In short
“The Commentators’ View” on BBC Football Daily—England’s 5-0 win in Belgrade vs Serbia, plus commentary language and trivia games.
Guests
Alistair Bruce Ball (BBC senior football commentator) and Ian Dennis (BBC senior football reporter).
Guest backgrounds
Ball is a Five Live/Football Daily commentator; Dennis covers major football events and travels to matches, including international tournaments.
Key claims
England’s 5-0 away win is their biggest margin in an away match vs a top-50 FIFA-ranked team since 1993; Tuchel had predicted a big performance (“5-0”); England’s qualifying record under Southgate includes only one defeat in 72 matches.
Notable examples
Dennis describes the Raikov-Mitic Stadium tunnel walk (long, painted, with safety routing due to ultras); discussion of Elliot Anderson’s nervousness for his England debut; WSL stat about Everton’s Ornella Vignola hat-trick since Dixie Dean (1931); “Clash of the Commentators” Nigel-naming challenge; “Great Glossary” debate adding “Keystone Cops,” “Shepherd/Usher…out of play,” and “taking one for the team.”
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOTravel Tales and Commentary Insights
0:30 to 1:02
John, Alistair, and Ian share anecdotes from their travels as football commentators.
“Imagine buying a toy for your kid, but it doesn't come with batteries.”
Travel Tales and Commentary Insights
1:40 to 3:18
John, Alistair, and Ian share anecdotes from their travels as football commentators.
“It's not long since I said goodbye to you.”
The Belgrade Tunnel Adventure
3:19 to 6:15
Ian recounts his mission to find the famous tunnel at Raikov-Mitic Stadium.
“Now, can I ask, was it a self-appointed mission or had someone said, you know what would be a good idea?”
Graffiti and Atmosphere in Belgrade
6:16 to 8:23
Discussion about the unique graffiti and atmosphere at the Red Star stadium.
“It must have been virtually bent double.”
England's Impressive Victory in Serbia
8:24 to 10:52
Analysis of England's recent 5-0 victory and its significance in football history.
“But the setup there, I think it's a great stadium.”
Thomas Tuchel's Strategy and Humor
10:53 to 13:34
Discussion on Thomas Tuchel's coaching style and his humorous remarks post-match.
“So I think they will experience the real Marrakanar, as they call it.”
Fun Facts and Stats from the Match
13:35 to 14:02
Sharing interesting statistics and facts about players and the match performance.
“which was in Prague, do you remember, when the Cobra scored the late winner for Czech Republic, Zdenek Ondřecek, who had who had a massive tattoo of a cobra on his back came on as a substitute.”
TV Setup for Football Games
14:02 to 15:08
Learn about the excitement of watching games with a new sound system.
“But of course, what they have to do is when it comes to the finals to do the trick as opposed to the qualifying.”
Unique Football Facts and Stats
15:08 to 18:30
Discover quirky football facts, including unique player names and achievements.
“And then it immediately got me looking at the other goal scorers and I saw obviously Esri Konza scored and I thought, I wonder who the last England player with a Z in their first name was to score.”
Upcoming Premier League Matches
18:30 to 22:48
Get insights on the upcoming Premier League matches and key player performances.
“So I've got plenty of his company to come.”
Show all 20 chapters
Managerial Changes and Their Impacts
22:48 to 27:56
Discuss notable managerial changes in football and their implications.
“You know, this reminds me of being back at school.”
Upcoming Champions League Commentary
28:00 to 29:21
Learn about the upcoming Champions League matches and commentary plans.
“And on the vague subject of Europe, next week, Five Live, very much the place to listen to the opening matches in the league phase of the Champions League.”
Upcoming Champions League Commentary
29:49 to 30:51
Learn about the upcoming Champions League matches and commentary plans.
“from the biggest names in the WSL and beyond.”
Clash of the Commentators: Famous Nigels
31:26 to 38:28
A competitive segment where commentators name famous people named Nigel.
“Recharging the batteries and having a good, you know, good long hard think about things after back-to-back defeats against Ian and John.”
Discussion on Commentary Glossary
38:28 to 42:01
Discussion about additions to the football commentary glossary and listener feedback.
“I'm very disappointed to have lost that.”
Keystone Cops and Commentary Terms
42:01 to 43:35
Explore the use of the term 'Keystone Cops' in sports commentary and its implications.
“and Edelman goes in for a touchdown, and the Jets have turned the ball over four times.”
Listener Contributions on Glossary Terms
43:36 to 45:50
Listeners share phrases for the commentary glossary, emphasizing their origins and usage.
“It actually originated from indigenous Australians and is used commonly in everyday life.”
The Debate on 'Cricket Score' Terminology
45:51 to 47:26
Discussion about the term 'cricket score' and its usage in sports commentary.
“Callum here from Lavenham in sunny Suffolk.”
Glossary Terms Finalized
47:27 to 48:39
Final decisions on which terms stay in the commentary glossary are made.
“As in, we don't expect football games to go 11-1, do we, like Norway Moldova?”
New Features and Listener Challenges
48:40 to 50:48
Announcing new features and encouraging listeners to share commentary phrases.
“and this will be new to you, unless you listened to me commentating with Paul Robinson on Five Live a couple of weeks ago.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Ali Bruce-Ball:This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.
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1:21Ian Dennis:Hello, welcome to the Football Daily. I'm John Murray and this is the Commentator's View, the podcast where we talk about our travels as five live commentators, the football and the words we use to describe it. Alistair Bruce Ball and the BBC senior football reporter Ian Dennis are with us. Hello to you two. Hello again. I say hello to you, Ian. It's not long since I said goodbye to you. No, I've been your chauffeur. You have, you were my chauffeur, weren't you?
1:50John Murray:Well, I've ferried you to Villa Park and back on a couple of occasions. I took you to Birmingham Airport and then I took you close to your home you did, yeah, on Wednesday night so we've had a lot of time together
2:02Ian Dennis:we have and I thought you drove beautifully if I may say so
2:06Ali Bruce-Ball:the footage that you posted of that tunnel, the walk that the players make in that stadium in Belgrade because I've commentated
2:14Ian Dennis:there's a bit of a tale to tell there
2:16Ali Bruce-Ball:but it looked fantastic, that's a brilliant bit of insight I think for But, you know, for our listeners and followers on social media to see that. I thought, you know, and then obviously on the night when the players came out, you could imagine them making exactly that walk.
2:31Ian Dennis:Can people still find that on your social media feed, Ian?
2:35John Murray:It is there, John, yes. But as John has already mentioned, there is a bit of a tale to tell. So, as you know, Ali, the setup there, the Raikov-Mitic Stadium, is that there is the press entrance and then you've got to get to the tunnel, probably about a good five-minute walk outside the ground, down the road, past some bars, and I walked through the admin offices because I was determined to get to the tunnel because my only visit before to that stadium... You were a man on a mission. You were a man on a mission, Ian.
