Football Daily - The Commentators’ View: Arriving late & Ian’s caught sticky-handed

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Conor McNamara returns with Ian Dennis and Ali Bruce-Ball to tell the stories behind the 5 Live commentaries. On the agenda this week: being late for games, who brings the sweets and what it’s like splitting a commentary between commentators. What will be added/removed when it comes to the Great Glossary? And a new record is set in Clash of the Commentators!02:00 Conor recounts his first 5 Live commentary 03:25 How did Ali fare with his new glasses? 04:25 Who is Chris Sutton’s lookalike? 05:45 Man Utd turn another corner? 07:15 Sweets during commentary 10:35 Being late for commentaries 17:20 More lookalikes and soundalikes 20:45 Conor goes ‘back to the future’ 25:30 Clash of the Commentators 32:20 Commentators splitting a commentary 40:35 Great Glossary of Football CommentaryBBC Sounds / 5 Live Premier League commentaries this weekend: Sat 1500 Ipswich v Nottingham Forest, Sat 1730 Bournemouth v Brentford, Sun 1330 Arsenal v Chelsea, Sun 1330 Fulham v Tottenham on 5 Sports Extra, Sun 1630 Liverpool v Newcastle in the EFL Cup final, Sun 1900 Leicester v Man Utd.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Hello, I'm Robin Ince. And I'm Brian Cox. And we would like to tell you about the new series of The Infinite Monkey Cage. We're going to have a planet off. Jupiter versus Saturn. It's very well done that because in the script it does say wrestling voice. After all of that, it's going to kind of chill out a bit and talk about ice.

And also in this series we're discussing history music recording with Brian Eno and looking at nature's shapes. So listen wherever you get your podcasts. Music Radio Podcast. The Commentators View with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis on the Football Daily. Hello welcome to the Commentators View where we tell you all about life as five live commentators and sometimes reveal the stories you don't always get to hear. I'm Alistair Bruce Ball joined today by our senior football reporter Ian Dennis who's got a long drive ahead of him To Ipswich so Ian we're getting this done before you make your way first Am I writing the same first commentary at Portman Road for you this season? For a long time. Yeah, I

Was just chatting with with Connor I at first thought that I hadn't been to Portman Road since my days for radio leads, which would be close to 25 years ago but then we were just chatting and saying that we must have done a game when they were in the championship when we both first joined Five Live so around 2002 but I would still say it'd be over 20 years ago Ali yeah yeah you've actually dealt with two things in one there so the big reveal that Connor McNamara is back on

the commentators view this week you've ticked that off but the other question Connor I was actually going to ask you because it struck me having you two on today. Am I right in saying you two, you two joined at the same time, didn't you? So I was wondering Connor, whether your first ever Five Live commentary was alongside Ian. No, I don't think it was, but we did join at the first time. I think they were very much keeping the new boys apart in the, in the initial months. But once we got going, we did a lot of games together That's right

Yeah Because I was still seeing out sort of like my tie had to complete the season for for radio leads at covering League United It meant that when I first joined I still had to do the leads games and then my other rotors I think we're filling in before I officially joined Yeah, I think that's how it works So this this might be an impossible question to answer Connor because as you say it's a long time ago And I actually don't remember my first ever game for Five Live. I remember my first ever commentary game in local radio, but do you remember your first game for Five Live?

Oh, I do. Or do you remember your first ever game? Etched in my brain. So the first Five Live game was, well, it was on SportsXtra, and it was with Nigel Adderley and Paul McGrath, who would have been an absolute legend of mine. Wow. I was very buzzed with that. And it was Bolton against Tottenham at the Reebok. And I remember every detail about it, apart from like, I have no idea

what the score of the match was, or, you know, but I remember all the commentary stuff, or I remember all the, you know, setting up the equipment and interacting with the studio and all that kind of stuff. So that was on a Saturday. Then on the Sunday, I did my first game for Five Life, which was at Rotherham, which I'd never been to before. And that was with Ron Jones. That's the Sunday, I did my first game for Five Life, which was at Rotherham, which I'd never been to before. And that was with Ron Jones. That's Millmore though, isn't it?

Great pies at Millmore. Yes. Well, great pies, but what an awkward place to get to the commentary box. If you remember Millmore, you had to go up the steps. But as you reached the top of the steps, there was a beam that meant as you were going up, you then had to stoop to get underneath the beam

to climb through onto the gantry. I think that was the one and only time I ever went there. I don't think I've been there since. But I remember, so I was sort of, you know, you're joining BBC and it was the first time working for BBC, I never did local radio BBC and it was sort of, so okay you're doing the Bolton Spurs, which is a Premier League game and then you're doing the Championship game which is rather in the next day and I obviously in my youth naivety, put all my prep and all my thought into the Saturday game because I thought, well, that's the Premier League game. That's the one. But obviously that was on sports.

