Anyone got any idea who commentated on Croatia-Turkey on Sky Sports 3 last night?

Yes, I noticed/was annoyed by that. Fortunately, the full show including second half highlights and analysis of Malta v Scotland is available on STV Player - it wasn't location blocked to those in the UK but outside of Scotland either.

I watched the Cyprus v Belgium game on Sky Sports 3 and really enjoyed Ian Crocker's commentary - he was as upbeat as ever and well researched on both teams. He was with Garry Birtles, who I hear lots of in small chunks on highlights shows but not that often over 90 minutes; he's a good analyst but very much a glass half empty sort of co-commentator, he seemed keener to extenuate the negatives than positives tonight.

Of course, the other thing about ITV's England coverage is that while they use the official UEFA graphics for the in-game stuff, they use their own presentation for everything else, including using Bitter Sweet Symphony as the theme. Now Inner Smile is no longer used for the League Cup, Bitter Sweet Symphony must be the longest running current theme in football, as they've used it since they got England rights in 2008, meaning this is now its ninth season. Which is a bit odd, given the legal wranglings about the royalties means they have to do those convoluted credits at the end.

Tuesday 6th September - ITV4

World Cup Qualifier Highlights

Jacqui Oatley presented alongside Ian Rush and Glenn Hoddle

Wales v Moldova - Jon Champion, with Nick Hartley (?) conducting interviews
Serbia v Republic of Ireland - Nigel Adderley
Slovakia v England - Clive Tyldesley and Glenn Hoddle, with Gabriel Clarke conducting interviews
Malta v Scotland - Sam Matterface, with Paul Barnes conducting interviews
Czech Republic v Northern Ireland - Joe Speight
Sweden v Netherlands - Sam Matterface and Iain Dowie

Round-ups - Sue Thearle (Groups A, D & G), Celina Hinchcliffe (E, F & H) and Richard Henwood (B, C & I)

I'm guessing Nick Hartley was ITV's reporter at the Cardiff City Stadium, as he was their man in the Wales camp during Euro 2016, although he didn't get a namecheck. Good programme tonight, obviously it was the right call to lead with the Wales and Republic of Ireland group before taking in shorter edits of England and Scotland, we then got an lengthier edit of Northern Ireland compared to the brief cut we saw on the Sunday night highlights. All the round-up edits were voiced, as opposed to the Euro 2016 qualifying highlights where the studio teams would talk over clips from the other games in the groups featuring British Isles nations.

Quick question - did Sky Sports offer coverage of the end of the resumption of Albania v Macedonia, with the final few minutes having to be played today after the original match was abandoned, via their Red Button service?

Brazil v Colombia- John Roder

Chris Sutton talks co-commentary http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/...n/?ref=rl&lp=2

It was Gary Weaver and Andy Walker on SS3. Peter Drury did the world feed.

It's worth remembering that when people stated speculating on who would be Motty's replacement at the Beeb Guy Mowbray wasn't even being mentioned. Indeed, as late as 2008 he was the clear 3rd choice behind the favourite Pearce and Wilson so who knows.

I think a lot will depend om the timing of Clive's departure and, of course, the size of ITV's football portfolio at that time - the only reason Drury's contract wasn't renewed was because there wasn't enough work for him!

Thanks flipxside!

Re previous discussions re Kate Abdo no longer presenting La Liga:

She is the new presenter of Sky's boxing coverage on Sky Sports Box Office (unclear whether she will also do "lower key" bills on regular Sky Sports):

http://www.skysports.com/boxing/news...next-12-months

i think Ed Robinson will present the low key ones

Darren Fletcher, Steve Mcmanaman and Glenn Hoddle commentating on Liverpool/Leicester this weekend according to Darren Fletcher on Twitter

Darren Fletcher has also confirmed he's doing PSG/Arsenal in the CL and Feyenoord/MU in the Europa League next week.

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Not a bad role for Kate Abdo at all and I guess explains her disappearance from La Liga games.

Unbelievable even CL/EL biggest games Ian darke not commentator. Can't help but feel sorry for him. BT not treating him well

MLS - Montreal Impact v Orlando City:

Sky Sports 2 - Dave Farrar and David Prutton



MLS - Real Salt Lake v LA Galaxy:

Sky Sports 2 - Gary Taphouse and Matt Lawrence

Yes, there are a number of Ian Darke fans in this thread (myself included), and he is left with the scraps at BT Sport now, which is a real shame.

I hope Darke is back on the World Feed this weekend.

It was well documented last season (and this), thoughts of the Number 1 Football commentator now at BT Sport not being very favourable, to put it nicely! My thoughts have not changed.

If she's only doing the Box Office shows then that's only 5 or 6 Saturdays a year.

Not that big a deal, surely, in terms of next week's Champions League matches? Is PSG vs Arsenal that big compared to the other matches next week? All four English clubs seem to be playing matches of equal quality. If anything surely Leicester is the big game next week because it's their very first. And Man U may be a big name, but it's a teatime kick-off.

Looks like Ian Darke is doing perfectly fine for himsef - big Premier League games for the international feed and subdry other stuff for BT. Many commentators would be desperate for a portfolio like that.

That's true but bar the El Classico games I imagine Sky sees most of the La Liga games as less important than their big Box Office boxing matches.
So while it's less work it's more high profile work probably.

And I can understand why Sky changed presenter - those Box Office weeks she obviously wouldn't have been able to present La Liga so why not give that role to someone who should be there most weekends.


Whatever anyone's views on Fletcher though he is at the very least earning his money.

He'll probably be broadcasting 4 days next week - the 2 confirmed BT European games, his 5 Live Friday night slot and probably a weekend PL game.

It appears BT have 2 PL games next weekend too - I almost want Fletcher to do both games simply to see the reaction on here.

I would say on Darke that most Number twos on other channels get less than Darke did last season. The Fletcher/Darke situation has been (and will continue to be) discussed a lot but I think giving the main commentator the brunt of the big games per se is fair enough - the discussion is definitely who the Number 1 is more than anything.

Plus Darke obviously has some international feed stuff too so he's not got it too bad.

(Note: I will feel free to take this post back if Darke is nowhere near to be seen on the CL or EL Games - but I really would be shocked if he isn't on those).

Sounds like Robbie Savage and Michael Owen will be pundits for Liverpool V Leicester as they have been tagged on the 'PL Tonight' tweet made by BT Football, Glenn Hoddle is also tagged so he might be joining them post-match as well which will be interesting as normally BT put their main co-commentator on PL Tonight.

Celtic v Rangers- Tom Miller and Jonatan Johansson for RangersTV
Man Utd v Man City- Guy Mowbray for MotD

It is Macca with Fletch and Hodds

Not sure how much we can suggest what they "normally" do on Premier League Tonight, it's only been on for three weeks.

One of these days I'll open the thread and there won't be tenuous speculation about who the commentators at a game are, based on some flimsy "evidence".

OH MY GOD JAKE HUMPHREY MUST BE THE CO-COMM BECAUSE HE KEEPS TWEETING ABOUT THE GAME ON SATURDAY!!!L!11!eleven

TheSubuaru2012...

Speculation...

This photo Tweeted by Steve Bower has "Owen" on a label, which could refer to one of two pundits.

Which further emphasises my "why not wait and see" view.

Before anyone starts bickering, the various BT commentary details I posted (as mentioned in the original post) were from Darren Fletcher's Twitter.

Happy for people to take whatever they want from those tweets but just thought I'd mention.