3:04Ian Dennis:I should tell people, when we arrived for the first time at the stadium on the day before the match, the day that Ian likes to call minus match day one, we got there and you just disappeared. I did. We got in there and you disappeared.
3:19Ali Bruce-Ball:Now, can I ask, was it a self-appointed mission or had someone said, you know what would be a good idea? You should go and da-da-da-da-da.
3:26John Murray:Well, I was about to say before I was interrupted by the both of you that when I was last there in 2018, I thought I want to go to this tunnel because I'd heard a lot about it. I'd since spoke to Kyle Walker about it, that it was a white wall tunnel with lots of graffiti. And Kyle was telling me that riot police were lined up and what have you. So anyway, I thought, I'm going to get to this tunnel. So I walked through the admin offices, put my head through a little window, said to the guy, tunnel? He just pointed. So I went off on a little bit of a merry mission, went down two flights of stairs.
4:01John Murray:There's an inside running track, but I couldn't get to the tunnel. Anyway, I found myself in doping control in the bowels of the stadium. And a nurse came out and she went, can I help you? And I said, yes, you can. Tunnel, follow. So she took me through a door on the left. A nurse? A nurse.
4:24Ali Bruce-Ball:This is all about carry on, this.
4:26John Murray:I said, I know where I'm going. It's called carry on commentating. So anyway, I walk through because I'm thinking if she checks my accreditation, I'm going to get stopped. So I said, it's fine. I know where I'm going. She might have checked your pulse. So anyway, I saw the tunnel. So I walk down the tunnel. takes me a minute to walk down the tunnel, one of the longest tunnels in world football, but it's no longer white walled. It's now painted red, white, yellow, black, all sorts of colours. I get to the bottom of it and I tweet, this is the long walk that the England players will take tomorrow.
4:58John Murray:Go back to the press room and there's a huge picture of the stadium and someone said, well, that can't be the tunnel because the tunnel you come out right by the pitch. And I went, oh. So I'm thinking it must be a tunnel that they do for the tours that they do around the famous ground. So I'm thinking, I've got it wrong. I've not been down the tunnel. And the person who told me that was Michael Regan, photographer. So I delete the tweet and go, not the tunnel, but it's still impressive nevertheless. So I tweet it again. Turns out that it is the tunnel because for safety reasons, you can't walk across the track because that's where the ultras are.
5:38John Murray:So if you do see it on the social media post, you'll just see at the bottom there's a little bit of a glimpse of a white wall that's where the players turn left walk down two flights of stairs go down another tunnel which takes you underneath the track and then brings you up right at the side of the pitch so i then tweeted a third time deleted the first two tunnel update so ronnie reagan akka michael had basically given me some misinformation and therein lies the story and then when i walked back the nurse was trying to get me to go a different way out of the stadium and she was shouting hello hello and i was just walking because i retraced my steps back through doping control somebody also told us that the bit of the
6:24Ian Dennis:tunnel that you didn't get to is only about six foot tall which gave us visions of how dan burn was able to walk down that tunnel before the match. It must have been virtually bent double.
6:36Ali Bruce-Ball:Now, the other thing that I've just remembered as well, just hearing you do a sort of mini impression of the Serbian nurse there, Ian, a member of the Fourth Estate who regularly listens to this podcast and enjoys it has rather naughtily got in touch with me and told me apparently that your booking of a restaurant over there caused great mirth because he sort of described it as you going a little bit like when Steve McLaren went over to the Netherlands and went a little bit Dutch while speaking English? I sort of knew when I came here and Champions League, Liverpool or Arsenal,
7:12Ian Dennis:I thought maybe one of them we would draw to experience big games. Champions League, Arsenal, at home, the Emirates will be fantastic for the players.
7:25Ali Bruce-Ball:Is there any accuracy in these reports? No, no, there's not.
7:30John Murray:And I've got to say, whoever gave you that information is a little bit unfair because it was due to my relationship with Nikolai, the restaurant owner, that we were royally looked after for three successive nights. They know who they are.
7:47Ali Bruce-Ball:You probably know who they are. I'll let you sort it out.
7:50John Murray:I called the restaurant and they didn't answer and they called me back and Nikolai had remembered me. So I didn't necessarily, I mean, my Serbian doesn't really stretch much further than Hvala. Hvala, which is thank you. Yeah, we did all right. So whoever is that, that's a little bit harsh.
8:08Ian Dennis:It was a memorable trip, wasn't it? First and foremost, because of the performance and the result for England, which I'm not sure how many of us actually expected that. And since that, I see that 5-0 in Serbia is actually England's biggest margin of victory in an away game against any team in the top 50 of the FIFA World Rankings since the records began in 1993. But the setup there, I think it's a great stadium. I've been there several times over the years, home of Red Star. It is unlike anywhere else, isn't it, Ian? I mean, not least the tank that there is outside the ground behind the north end of the stadium.
8:50Ian Dennis:There's a tank which is dressed up in red star colours and it's pointing away from the ground. And where it's pointing is directly aimed at the Partizan Stadium, which is not very far away. But I mean, the graffiti outside the ground, not just in the tunnel. I've never seen anything like it. There is graffiti everywhere, outside, inside on the top. they've got these floodlight pylons which are fantastic i mean they are classic east european those tall floodlight pans you know big as i described them toothbrush style and it's wide open inside the ground and if you go there for a red star match i mean compared to the atmosphere the other night it is it is much fiercer than than it was the other evening the view from where we sit is magnificent you can see the cathedral which is sitting on the hilltop from there but the setup outside the ground as ian has suggested i've never had anything like that in that to go and do the interviews post-match i had to walk down the street i had to leave the ground and walk down the street with all of these serbia fans who were less than happy there was a certain amount of disgruntlement mixed in with some of the fiercest security forces that i think i've ever seen police army whatever they were some of them dressed up camouflage they were armored from head to toe, shields.
10:09Ian Dennis:They had tear gas guns with them. So they're mingling around. And as I walked out of the ground, I actually bumped into Lee Dixon and Sam Matterface who were just leaving, having done the ITV commentary. So I felt as though I had a little bit of support there in order to wind my way through all of these people down the street and then eventually got to these gates way down the street, beyond the bars, where you have to turn in and then walk back to the stadium and where the interview position is.
10:37John Murray:It was that far away, Ali, that Thomas Tuchel didn't walk up the street from the dressing room. They got him a car to take him from the dressing room area to the press conference.
10:47Ian Dennis:And Celtic actually go there in a couple of weeks' time. Celtic play there against Red Star on the first match day of the Europa League. So I think they will experience the real Marrakanar, as they call it.
