Tuesday 4th October - BBC WM 95.6
Mike Taylor presented BBC WM 95.6 Sport from Bramall Lane
Devalued Trophy Group Stage
Crewe Alexandra v Wolverhampton Wanderers Youth - Mikey Burrows
Luton Town v West Bromwich Albion Youth - Rob Gurney
Sheffield United v Walsall - Mike Taylor (7.45pm commentary)
Not only did Mike Taylor anchor the show, he also flew solo for Walsall commentary as they didn't have a summariser at Bramall Lane. With both of the games involving youth teams from the region kicking off at 7.30pm, they took commentary from Luton on roughly the first 15 minutes of each half. With none of the games going to a penalty shootout, the programme ended at the conclusion of the Walsall game at around 9.40pm, with them joining the end of Mark Forrest's networked show in progress.
He's done bits for WM for just over a year now, but hearing Mikey Burrows covering a Wolves game (of sorts) for them is notable given that he is Signal 107's regular commentator on the club. However, neither Signal nor Wolves Player (which simulcasts their The Big Match broadcasts) was covering the game at Crewe tonight, so he was available to cover it for WM. Likewise, Albion Player didn't cover the game at Luton, while Mick Kearns wasn't at Bramall Lane to co-commentate on Walsall for Saddlers Player as he usually does - instead Dale Moon was joined by James Brackpool, who is the producer of the Saddlers TV show on Big Centre TV (indeed he and Dale were there to film some footage for next week's edition of said show).
Mikey is not the only regular from a Wireless Group-owned station to appear on BBC WM this week - last night, Midlands-based talkSPORT football correspondent and freelance speedway commentator Dave Rowe was WM's pitlane reporter during their coverage of the first leg of the Elite League Grand Final between Wolverhampton Wolves and Belle Vue Aces. Mike Taylor, who presented and commentated on that as well, mentioned that it was the first time Dave has been involved in their speedway coverage.
While WM was covering the speedway on their DAB, Freeview and online platforms last night, 95.6FM was carrying a special extra hour to The West Midlands Football Phone-In reacting to the sacking of Robert Di Matteo as Aston Villa manager with Richard Wilford and Garry Thompson from 7pm. Between 6-7pm, Richard was chairing a special phone-in with Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett - he'd been due to make a guest appearance on yesterday's show for a few weeks, sod's law the day he was booked for would be the day Villa sack their manager!
With Walsall's league game at Sheffield United having been postponed due to international call-ups, BBC WM will be doing commentary on Aldershot Town v Solihull Moors from the National League on Saturday instead. Shame they didn't have a reporter at Moors' first ever televised game, at home to Southport, tonight - it wouldn't surprise me if there was more interest in that fixture than there is in the Trophy games involving youth teams.