Originally Posted by The Difference:
“I think Stan Collymore gets/got on with Alan Green, I remember Shrewn saying on a previous thread that they worked closely together when Stan was at Radio 5 Live, hence why he was so upset by the insulting comments Green routinely made on-air about talkSPORT during the last World Cup. To Alan's credit, he made a point of apologising to Stan and his talkSPORT colleagues - in writing to Stan as well as personally I believe - after that tournament and has seemed to have stayed well clear of sort of thing during the four years since then. Of course that plus his fallings out with Mark Saggers and Jonathan Pearce have been well-publicised, but it is only fair to say that since South Africa he has largely kept him head down and steered clear of unnecessary controversies - and I say that as someone who is far from a fan of his highly opinionated style of commentary.
As for the best radio commentator of this generation, surely Jim Proudfoot has to be in the conversation at the very least? For me, he's the best radio commentator around and one of the outstanding football commentators on either medium. Mike Ingham is a fine commentator and John Murray will be a worthy successor to him, but JP is very much up there and has deservingly been the preeminent commentator on commercial radio over the past decade. It's a real feather in the cap for TFM up on Teesside that they helped bring both Proudfoot and Murray through at the same time about 20 years ago now. And I'm certain that BBC Radio 5 Live will devote at least an hour of 5 Live Sport to do a full tribute to Ingham's career at some point during the World Cup, as well they should.”
Yes, Stan said Alan was like a mentor to him when he started, and, as regards to phone ins, Alan told Stan to expect people trying to make cheap jibes about his personal life, and not to rise to the bait
I agree whole heartedly about Jim Proudfoot, I remember first hearing him on BRMB / Xtra-am, what must have been pushing 20 years ago now and he was outstanding.
I'll be mixing and matching with my listening, and as i'm knocking on now I like to be in bed by 11, i'll probably rely a bit on the radio as i doze off, but i think Tony Pullis is a great signing
I assumed Alan Green would step down after this World Cup, I guess he and Mike could join the general Saturday rota, Alan seems to have got himself a gig on Final Score, and i think writes for the Belfast Telegraph.
Maybe Mike, free from the contractual restrictions, brought about by being correspondent may go into print journalism as his predecessor Bryon Butler did. Its worth noting that both Mike and BB will have both been "BBC Football Correspondent" for exactly 23 years.