11:01Ali Bruce-Ball:Just on that England performance, which was extremely impressive, So all the talk, in fact, the entirety of Thomas Tuchel's time in charge of England has been, well, this has been fairly disappointing fare. And then suddenly there was that sort of performance. A lot of the pieces the following day, very understandably, are like, right, crikey, that was really good. What about when Bellingham, Saka, Parma are fit again? How do they get back in the team after a performance like that?
11:31Ian Dennis:When Thomas Tuchel arrived, and after the Andorra match on the Saturday night, he had said to us, you know, I feel it is now coming. And people weren't sure about that. And he was even stronger on that the day before the match when he again said, I feel like the performance is coming. You know, he said, I can see this, my eye, I can see this. so that was kind of my opening gambit when i eventually spoke to him and he said you see i did say to you he said i do not lie i do not lie when i speak to you and you know so all credit to him and and i think as well it does show doesn't it in the you know the sort of statification of of football and and the americanization that we've seen you know line breaking passes all this sort thing it's actually quite reassuring that one of the top coaches champions league winning coach actually trusts his own eye and trusts what he's seeing from his players and and believes that he is on the right track and then it comes together for him in the way that it did that opening line
12:34John Murray:from you though was very good it just it set him up perfectly didn't it what was my opening line something along the lines of well the plan came together all right yeah did he did he get the a team reference there, John.
12:46Ian Dennis:I don't know if I was necessarily making an A-team reference.
12:49John Murray:But the previous night, Ali, after John had finished his interview with him, I just said, any previous experience here? And he said yes, Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League. He did actually set out to leave the room then. So he said that. He said, yes, we would. Then he popped his head back round the door and he went, 5-0. I checked the next morning, it was 4-1. Although his words were actually then quite prophetic because he then ended off obviously winning 5-0 on this visit. But there is an element of cheekiness about him, isn't there?
13:19Ian Dennis:Yes, there is. I think he's got good humour. He's very dry. That is now, for England, one defeat in their last 72 European Championship World Cup qualifying matches, which I think is a remarkable record. In the whole of Gareth Southgate's qualifying time, they lost the one match, which was in Prague, do you remember, when the Cobra scored the late winner for Czech Republic, Zdenek Ondřecek, who had who had a massive tattoo of a cobra on his back came on as a substitute. And he genuinely, he looked like he would have fitted quite nicely into the Serbian police force. You know, I remember he was a frightening looking man and he scored the goal.
13:59Ian Dennis:But I mean, that is a remarkable record for England. But of course, what they have to do is when it comes to the finals to do the trick as opposed to the qualifying.
14:09Ali Bruce-Ball:I was listening to you, chap. So I did the thing again. So my chap from John Lewis arrived last week. Do you remember during the podcast I had the chap arriving to deliver my new TV and sound system? So I had it all set up for the game. So there I was, pictures, paused it, got you chaps on BBC Sounds on the old sound. It was like I was in the stadium. The sound was so good. Honestly, I'm absolutely delighted with the purchase. But it was our producer, Nathan, who, while I was listening to you, then put on our little WhatsApp group this brilliant little fact, this little quirk. it says nonny maduweke is the first player with all five vowels of the english language in his name to score for england since paul gascoigne that is brilliant i love that kind of thing it's
14:51Ian Dennis:a bit like the eke tk isn't it i love the the palindrome thing yeah he's the sixth liverpool
Read the full transcript
14:58John Murray:player isn't he the sixth palindrome player but is that the longest palindrome name to have played
15:06Ian Dennis:for Liverpool.
15:07Ali Bruce-Ball:It actually got me. So I immediately saw that. And then it immediately got me looking at the other goal scorers and I saw obviously Esri Konza scored and I thought, I wonder who the last England player with a Z in their first name was to score. Honestly, I trawled back to the early 80s. There isn't one. I couldn't. I was actually trying to sort of follow the stats up and I just couldn't. In the surname, you've obviously got Esri recently. I was going to say, yeah, because that also crossed my mind.
15:34Ian Dennis:That crossed my mind about the Z. and I thought, well, Willeza has scored. But in the first name, I couldn't find one.
15:41Ali Bruce-Ball:I couldn't find one.
15:42Ian Dennis:Who else could you? Zach, obviously. I don't think a Zach has ever... Ezekiel? I don't think an Ezekiel has ever scored for a good. Baz? Baz. Baz. I don't think anyone has ever represented the England team.
15:59Ali Bruce-Ball:Wayne Rooney, Wazza, maybe Wazza.
16:01Ian Dennis:Well, that obviously doesn't count. No, obviously. I don't think that counts.
16:05John Murray:I think that Ekotike might be the longest palindrome Liverpool player, because the ones I've quickly found are Ozan Kabak, Shehi Ojo, David and Andrew Hanna. So Ekotike, with seven letters, probably would be.
16:25Ali Bruce-Ball:There we are then. Yeah. I'm also thinking, contemplating now, of changing my first name to Ollister, so I can get all five vowels of the English language into my full name.
16:36Ian Dennis:On the subject of great facts, Ali, the WSL match that you were covering on Sunday lunchtime, there was a fascinating fact in that match.
16:46Ali Bruce-Ball:Yeah, and the annoying thing was, John, I didn't have it at my fingertips at the time. So the stat being that Everton's new signing Ornella Vignola, who scored a hat-trick, a brilliant hat-trick in this 4-1 win at Anfield, is the first Everton player to score a hat-trick in a Merseyside derby since Dixie Dean back in 1931. So just the words Dixie Dean just evokes a completely different era and, you know, one of the greatest strikers ever, kind of, in the history of English football. But just to emphasize the achievement of what she did there, I mean, imagine actually as the post-match interviewer saying to her, by the way, have you heard of Dixie Dean?
17:24Ali Bruce-Ball:Like, you know.
17:24Ian Dennis:Anyway, emails to tcv at bbc.co.uk and we particularly love your voice notes. We've got a couple of those coming up. 08000 289 369. So this weekend, the Premier League resumes after its early break for the internationals. Everton against Aston Villa. Ian, is your appointment at three o 'clock with Stephen Warnock,
17:50John Murray:your first trip to the new stadium? I've got to say, thoroughly, thoroughly looking forward to that. Love going to a new stadium, just to see what it's going to be like. and see how it compares to Tottenham, because obviously the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is one of my favourites. So we will gauge the catering, the parking, and of course, more importantly, the football and the view, the leg space, everything that we have to take into consideration when we're doing a commentary.
