mind when I am reminded of Peterborough's multiple boundary / local government changes is the "Peterborough Lincolnshire zu haus!" line in Python's "North Minehead By-Election" sketch ...

5Live

City vs Utd & Chris Foy - Mike Ingham, Alan Green and Robbie Savage
P'boro vs Sunderland - Nigel Adderly and Nigel Worthington
Sheff Weds vs WHU - Darren Fletcher
Chelsea vs Pompey - Simon Brotherton, ? & Craig Burley

I'm not sure if anyone was at the 2 Scottish Cup ties held today.

A good cup draw for TV but there won't be many decent ties left for the Sat 3pm KO's for 5Live. Yetserday, they benefited from ESPN's ineptitude in choosing Birm/Wolves and Arsenal/Leeds rather than Swindon/Wigan, Macc/Bolton.

It was actually Georgie Bingham presenting Sunday Exclusive rather than Alan Brazil.

On the subject of Sunday Exclusive, with Neil Warnock being sacked as QPR manager earlier, what price on him returning as the programme's regular studio pundit before the season is out? It would be a bit good if they could get him back in time for next weekend - their live game is none other than Newcastle United v QPR.

There's some non-news in the Daily Mail again this morning:


Further to this, we're expecting packages of games to be offered much in the same way as the Premier League offer rights.

How would we expect to see them split up from the Third Round onwards? Could it be as follows or would they be bunched together more?

Package One: Saturday 15:00 kick-off (first pick) - including first pick replay
Package Two: Saturday 15:00 kick-off (second pick) - including second pick replay
Package Three: Friday or Monday evening kick-off
Package Four: Saturday lunchtime kick-off
Package Five: Saturday tea-time kick-off
Package Six: Sunday pre-15:00 kick-off
Package Seven: Sunday post-15:00 kick-off

Somewhere, you'd need to factor in choices for Quarter Final matches, Semi Final matches and the Final itself. I could imagine the former two could be split somehow with both talkSPORT and the BBC broadcasting the Final.

Monday 9th January - talkSPORT

Georgie Bingham presenting Kick-Off alongside Matt Holland

FA Cup Third Round
Arsenal v Leeds United - Sam Matterface

While Charles Sale's FA Cup radio rights updates from Friday and today are non-stories to a greater or lesser extent - nothing new has happened and those of us who follow this kind of thing have long known that the BBC were always going to lose exclusivity and that it's probable talkSPORT will pick up some share of the rights - it is at least useful to know the amount of money that was bid last time around and to get confirmation that The FA are planning to sell the rights in separate bundles of matches rather than the full, non-exclusive tenders they sold to the two stations in the late 1990s.

Interesting that BBC Radio Leeds has commentary of tonight's game...

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


[b][i]BBC Radio Leeds
host: Nick Hatton
commentator: Adam Pope
summariser: Andy Ritchie



BBC Radio Leeds can do commentary on Leeds United's FA Cup, play-off and West Yorkshire derby matches. I think that since Radio Leeds lost commentary rights to Leeds United's league matches, the team has not played FA Cup matches at 3 PM on Saturdays.

Monday 9th January - BBC Radio 5 Live

Mark Chapman presented 5 Live Sport from the Emirates Stadium

FA Cup Third Round
Arsenal v Leeds United - Ian Dennis, John Motson and Steve Claridge (commentary)

The commentary team were Mark's guests for a truncated Monday Night Club prior to commentary. Motty's commentary on Thierry Henry's winner has been the most popular video/audio clip on the BBC Sport website all day.


Tuesday 10th January - talkSPORT

Georgie Bingham presenting Kick-Off alongside Alvin Martin

Carling Cup Semi-Final First Leg
Crystal Palace v Cardiff City - Ian Abrahams

An off-air commentary from Sam Matterface on Thierry Henry's winner from last night was used at the beginning of each hour of the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast this morning. I know Radio 5 Live use commentary clips from Premier League games they don't have live rights to all the time, but I was slightly surprised by this (although I'm sure it's all above board) seeing as talkSPORT don't have any commentary rights to the FA Cup under the current contract. Usually they just play in clips from the relevant updates that went out live at the time.

BBC London Village (Tuesday)

Crystal Palace V Cardiff City (Carling Cup Semi Final 1st leg) - Phil Parry (also host) and Clive Walker (All frequencies) (Malky Mackay Interview by Radio Wales/Cymru's Gareth Rhys Owen who wasn't namechecked)
Barnet V Swindon Town (Johnstone Paint's Trophy Southern Area Final 1st Leg) - Carl Bates
Gymnastics Test Event at O2 Arena - Emma Jones

Faye Carruthers was the sportsnewsreader, which when she said her name, made me silently go 'Ooh, talksport girl'

An interesting quote from Orion CEO Phil Riley on the future of football coverage on BRMB etc when they become Free Radio:


Full piece: http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/01/feat...on-free-radio/

BBC Radio Wales

Crystal Palace V Cardiff City - Mark Poyser (hosting from Selhurst Park) Rob Phillips and Jason Perry (All frequencies)

Gareth Rhys Owen's interview with Malky Mackay also went out on RW.

BBC Radio Cymru

Crystal Palce V Cardiff City - Gareth Blainey (also host) and Iwan Roberts (commentary)

BBC Bristol / Somerset

Richard Hoskin studio host *I assume*

Sheffield United V Yeovil Town - Chris Spittles and Chris Sweet (95.5FM)
Hereford United V Bristol Rovers - Brendon Mitchell and Keith Brookman (94.9FM / 104.6FM / 1566MW / DAB)

Rob Phillips has, yet again, changed his contact details through Twitter

I'd argue the last thing football fans these days want is local commentaries on AM. Maybe less so DAB. At the very least they should keep Saturday 3pm on FM I reckon. I mean a lot of fans these days will be carrying radios on phones around that only have FM on them. I'd be gutted if this was happening in my area.