[Homesdale]

• Admin Edit: This thread is a continuation of Football Commentators Thread

To complete todays Premier League game commentators:

Burnley v Hull City
Will Cope & Barry Horne

Portsmouth v Wigan
Guy Havord & Paul Walsh

[Homesdale]

Originally Posted by tiny_tim

What did you think of Dean Sturridge today in the end Homesdale - I'm probably alone here in thinking he has actually improved quite a lot recently

Tel you the truth i was so stressed watching the game i couldn't tell you if if was any good or not.

[SSReporters]

So I guess they haven't binned Cope from FF.

[bwfcol]

Originally Posted by SSReporters

So I guess they haven't binned Cope from FF.

I'm not entirely sure getting Burnley vs Hull is a great sign

Surely the two smallest clubs to play each other in the top flight for a long time?

Although there was Swindon/Wimbledon a long time ago!

[SSReporters]

Welcome to part 6.

Well still a game is a game. Hopefully he's improved from last year. Couldn't stand him.

[Readingfan]

Just to list all the MOTD commentators (we've had a few before):

Arsenal V Tottenham - Steve Wilson
Fulham V Liverpool - John Motson
Bolton V Chelsea - Simon Brotherton
Man Utd V Blackburn - Guy Mowbray
Stoke V Wolves - John Roeder
Portsmouth V Wigan - Ian Gwyn Hughes
Sunderland V West Ham - Steve Bower
Burnley V Hull - Martin Fisher
Everton V Aston Villa - Alistair Mann

[SSReporters]

So taking a wild guess here.....Pearce at Birmingham tomorrow.

[JBO]

Simon Brotherton completely missing the reason why the Ivanovic goal was ruled out for offside there

[shaun_d]

Anyone know who's doing the BBC live game tomorrow?

[mlt11]

Commentary on 2nd Arsenal goal obviously redone.

Goal described before it actually went in. Also sounded far too excited re the intial loss of possession in the centre circle.

[mlt11]

Per Sunday Times:

The company that owns Wembley Stadium (which is itself owned by the FA) may default on bank debt.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle6898119.ece

If this is right a very, very serious financial crisis is looming for the FA.

This makes the position re the FA's sale of ex-Setanta TV rights (and the sale of all TV rights from 2012 onwards) even more critical.

[venno]

Originally Posted by shaun_d

Anyone know who's doing the BBC live game tomorrow?

Well Steve Wilson hasn't had a live game yet, whereas Pearce, Mowbray and Brotherton have.

But judging by his absence from tonight's MOTD, i'd say Pearce

[david04121980]

I am a bit surprised tonight and no one has mentioned it that Gary Birtles did La Liga. If our comp went that far we would have been thrown even more, but luckily we don't!

[ariusuk]

Originally Posted by mlt11

Per Sunday Times:

The company that owns Wembley Stadium (which is itself owned by the FA) may default on bank debt.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle6898119.ece

If this is right a very, very serious financial crisis is looming for the FA.

This makes the position re the FA's sale of ex-Setanta TV rights (and the sale of all TV rights from 2012 onwards) even more critical.

This will be why they were so keen to frontload the payments for the current rights.

Moving out of Soho Square will help, but if they are losing £23m a year they already have a serious financial crisis, because even Setanta wasn't paying that much for those rights.

[RobinCarmody]

re. Andy Hinchcliffe, I must confess I misremembered and imagined him playing for England earlier than he did. I still think the Taylor era has the biggest number of "did they *really* play for England?" players getting decent runs in the national side, but then as I said that was a generation of players who'd developed in isolation from the rest of Europe and the world.

[sephzoni]

Originally Posted by ariusuk

This will be why they were so keen to frontload the payments for the current rights.

Moving out of Soho Square will help, but if they are losing £23m a year they already have a serious financial crisis, because even Setanta wasn't paying that much for those rights.

I think there are a number of factors behind this. The FA are probably still feeling the affects of not qualifying for Euro 2008:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...484089&cc=5739

Add to this that the whole plan to make Wembley profitable was based on premium seating. Plans drawn up in a time when the country wasn't in recession. With corporate organisations tightening their belts corporate seating and match day hospitality at places like Wembley are likely to be hit hard which could put the FA in real trouble.