18:17Ian Dennis:So while Ian and Stephen Warnock are commentating on Everton Aston Villa, and of course, you'll have the full picture, Ian, weaved into the commentary as ever, all of the scores from up and down the country, there is this season this is brand new for us on 5 Live a choice of commentary so Newcastle Wolves will be able to be heard on 5 Sports Extra and then Ali 5.30 Saturday evening West Ham Tottenham alongside Paul Robinson who had I can tell you a circuitous route both to and from Belgrade this week so you might have to you might have to jolly them along a little bit
18:58Ali Bruce-Ball:OK, well, I'm with him on Saturday and then we're off to Bilbao next week as well, because the first round of the Champions League league phase kicks in. So I've got plenty of his company to come. I mean, in terms of that game, John West Ham Tottenham, you know, West Ham having had a very sticky start to the season, but then stuck three past Nottingham Forest last time out. And actually with Tottenham, you know, I wonder which of the new signings we might get to see, because they made some interesting signings towards the end of the window on the attacking side of things, didn't they? Xavi Simons and Kola Mouane.
19:30Ali Bruce-Ball:So that'd be interesting.
19:31Ian Dennis:And also, I spoke to Jared Bowen early in the international window and he was extremely chipper after their win against Nottingham Forest. So that is Saturday this weekend. Then Sunday, Burnley-Liverpool is the two o 'clock, five live commentary. Chris Coles and Leon Osman with that. And of course, the big issue there, everyone will be looking to see if Alexander Isaac plays his first match for Liverpool, Ian.
19:57John Murray:Yes, we will wait to see after that protracted move. Why did you throw me that question? I wasn't ready for that. Should I do that again?
20:05Ali Bruce-Ball:No, don't bother asking me. He got a couple of minutes, didn't he? He was on the pitch, wasn't he, for Sweden briefly during the international break. But, John, I would be massively surprised if Isak starts that game for Liverpool because the palindromic Eketike has been playing so well that surely you don't start Isak. You stick him on the bench and give him a bit towards the end of the game, wouldn't you have thought?
20:30Ian Dennis:The man you've just broken the British transfer record for.
20:33Ali Bruce-Ball:I think they're going to have to ease him in.
20:36Ian Dennis:Ease in. Yeah. Isak. Isak. Yeah, exactly. And then the small matter of Manchester City, Manchester United at 4.30 when Dion Dublin will be alongside me again, as he was with us last Saturday, Ian, at Villa Parc when he received his legacy cap Dion he wasn't with us for the commentary but he was with us at the match and he was chuffed to bits
21:00John Murray:with that wasn't he he was yes his bright red cap I've got to say as well Jed Spence was uh was equally pleased to receive his red cap his first cap uh in midweek but a little presentation from Harry Kane in Belgrade after the uh yeah and actually you've just you've just reminded me
21:18Ian Dennis:because I interviewed Elliot Anderson who had a very good international window his first two caps and I interviewed him at Villa Park after the Andorra match when he made his debut and as he was walking towards me, he had the cat in his hand and I've never seen one close up and he was walking towards me and I thought, excellent. I'm going to be able to have a look at it and also talk to him about it, what it looks like, what it's got on it and as he was just stepping towards me, he turned and he handed it to Anna from the FA and then disappeared around the corner with it and I thought, oh, what a disappointment so I didn't get the chance to talk to him about it But I have to say, I found that a very interesting interview.
21:54Ian Dennis:He's not particularly a man of many words, Elliot Anderson, but talking about how nervous he got before he played his first match for England. I thought it was a fascinating insight for the man and woman and boy and girl in the street to hear that someone who's about to play for England gets as nervous as probably they do before they are involved in big things in their lives.
22:16Ali Bruce-Ball:And also, obviously, has a new club manager, doesn't he? Because Ange Postacoglu.
22:20Ian Dennis:Yes, and that is very much one of the big games of the weekend, isn't it? 12.30, so there will be updates on that match in Five Live Sport. Mark Chapman from 12 o 'clock, Five Live Sport. And while that is being played out, Mark will have the Saturday lunchtime panel of this week, as well as Statman Dave, Steph Horton, Andy Reid, Jonathan Woodgate will be returning to the Five Live Airwaves, which is good for us, isn't it, Ian? It is, yes. What are you doing?
22:55John Murray:You know, this reminds me of being back at school. What are you doing? I'm multitasking, and every time I'm sort of like trying to do something else, you're deliberately throwing me a question. Are you doing online shopping or something? No, I'm trying to scroll ahead to the script to see what's coming next. Well, what about concentrating on what we're actually doing at the time? I always get into trouble for that at school. I'm easily distracted and I'd be either looking out the window and then the teacher would throw me a question and I'd go, what? And it feels like you're bringing back some bad memories for me, I've got to say.
23:27Ian Dennis:I apologise. We've had an email from, and we've heard from him before, haven't we? Yfront Wearing Pete, who has sent us an email. I probably were, yeah. Well, I'm reading it now. To tcv at bbc.co.uk and you will have to go back to the first series to understand that reference to Y front wearing Pete. Anyway, he says, following this week's Nuno Espirito Sacco, and after the excellent Adam Hinshelwood was sacked by, he says, the mighty York City after just four matches, which was a bit of a surprise, that, wasn't it? Which manager's exit has, A, surprised you the most, and B, been the worst decision in hindsight?
24:09Ian Dennis:Any thoughts on that?
24:11Ali Bruce-Ball:Well, Ian's had time to prep for this because he's been reading ahead. Reading ahead.
24:17Ian Dennis:Don't you start, Ali. And of course, we've also had the sacking of Eric Ten Hag by Oeverkusen this season after just two Bundesliga matches.
24:27Ali Bruce-Ball:And on that one, just before we get back to the question, sort of following that, some really quite derogatory stuff that sort of came out from the dressing room or the coaching staff or insiders, whatever you like to call it, about how he handled him. So, I mean, quite damaging for him, depending on how seriously you take that sort of stuff.
24:50Ian Dennis:Ian and I talked about this, I have to tell you, Ali, as we were in the car last night about managerial departures that have shocked us. So, we do have one or two, Ian, don't we? Okay, good. Lined up. Yeah, we do. One that particularly came to mind was when Claudio Ranieri lost his job at Leicester, which was just a few months after that incredible story there.
25:10John Murray:The one that surprised me probably wasn't a sacking. It was the resignation of Kevin Keegan. And it was ahead of a FA Cup tie at Charlton. And it was in the Sunday papers. But it still caused, obviously, a massive shock throughout Tyneside. so I think the game was 1-1 at the Valley and in the makeshift press room after the game was a porter cabin outside the Valley I was stood at the front just with my microphone under the nose of Kevin Keegan and a newspaper journalist asked him if it was true and then he stormed off, walked out and of course it was true and he did leave and I remember the turmoil on Tyneside that that caused and then I've got to say more recent times the one that in hindsight has been it was a shock at the time Chris Wilder's departure from Bramall Lane this year in the summer.