So the Sunday would have had probably a much bigger audience. And it was a more difficult one to do in terms of familiar names. But but I'm still here. So it must have gone pretty much. Yeah. I've got a question for you, Ali. How did he get on with the glasses last week? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Well, you can tell they're new because I've actually not put them on so I'm not used to wearing them regularly all the time although I think I think what I was told was first couple of weeks wear them all the time to get

used to them my idea is that I'm only really gonna be wearing them at work and in the car so I did put them on for Chelsea Lester on Sunday so here they are I've got them here again but you see I'm because of the old very focal thing and I don't want to make this a boring glasses chat on the pod this week I'm still struggling to adjust as to where to put my eyes in the right place at the right time but what I really noticed in the game on Sunday was certainly the long-range vision it really sharpened it up because when I took them away it was more blurry but then when I looked down at my notes I you know to quickly adjust to get the right sort of looking through the right part of the glasses I was I was a little

bit although it's gonna take a little bit of time I think is what I'm trying to say well we'll talk with specs and obviously last week we had the conversation about look-alikes I was oh yes I was with Chris certain anfield last week and when Chris puts on his glasses and I've actually put it in the group chat For me, he's got a look of Jeff Goldblum Yeah, you know I was trying to think of a Chris look-alike and the one I've thought of before but it's without glasses is I Think he's got a bit of woody from Toy Story about Yes, he has. He totally does. Yeah but I tell you what I didn't when I put the

glasses on at Chelsea no one was coming up to me and saying you look like Hugh Grant. I did I did not get any of that that was that was very kind from John Murray last week. I can sense the disappointment in your voice. Yeah a little bit. By the way so John is not here absolutely delighted to have Connor back on the pod. Connor is back by popular demand because when Connor first appeared on the pod This season I think all of us felt we barely scratched the surface with some of the stories that Connor has to tell and loads Of people genuinely got in touch and said please get Connor back on since he's back John is otherwise engaged today because he's chatting to the England manager Thomas Tuchel about a first England squad announcement.

So you'll get reaction to that on Five Live obviously, on the Football Daily podcast, which is always there for you on the BBC Sounds app. It'll be on the BBC Sport website and app and I'm sure it'll be featured in Five Live's Premier League kickoff show Friday night at 7 o'clock. So you might be listening to this on a Friday afternoon. So Conor, you've joined us coming from Old Trafford last night. So you were there for Manchester United turning yet another corner, it seems, in a season of trying to turn many corners.

But they were better, weren't they? Much better. I mean, it felt like how Old Trafford used to feel like back in the day. There was a buzz, there was an energy, there was a performance from the team that frankly hasn't been there. And we've all spent arguably too much time this season discussing Manchester United, but it's because it's been so unusual that that team has misperformed so much.

But last night felt like they were all on the same page. And obviously it's come on the back of talk about the new stadium, which has dominated so much of the coverage in recent weeks. And I do think there's something about this. You know, at Newcastle, when they announced new investment was coming in, but it took actually a while for the Bruno Gimaraes

and stuff to join, but it was just sort of, we've got this new investment. And then a lot of the guys like the Almiron and particularly Joe Linton and a few of the other players who'd been, suddenly they all stepped up because they could realize this club is now going places and I want to be part of that.

And I had that feeling at Old Trafford last night that I think, you know, there's been a lot of doom and gloom about the club. They might wonder, oh, is this going anywhere? But then they see these plans of new stadium and two billion investment, thinking, whoa, hang on, I want to be part of this. So suddenly I just felt there was a change in mood

at Old Trafford last night, but Bruno Fernandez scoring the hat trick was a fantastic story for you. But it was good fun. As you both know, I was working with D.O. Dublin, so that's always an entertaining you know if you get any sort of an exciting game he'll rise up and surf that wave with you for a high tempo commentary so it was great fun. He is also a brilliant provider of

confectionery I did a game with Dion recently and I don't do too many with Dion but we sat at Old Trafford and did a game a few weeks back and before the game he produced three different bags of sweets that obviously come from a massive, he obviously buys in bulk at home but he had these rhubarb and custard sweets but chewy ones, not the sort of sugary sharp hard boiled sweep. Oh God. You see he gets away with it, Deon's older than me, but but he's he's in the best nick

Is the I mean he works out every day so he can eat all this junk and he still looks well Where's the voice? It all goes south very quickly But you know what I used to do particularly for a Saturday commentary because the Saturday commentaries, you know So intense when you've got the constant talk back and you go in here there and everywhere Half time in every commentary and I won't mention the brand, but I would have an energy drink because when you're driving, if people say I'm stopping off for a coffee,

coffee takes 45 minutes to get into your system to give you that caffeine boost. The energy drink takes 15 minutes. That's, I'm told, is a fact. So I used to have this energy drink straight on half time. Anyway, it wasn't healthy for me. I was having an energy drink twice a week, you know. So anyway, I've dispensed with that

and I'm now a little bit healthier. I'm going with the water, but I still need a bit of a sugar boost at halftime to keep my sort of like my attention switched on and concentration. So I will go for some sweets. And at halftime on Tuesday, I thought I was finished. I'd just done 45 minutes.