Despite this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8298193.stm

I don't think the FA will be feeling the affect of the collapse of Setanta too badly yet. Setanta paid heavy down payments on the FA contract and unlike the SPL (if memory serves me correctly) I think they made all the payments to the FA for the year in which they were broadcast partners. This appears to have given the FA a bit of breathing space whilst negotiating a new TV deal. Although they are having to dig into their own funds for match fees for the two televised games next weekend that would have previously been on Setanta. Of course it is highly likely that the FA will have to take a massive cut when the new TV deal is announced.

[mlt11]

The £23m Wembley Stadium loss includes an £11m write-off of bank fees which can presumably be considered to be a one-off item. Even so that still leaves a loss of £12m.

It's possible there may be profits elsewhere within the FA group but if there aren't they must be in big trouble.

Income is going to fall:

1) Less TV revenue both from the Setanta replacement but more importantly a likely much larger fall post 2012

2) Less premium revenue at Wembley

If they are already in a loss making position and revenue is about to fall significantly then it appears there are going to have to be massive cost cuts.

I don't know what they are saving from leaving Soho Square but I wouldn't be surprised to see both large numbers of redundancies and big reductions in FA Cup prize money and TV appearance money.

I know there is the story in the Sunday Times today but I'm surprised the media are not more alive to this issue. Is it just that nobody is interested until something actually happens? Quality journalists should be on the case.

[Germany bound]

I was listening to MOTD and to me it seemed as if the
John Motson fulham v Liverpool game was totally re-done

[motherwellkid]

Originally Posted by mlt11

Commentary on 2nd Arsenal goal obviously redone.

Goal described before it actually went in. Also sounded far too excited re the intial loss of possession in the centre circle.

Sounded like quite a few of the match of the day games were redone - at least in important parts.
To add to the Hawthorne-Tyler debate. Tyler is the man for now and Hawthorne,who must be 20 years his junior, is the future. Hawthorne has a good 20 years ahead of him and is ripe to gradually ease Tyler into retirement.

[mikey1980]

Season after season, it seems to be increasingly the case that Hawthorne is THE number two to Tyler, and the number one in waiting - so I guess we'll have to get used to it.

It's not before time in one sense, because Tyler has been on the decline for a few seasons now. And Hawthorne is improving steadily too. However I don't think he'll ever be anywhere as good as Tyler at his peak; but then again, good as he is, Tydesley isn't as good as Brian Moore was, and neither Wilson, Mowbray, Brotherton or Pearce come close to Motson or Davies at their best. So what does that say about today's commentators??

[hallrose 999]

As usual David Tanner pitchside reporter for Dundee Utd v Rangers today. Andy Walker co-comms. Geoff Shreeves will be pitchside reporter at Birmingham v Manchester City.

[loyalsince]

Fantastic goal calling from Darke, Earle sounded like a good co-commentator too- a signing for Sky? Could be used on FL and Prem games

[The Naitch]

Jim Proudfoot commentating on Ajax vs Feyenoord on ESPN.

[ftakeith2]

another terrible move by tv3, what next bertie ahern presenting their champions league coverage


Europa League

Everton v Benfica: Live on 3e!, the irish tv3 spin off channel

Benfica grabbed top spot in Group 1 from Everton with a 5-0 thrashing in Lisbon last time out, so can David Moyes’ side put it right at Goodison?

Former World Snooker Champion Ken Doherty will be joining 3e as a guest presenter for next Thursday’s Live Europe League game. Ken will be joined in studio by former Ireland defender Gary Kelly and Irish Independent soccer correspondent Daniel McDonnell for analysis. Kirsteen O’Sullivan will also be alongside Ken with the regular text and email comments from our viewers.

[SteveMartin]

Originally Posted by ftakeith2

another terrible move by tv3, what next bertie ahern presenting their champions league coverage


Europa League

Everton v Benfica: Live on 3e!, the irish tv3 spin off channel

Benfica grabbed top spot in Group 1 from Everton with a 5-0 thrashing in Lisbon last time out, so can David Moyes’ side put it right at Goodison?

Former World Snooker Champion Ken Doherty will be joining 3e as a guest presenter for next Thursday’s Live Europe League game. Ken will be joined in studio by former Ireland defender Gary Kelly and Irish Independent soccer correspondent Daniel McDonnell for analysis. Kirsteen O’Sullivan will also be alongside Ken with the regular text and email comments from our viewers.

That is nearly as bad as Brough Scott hosting an England away qualifier in Poland a few years ago on Channel 5.