26:02John Murray:Because I know for a fact, Chris Wilder, the only question I would have said is, are you happy to go again after they missed out in the playoff final? The answer would have been yes. Anyway, the new owners decided to go in a different direction. And I've got to say, catastrophic. They've lost every game since.
26:20Ali Bruce-Ball:One of the ones that popped into my head, but actually worked out okay for the club, and it's a little bit random and a little bit niche, but I do remember at the time hearing the news and thinking, blimey, that is a bold decision. Do you remember when Southampton got two successive promotions? Nigel Adkins was in charge in the Premier League, and quite early on in that season, they replaced him with Maurizio Pochettino, who at the time I had not really heard of. And I was thinking, crikey, that is bold. And then obviously that turned out to be an absolutely brilliant decision because Pochettino did great things for them and then went on to do even better things at Tottenham.
26:54Ali Bruce-Ball:But I do remember at the time thinking, hmm, bold.
26:59Ian Dennis:Also, another one, Ian, that crossed my mind actually after I left you last night was, since we were talking about Newcastle, when they ruthlessly sacked Bobby Robson. Yeah. That was a bad decision.
27:12Ali Bruce-Ball:David Moyes at West Ham the first time around when he dug them out of trouble and then they got Manuel Pellegrini in and then had to go back to him in the end was another one that didn't work out brilliantly for West Ham. Yeah. And Ancelotti, the other one I wrote down was Ancelotti. Ian mentioned that. Yeah, Ancelotti won the double in 2010. Didn't win anything the following year. And off you go, Sunshine. Go and win stuff elsewhere.
27:36Ian Dennis:Famously sacked in the cupboard at Goodison Park, was it? Yeah. And Van Gaal, of course. FA Cup. Yeah, they plonked the FA Cup on the table. And they'd already decided to sack him. So there you are. There's been a few. Good question. There you are, Pete. I hope that very much answers the question. And we were actually served by a waiter this week who looked like a young Louis van Gaal, didn't we, in Belgrade? It was called Marco. Marco, that's right, yeah. And on the vague subject of Europe, next week, Five Live, very much the place to listen to the opening matches in the league phase of the Champions League.
28:18Ian Dennis:It is an exclusive week in the Champions League next week, which is what they like to do. so next week Ali you're involved in the very first Champions League commentary and it's an early start that one so make a note 5.45 Athletic Bilbao against Arsenal so Ali will be going there with Paul Robinson at one point we thought Paul really might be well advised to actually go straight to Bilbao but he has come home then Tuesday night Tottenham against Villarreal Conor McNamara and Chris Sutton Wednesday night Ian you're off to Munich to see Bayern against Chelsea with Pat Nevin and then on Thursday night the small matter again of Newcastle United against Barcelona when Chris Sutton will be with me and Manchester City Napoli will be available to listen to on 5 Sports Extra so it is with 6 teams 6 English clubs, 6 Premier League clubs in the Champions League this season it is going to be a busy time and 5 Live will be the place to listen to the commentaries.
29:26Ali Bruce-Ball:The Women's Football Weekly has found a new home in its very own feed.
29:30John Murray:We've called it, unsurprisingly, BBC Women's Football Weekly.
29:34Ali Bruce-Ball:We'll continue to bring you the latest news, insights and analysis from across the women's game. They're throwing some big money around.
29:41Ian Dennis:I want to see how they line up, how everyone fits in. Episodes will be available every Tuesday as ever, alongside special, unfiltered player interviews from the biggest names in the WSL and beyond. To make sure you never miss an episode, just search for BBC Women's Football Weekly and hit subscribe once you get there.
30:01Ali Bruce-Ball:This is summer at its peak. Whole Foods Market Summer Fruit Fest is your invitation to eat the season. Fresh, organic and bursting with flavour. Start your day with peaches and organic blueberries and yoghurt. Build a grazing board with fresh fruit, prosciutto and artisanal cheese. Then fire up the grill with no antibiotics ever proteins and fresh produce. Savor the season. Shop Summer Fruit Fest at Whole Foods Market. Kitchen and bathroom professionals know what goes behind the tile matters. That's why trade pros trust fiber cement party backer board to keep tile firmly in place, resist cracking, and help block moisture.
30:41Ali Bruce-Ball:Chosen in over 40 million kitchens and bathrooms, party backer board. What the best build on. Shop now at participating Home Depot, Lowe's and Floor & Decor stores For more information, visit jameshardy.com slash hardybacker
30:59Ali Bruce-Ball:The Commentators' View on the Football Daily with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis
31:07Ian Dennis:It is time for Clash of the Commentators I am finally up and running for the season with my first victory Very exciting last week I hope you heard it if you didn't listen back on BBC Sounds. And Ali, you're having a rest this week after your successive defeats. You need it. You need it to take stock, to reboot.
31:29Ali Bruce-Ball:Recharging the batteries and having a good, you know, good long hard think about things after back-to-back defeats against Ian and John. So this week, John against Ian. So Ian, top of the table, 100 % record, two from two. I'm one from three, and John, one from three. But I think the way John is looking at that is one from one. Here we go, start of a run. So, as ever, with Clash of the Commentators, I am going to give you a category. You're going to have 30 seconds to give me as many correct answers as you can. I think you're going to enjoy this one this week. So, today's category... That'll be a first, then.
32:05Ali Bruce-Ball:Well, do we not... Who's going to unplug? Hang on. I'm going to...
32:10Ian Dennis:Go on.
32:10Ali Bruce-Ball:Oh, no, hang on. No, I can't do this yet. No, hang on. I'm going second, then. I'm not sure about this. I think we're going to have to... John, you can go second, but I am going to ask you to unplug. I am, because I'm worried about this. I'm worried about this. Thank you, Ali. Thank you. OK. OK. Has he unplugged? Well, he's taken his headphones off. Right. Ian, today's category is based on this piece of commentary from England against Andorra. Dora.
32:37Ian Dennis:Would you go Ian on the back?
32:41John Murray:Would I go Ian on the back? Would you go Ian? No, I'd go Dennis. You'd go Dennis, would you? Yeah, but I think that must be a you know... What do you think of the first name on the old back of the shirt? I didn't know you had a choice. Oh, I think it's something you can request, isn't it? Yeah. I hope that the England fans that weren't taking the mickey because of the you know, Ian is one of those names that's going to follow a Nigel or a Gary Nigel's become extinct hasn't it the name Nigel or almost extinct as it goes in search of the ball and the aforementioned Ian gets there first and it's cleared away that's a good strong name Ian
33:23Ali Bruce-Ball:ok so I listened to that live it amused me and this is where we're going with the category this week after that conversation and there's a subjective answer there's not a definitive answer list here so this could be controversial After that conversation with Andorra having a player called Ian, we are actually going to look for famous Nigels. So Ian was talking about the disappearance of the name Nigel. So literally, Ian, you've got 30 seconds, right? They can be sporting. They can be from any walk of life, okay? But they've got to be famous. We've got to have heard of them, okay? Any Nigels. Your time starts now.