There was a bag of sweets and I put my hand in and it rattled and Chappers hair Chapman picked up on it is listening is almost forensic He went are you going for the sweets? I it's almost as if he he had a secret camera Counter-attack with numbers. He's gonna decide this game either way. Like you said, you're right there in you opening your sweets No, no, I was just I was actually just they're actually in front sweets? No, no, I was just, I was actually just, they were actually in front of Stephen, I was just moving them. Oh right, what, towards your mouth? Don't believe him. I mean honestly.

You know exactly where they're going. The packet started to rustle, if ever there was an indication of don't talk to us anymore, I'm about to put some fruit pastels in my gob, that was it. He's got the sweets and then he's also got the betting up, so he's getting ready for Cheltenham tomorrow. He's in his element, he is so happy right now. I think you'll find that's called multitasking. And I thought well I'm done now, my job is done and I was just going for some sweets but he heard it, the Russell. No, Herd Chapman has got spies everywhere, you know, he has got loose slips sinking ships all over English football. Yeah. But also he's got 45 minutes.

I mean lots of spells of 45 minutes once he's handed over to the commentator and he's getting people to get him cups of tea and slices of cake and biscuits and we don't get to see any of that, do we? So it's not a fair fight that one really. It's never a fair fight with headchamp. It's not. I was going to say actually I was at Arsenal on Wednesday night for the game against PSV the second leg and I was slightly disappointed that

That the hair Chapman wasn't presenting because my my opening gambit I had lined up because obviously PSV was 7-1 down after the first leg Was I was gonna say that PSV Eindhoven had about as much chance of getting back into this tie as we've got of getting Hare Chapman onto this podcast. In fact PSV had probably got a slightly, but he wasn't he wasn't on so I couldn't use the line but I'm using it here. By the way, just very quickly on Old Trafford, a story that popped into my head actually of I don't think it was my first ever visit to Old Trafford, but early days of being a commentator at Five Live when we used to do the two commentator thing, so two commentators per game plus a summarizer, I thought I'd set off in plenty of time,

coming from where I live in Salisbury, long way to go, but I'd allowed hours and hours and hours, traffic nightmare on the M6, and basically it got to the point, I mean it was in stationary traffic for two hours where I realised I actually wasn't going to make kick-off, not I wasn't going to make team use, I wasn't going to make kickoff, which is the commentators nightmare. I don't know if you've ever been in that situation, but obviously in those days, because we had two commentators, you did have a fallback. So Mike Sewell was sitting there waiting and ready to go. I can't remember who the summarizer was. And I remember screeching into it. And in those days you could actually park, there

was parking right in front of the stadium just behind that statue of Bess Lawren Charlton. I don't know if you remember that. It wasn't parking for us but you could park there, there was a car park there and I remember desperately sort of driving up, you know, speaking to a steward saying I'm here to do the game, I'm late, it's kicking off right now and they let me through and they let me through and they let me park and I got into Old Trafford about 17 minutes into the first half raced up the stairs got into the press box whoever that was the British that handed me a team sheet and literally within two minutes of sitting down Mike Shields suddenly saw I was

there and when and now for you know picking up at the midway point of the first half, here's Alistair Bruce Ball. And I literally just recovered my breath, sat down. You're thinking, which team has played left to rise? Oh my God. You ever had that? I once had a situation going to Villa Park

when I was at Radio Leeds. And so I used to work with either Peter Lorimer or Norman Hunter. On this occasion, it was Norman. And Norman, he used to love the commentaries, but he never used to like getting there so early. Cause he'd go, I tell you what, pal, I feel as if I've been here on my holidays,

I've been here this long. And we left at half two to get to Villa Park from Leeds. So we'd have been there, should have been there for about five o'clock, half four. But we hit the most horrendous traffic on the M6. And this was before the days of where you've got apps on your phone to tell you to navigate your way away from the traffic.

And also in those days, we used to present as well as commentate. So the whole program was coming from me at Avila Park at seven, and I'm thinking, I'm not gonna get there at seven. We were not moving. The kickoff I think must have been quarter to eight. We got there at I think 25 to eight. Anyway got there at, I think, 25 to eight.

Anyway, the next day, the head of center calls me in and says, don't think you, it left you a good time in that preparation and all that. And I really took exception to that. And I said, well, actually, had I not left at the time I left, you wouldn't have got me there at all. So it was down to the fact that I had prepared and my preparation was key that I did get there.