34:02John Murray:Nigel Martin Nigel Riococca Nigel Adkins Nigel Pepper Nigel Spackman I'm just sticking with football Nigel Adley commentator
34:24John Murray:Nigel Hawthorne is that right?
34:31Ali Bruce-Ball:You've done really well there. You've done really well. Can I just check on a couple? So, Nigel Hawthorne, yes, is an actor, isn't he? Yeah. Nigel Hawthorne, I can picture from Yes, Prime Minister.
34:42John Murray:Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nigel Pepper? Didn't he? Was he a midfielder for York City?
34:48Ali Bruce-Ball:Oh, right. Let's have a look. Let's look him up. I think John's going to be quite good at this. But he was, he was, he was. Nigel Pepper gets cleared. So, I get it, Ian, that you've got one, two, three, four, five. You've got seven. I think that's competitive. I think that is competitive. Right, let's give John the thumbs up. Okay.
35:05John Murray:I've got to say, very good question.
35:09Ian Dennis:I'm back. That seems to take a long time.
35:12Ali Bruce-Ball:Yes, it took a bit of explanation, John, and then we had to go through the answers afterwards. But I do think you're going to enjoy this, and I think this is going to be a really competitive game of Clash of the Commentators. Today's category is based on this bit of commentary from England and Dora. Would you go Ian on the back? Yes.
35:33Ian Dennis:I'm the aforementioned Ian.
35:35John Murray:Gets there first and it's cleared away. That's a good strong name, Ian.
35:40Ali Bruce-Ball:Right. I think John knows what's coming. Right, we're sticking up for the Nigels of this world, John. We are sticking up for the Nigels of this world. You've got 30 seconds to name any famous Nigel that you can from any walk of life. Okay? Okay. That's all you need to do. And then obviously we've got to...
35:56Ian Dennis:So not sport?
35:57Ali Bruce-Ball:No, it doesn't have to be sport. Just hit us with your Nigels. Your time starts now.
36:03Ian Dennis:Okay. Nigel Farage. Nigel Adderley. Nigel Degrushi. Nigel Ryokulka. Nigel Mansell. Nigel... Nigel... Nigel...
36:25Nigel... My Uncle Nigel.
36:30Ian Dennis:Nigel
36:32John Murray:Callaghan that was after
36:39John Murray:that was definitely after the buzz it doesn't matter anyway
36:42Ali Bruce-Ball:John you started like a train there and I had you as favourite for this one today you've ended up with five and Ian Dennis got seven Nigels oh I thought I'd win that Yeah, I thought you would. So you both said Adderley. You both said Rio Coker. But Ian managed to get Nigel Martin, Nigel Adkins, who's already been mentioned in this recording. Oh, yeah, yeah, mentioned in the thing. Nigel Spackman. Nigel Pepper, former York City midfielder.
37:14Ian Dennis:Yes, yes. I commentated on Nigel Pepper in the early days.
37:18Ali Bruce-Ball:And Nigel Hawthorne. Oh. Which is a great get. But let me give you some others that were out there. Good game. Well played, chaps. Well played. Ian's on fire this season. That's three out of three. So you could have had Nigel Worthington, Nigel Winterburn, and Nigel Clough from the world of football. Nigel Havers, Nigel Benn the boxer, Nigel Bond the snooker player, Nigel Short who was a British chess champion I believe, Nigel Lawson, the late Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Kennedy
37:55Ian Dennis:might even have slipped in a Nigella there as well
37:58Ali Bruce-Ball:yeah I wouldn't have allowed that Nigel Kennedy Nigel Slater the chef Nigel Lithgow who was a music producer wasn't he he was on he was on Popstars or whatever that show was called back in the day so there you go did you say Nigel Kennedy though
38:11Ian Dennis:you did say Nigel Kennedy yeah I said Nigel Kennedy yeah
38:13Ali Bruce-Ball:he was just Nigel of course
38:15Ian Dennis:wasn't he just a little bit like Ian Oliveira he became just Nigel did he on the back of his shirt he dropped Kennedy at one stage Did he? He said he wanted to be known just as Nigel.
38:27Ali Bruce-Ball:Right, okay.
38:28Ian Dennis:There we go. The commentator's done. I'm disappointed to have lost that. I'm very disappointed to have lost that.
38:33Ali Bruce-Ball:You started well. You started really well.
38:35Ian Dennis:Yeah, yeah.
38:36Ali Bruce-Ball:And then you just, Nigel the Grucci I enjoyed. I don't know how he came from.
38:42John Murray:You started very well, but just like the name of Nigel, you then started dying out.
38:47Ian Dennis:We've had a little bit of that recently, because I, in an earlier commentary this season, remarked upon the fact that Arsenal now have two Martins in their midfield. There can't be too many midfields these days where you'd get two Martins.
39:03Ali Bruce-Ball:Martin Allen probably played alongside a Martin at some point, didn't he? But yeah, in a modern midfield, I agree with you, John. In a modern midfield.
39:10Ian Dennis:Of course, Arsenal do have a very famous Martin in their former ranks, don't they? Martin Keown. They do. So it's very much a bit of an Arsenal thing, the Martins. And needless to say, after I said that, I got a message from virtually every Martin I know.
39:30John Murray:I hope you're not going to get one from Nigel Martin.
39:36Ian Dennis:Anyway, that was all good fun. We've also got, I think, an excellent feature coming up, which I think will capture the imagination of our listeners. But first of all, it is time for the great glossary of football commentary, where we add listener suggestions of football-specific commentary terms and phrases to our collection. And last week, it appears that all of them have been given the thumbs up. We added Where the Kookaburra Sleeps from Chris in Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia. We added Usher stroke Shepherd the Ball Out of Play, which came from Rachel in Alexandria, Virginia in the United States.
40:13Ian Dennis:We included box or bag of tricks from Spud in Cambridge. And we also included, I'm delighted to say, Keystone Cops Defending, which came from John in Shipley and David in Bolden Colliery.
40:25John Murray:When you say you think they've all been added, spoiler alert, I've looked ahead down the script. Don't get carried away with yourself.
40:34Ian Dennis:Okay, right. Well, we're coming on to that. So on this subject, if you want to get involved in the Great Glossary, emails to tcv at bbc.co.uk, or you can send us a voice note on WhatsApp to 08000 289 369. Suggestions and disputes always welcome like this one from Sam in York. Morning chaps. Just want to challenge the recent inclusion of Usher or Shepard
40:58John Murray:into the great football glossary. I think both of those terms are used quite widely in rugby commentary. normally when a fullback or winger potentially shepherds or ushers a kicked ball into touch or a backline potentially positions itself so that an opposing winger is also ushered or shepherded near to the touchline so i'm not quite sure it's unique to football sorry okay thank you sam
41:32Ian Dennis:and this was only added last week by Rachel in America and David has also emailed in. He says, surely Usher Shepard, the ball out of play, is used in both codes of rugby to describe the defending team seeing the ball go out of play behind the dead ball line. Many thanks, David, little Ava's uncle. And on the subject of disputes, Alex in Chicago has sent us a clip of a recent addition being used in American football.
41:57John Murray:Joe McKnight. And McKnight will lose the ball again. and it goes right into Edelman's hands,
42:02Ali Bruce-Ball:and Edelman goes in for a touchdown, and the Jets have turned the ball over four times.
42:10John Murray:Whoa, boy. This is the Keystone Cops. I'm telling you, this is it. You're getting a chance to see it live tonight. Julian Edelman on the fly catches that thing.
42:24Ian Dennis:So Alex says that Chris Collinsworth describing the New York Jets in a 2012 game against arch rivals New England. Keystone Cops is used in sports commentary in the US regularly, he says. I'm sure I've heard it used many times in basketball and baseball commentary as well, but I think I've actually heard it most often watching ice hockey. Sincerely, Alex.
42:45Ali Bruce-Ball:Yeah, I feel a bit guilty about this, John, because I think it was me that said it had to be football specific, and it does make it much harder to get into our glossary, and Keystone Cops not being in the great glossary of football commentary does seem wrong to me, so I don't know whether we're going to have to change the rules a little bit.
43:01Ian Dennis:Yeah, I think change the rules. I think we've got to...
43:04Ali Bruce-Ball:Yeah.
43:04John Murray:Yeah, I do. It's too restrictive, isn't it? So on that basis then, because at the minute, Usher, and I'm sorry to say for Rachel, in Alexandria, at the minute, hasn't made it. So now you're saying, well, if Keystone Cops stays in, then surely Rachel's suggestion is going to stay in. I think it should stay in. Then you're going to upset Sam and David. Yeah. Well, I think this...
43:28Ali Bruce-Ball:Life's full of disappointment. this all needs a root and branch review i think the whole thing uh this is amy who's written into tcv at bbc.co.uk to put some flesh on the bones of a previous goalkeeping edition hi team absolutely love listening to this pod and the insight it offers on life as a commentator i'm still catching up on the episodes but the saying gone walkabout so do you remember we discussed that one i think earlier this season about a goalkeeper in particular going walkabout is a very aussie saying. It actually originated from indigenous Australians and is used commonly in everyday life.
44:00Ali Bruce-Ball:I never thought it would be considered specifically as a sporting term. Much love from Down Under and a keen copite, Amy. So gone walkabout. Yeah, that rings a bell.
44:11Ian Dennis:As in the walkabout bar. Do they still exist or have they disappeared from behind? I used to have many a good night in the walkabout bar in Newcastle. I don't doubt that. Suggestions then how about this one from billy in seaford east sussex hi team i just want to let you know
44:30Ali Bruce-Ball:how much i enjoy the podcast as i'm a blind listener i find the way you describe things really helpful i would like to submit a phrase for the glossary and that's taking one for the team when a player's through on goal and another player brings him down and he gets a yellow card I can't think of another sport where this is applied. So I just would like to put this forward for your consideration. Looking forward to hearing the podcast in the next season. As I'm a Palace supporter for 60 years, I'm really going to enjoy it. So thanks again, guys. Up the Palace.
45:10Ian Dennis:Well, thank you, Billy. Thought you'd be a Brighton fan, any Sussex, but no Palace. taking one for the team I like that I'd let that in
45:21Ali Bruce-Ball:yes I would let that one in yeah and that's one that's almost probably gone from football and is now used in in everyday life isn't it because you will say in other situations and you're like well you're taking one for the team there but actually yeah I like it great Billy thank you
45:35John Murray:I often take one for the team when I'm travelling with Mr Murray well you did
45:39Ian Dennis:this week yeah with all that driving you did yeah we need to rattle on because we don't want to miss our new little feature at the end. We want to have time for that. So another suggestion and another voice note.
45:51Ali Bruce-Ball:Hi, guys. Callum here from Lavenham in sunny Suffolk. My term is it could be a cricket score. Now, this is a term used when a team goes two, three, four nil up early on in a game. And it looks like the score line is going to get out of hand. My small caveat with it is that I really dislike this term because technically any score can be a cricket score. 0-0 is a cricket score. 0-1, 1-0 is also a cricket score. So on that regard, I hate it. And please don't use it in your commentaries for that reason. But I also think it should be entered into the glossary because it is a term used a lot. Anyway, let me know your thoughts.
46:33Ali Bruce-Ball:Love the pod. Way better than MNC. Cheers, guys.
46:37Ian Dennis:Thank you, Callum, from beautiful Lavenham, one of my favourite places. I was very disappointed when Ipswich were relegated, Ali, because that reduced the opportunity to drop into Lavenham on the way there. So what do we think about that? And of course, this is the week where we had Norway 11, Moldova 1. Although if that was a cricket score, that would be 11 for 1, wouldn't it? I quite like using tennis references when a match ends up 6-0 or 6-1 or 6-2. Turkey-Spain was 6-0, wasn't it?
47:09Ali Bruce-Ball:0-6. It was. Yeah, yeah. And then you can say second-set. The run of the World Cup was 6-2. Yeah, exactly, yeah. I think, I mean, I get what Callum is saying there. And I think sometimes I'm a bit like Callum and go sort of almost too pedantically into the language. The point of turning into a cricket score is you're more thinking about whichever team it is racking up a massive total against someone. And that's the point. As in, we don't expect football games to go 11-1, do we, like Norway Moldova? So I think I still would use that. I think I don't mind turning into a cricket school.
47:40John Murray:I don't know whether this is an urban myth, but do you remember that story? And I won't name the individual involved, but it was a sports reader on Radio 2 doing a cricket school. And they said, Worcestershire, 333 minus three. Graham Hick is ill. I'd not heard that before. I wouldn't have that one in the cricket school.
48:06Ian Dennis:Callum sent the voice note and he doesn't want it in. Yeah, exactly. But apparently it is already in. Yeah, I thought it was already in. It's already in. So the summary for the Greek glossary this week, Keystone Cops stays in, which is the right decision. Good. Shepard usher the ball out of play stays in. I think definitely stays in. And taking one for the team, we've said yes to that. So that is it. for the great glossary. But before we go, something I think will appeal to our listenership, and this will be new to you, unless you listened to me commentating with Paul Robinson on Five Live a couple of weeks ago.
48:47Ian Dennis:That's headed away by a hopping rodon out to Sheff. Sheff. Why did you laugh at that? Here's Miley. Miley now. Well, he actually slices his cross and it drops over the cross.
49:02John Murray:had the chuckle when you come out with some things. That's two pub names I've had today. We've had a hopping rodon and a bearded bogle.
49:09Ian Dennis:Should we pop down to the hopping rodon later? Leeds nil, Newcastle. So he did make me laugh because as soon as I said that, he's got quite a good chuckle, hasn't he, Paul? And he was sort of, his shoulders were going up and down. And so there we are. That is the challenge for you. If you hear in a commentary, if you hear a commentator in a football commentary using a phrase that could be a pub name, then send it in to us. Tell us where you heard it. TCV at BBC.co.uk.
49:46Ali Bruce-Ball:Just on that and that game, John, just been reminded. Now, have you listened? I'm guessing not to last week's pod. He hasn't. No. I haven't. Right. Okay, because we had the debate, didn't we? You and Ian had the debate about the pronunciation of Osula. Or Osula. Osula. And, Ian, you were correct, weren't you, in terms of how it's meant to be pronounced. It is Osula.
50:12John Murray:William Osula. Well, it's the way he says it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's not to stop John from sticking with Osula.
50:19Ian Dennis:No, I'd like to do it as he says it that once. Are you thinking of a pub name with this?
50:25John Murray:Yes, exactly.
50:26Ian Dennis:No, I wasn't. The mispronounced Osula. The locals would just call it the Osula, wouldn't they? We'll come up with one.
50:35Ali Bruce-Ball:Our listeners will come up with one.
50:37Ian Dennis:So there we are. That's the challenge for you this week. And that is it for this episode of the Football Daily. The next one will be, drumroll, Bruno Fernandes, the football interview. So that should be well worth listening to. So search Football Daily for that. You'll find that over the coming days. And as for us, scroll down your Football Daily feed and you will be able to find each and every episode of The Commentator's View. Oh, yeah. Good question, that. I've got a touch of cramp there. Cramp. Oh, dear. Nigel Cramp.
51:09Ali Bruce-Ball:He's scored goals, lifted trophies and broken records along the way.
51:13John Murray:There it is. It's a day to remember for Wayne Rooney.
51:17Ali Bruce-Ball:And now he's got a podcast. Welcome to The Wayne Rooney Show. twice a week Wayne Rooney Kay Curd and me Kelly Summers break down the biggest stories in the Premier League and beyond as much as you'd like to say it loyalty in football now is non-existent whether that's from players or managers plus we'll hear the funniest wildest and most outrageous stories from Wayne's career the Wayne Rooney show everybody's talking about it listen on BBC Sounds
51:50Ian Dennis:And that's exactly why it's exciting to see Cadillac entering Formula One, bringing an American luxury brand with performance pedigree onto the biggest stage in motorsport. But this isn't just about the grid. That same racing mindset, the obsession with engineering, the pursuit of perfection, lives in the Cadillac V-Series lineup, giving you the chance to experience the precision and performance of the grid on the open road. Cadillac V-Series. Distinctive luxury performance, engineered to thrill. Discover the V-Series line-up at Cadillac.com.
52:22Ali Bruce-Ball:Throughout this World Cup, David Beckham has been everywhere. In the stands, in commercials, during ad breaks, sorry, hydration breaks. Which is wild when you consider he was once the most hated man in Britain. I turned around to a fan and he was screaming about my wife and about Brooklyn right to my face. He wouldn't even look away. How do you go from that to being a billionaire? That's next time on Big Lives. Listen to Big Lives wherever you get your podcasts.
From the publisher
John Murray, Ian Dennis & Ali Bruce-Ball talk football, travel & language. They reflect on their trip to Serbia and look ahead to the return of the Premier League. Can John strike lucky again in Clash of the Commentators? What will be added to the Great Glossary of Football Commentary? And there’s a brand new feature… Get your suggestions in with WhatsApp voicenotes to 08000 289 369 & emails to TCV@bbc.co.uk
01:00 Ian’s journey down the tunnel in Serbia 07:00 ‘Memorable’ trip as England perform 10:15 How do Bellingham, Saka & Palmer get back in? 13:25 Scrabble boards at the ready! 16:30 5 Live commentaries as the Premier League returns 19:00 Do Liverpool start Isak over Ekitike? 22:40 Most surprising managerial exits? 29:00 Clash of the Commentators 37:40 Great Glossary of Football Commentary 46:25 A new feature… but will it catch on?
BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries: Sat 1500 Everton v Aston Villa, Sat 1500 Newcastle v Wolves on Radio 5 Sports Extra, Sat 1730 West Ham v Tottenham, Sun 1400 Burnley v Liverpool, Sun 1630 Man City v Man Utd.
Glossary so far: 2-0 is a dangerous score, After you Claude, All-Premier League affair, Aplomb, Bag/box of tricks, Brace, Brandished, Breaking the deadlock, Bundled over the line, Champions elect / champions apparent, Clinical finish, Commentator’s curse, Coupon buster, Cultured/Educated left foot, Denied by the woodwork, Draught excluder, Elimination line, Fellow countryman, Foot race, Formerly of this parish, Fox in the box, Free hit, Goalkeepers’ Union, Goalmouth scramble, Good touch for a big man, Honeymoon Period, In and around, In the shop window, Keeping ball under their spell, Keystone Cops defending, Languishing, Loitering with intent, Marching orders, Nestle in the bottom corner, Numbered derbies, Nutmeg, Opposite number, Park the bus, PK for penalty-kick, Postage stamp, Put it in the mixer, Put their laces through it, Rasping shot, Red wine not white wine, Relegation six-pointer, Rooted at the bottom, Route One, Roy of the Rovers stuff, Sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, Shooting boots, Sleeping giants, Slide rule pass, Small matter of, Spiders web, Stayed hit, Steepling, Stinging the palms, Stonewall penalty, Straight off the training ground, Stramash, Taking one for the team, Team that likes to play football, Throw their cap on it, Thruppenny bit head / 50p head, Towering header, Two good feet, Turning into a basketball match, Turning into a cricket score, Usher/Shepherd the ball out of play, Walking a disciplinary tightrope, Wand of a left foot, We’ve got a cup tie on our hands, Where the kookaburra sleeps, Where the owl sleeps, Winger in their pocket, Wrap foot around it, Your De Bruynes, your Gundogans etc.