But yeah, it is one of the, and as I've got older, I've actually got worse. I used to get to a ground 1230. Now it's 12 and now I'm actually thinking 1130. Well, OK, so I've got friends who tell me about recurring dreams. They have recurring dreams about exams in school or that their teeth are falling out. You know, my number one recurring dream is I'm on the way to the stadium and some event happens that just impedes my you know, I can't go down this road. I have to go around and suddenly the clock is ticking and I'm running upstairs

and I'm trying to you know, that's that kind of panic. I'm trying to get there and exactly what you say, that it forces you to get there stupidly early. I remember many years ago back in those those those early days when we first joined, you know, doing a game, Bolton as well, showing up and it was one of those days where the clocks changed. And fortunately it worked to my favor.

I got there an hour early. So I got, you know, as I was already gonna be there three hours before kickoff, I got there four hours before kickoff. And I, Ali, you'll appreciate this. I learned a very important lesson that day. So met up with Ditto and I said to him, I said, I've been here for ages.

I bloody didn't realize the clocks had changed and I'd been here an hour earlier. And as soon as we go on air, that story gets outed on air. And I was like, that's it. Deano cannot be trusted to keep these secrets. I will. And these things are all flashing into my head now. So I'll make an admission this. There's been once in my career where I've gone to a game and got the kickoff time wrong. It was a 12 noon kickoff when Birmingham were in the Premier League. And in my head, for whatever reason, I thought it was a three o'clock game.

And I was living near Manchester at the time and I was driving down, expecting to get there for around 1230 for a three o'clock kickoff. And I was listening to a sports desk at say 11 o'clock, said, come up today, the early kickoff is Birmingham against. I was like, what? No, what? Oh my God. Now, this I was doing reports for Fire Live. But I remember I drove down and arrived up at St. Andrews and a little bit like you were saying, Ali, but parking near the statue.

Just getting us. I said, you know, there's no way I'm going to the official media car park. I've got to get as close to the front door as I can. And I drove right up. And I remember Robbie Savage had a tangerine coloured Lamborghini and you knew it was his because the red plate was SAV 8. And I drove right up behind, blocked in SAV 8 and got out of the car and Stuart was like,

you can't leave your car there, whatever. And I was like, oh, I just ran. Like I'm thinking in my head, the car is going to get towed away but you know, I've got to get here. And I remember bursting in up the stairs, plugging in my machine. No idea of the team news, no idea. And as soon as I connected, they were like, oh, Connor, there you are. Right. Right. We're coming to you in 10 seconds.

And this was obviously the start of Five Lives 4 to 12. It was like, and the lunchtime kick off today. And I'm there, sweat perspiring, no idea of team news. And I just bluffed my way through with some like historical context. But that was that was the one time that I've sort of had in real life that the panic dream that I'm always having of not getting their own time. But that was the one time that I've sort of had in real life the panic dream that I was having of not getting their own time. But that's the classic thing. The listeners don't know that, do they? So we can tell that

story now. But on the day when you deliver that bit of radio, no one has a clue about that. That happened to me, Connor. Shamrock Rovers against Tottenham in a Europa League game. There's a 5.45 kickoff and I was over there and I was aiming to get there, I think at 5.30 for what I thought was an eight o'clock kickoff and got with, you know, and set off and suddenly the traffic was horrendous and there were thousands of fans around. I was thinking what on earth is going on? And my, I mean, I might, I might be making this up. My memory is coming over a bridge or coming down a road where you could actually see inside the stadium and I could see the players on the pitch getting ready for a 545 kickoff and I was nowhere near

And I lucky again it was only a reporting game and you know I wasn't needed like right at the top of the show, but it was like yeah exactly that getting the kickoff time wrong Rory McIlroy very nearly missed the Ryder Cup tee time doing that getting the hours wrong in the stakes at Medina That was a that was a very Right emails as always TCV at.co.uk and voice notes. So since Conor was last on the pod now, we can have people leaving us voice notes. So if you wanna do that, 08000289369, loads of people.

So we were chatting lookalikes a little bit earlier on, loads of people have got in touch with the lookalikes. Michael in Somerset, Olivier Giroud, so you're gonna have to really imagine now and sort of get these people in your head. Olivier Giroud and Rylan Clark. Can you see that? I can definitely see that. Yeah, I can see that. That's good. That is good. Chiseled jaw. Good looking men. John in London. Nathan Akay looks very much like a young rude hoolit in his AC Milan days.

Here's one actually that again I think you have to see this, this is quite tricky. Sean from St Helens says, quite niche this one and not everyone agrees with me, but I'm convinced Alan Shearer and Ronan Keating have the same face, disguised by hair. So I've actually got a picture of the pair of them in front of me where it is standing and I can see it's it's facial shape and eyes and smile I can see that if you're ahead of Kwiff talking of sheer and this isn't a lookalike this is a sound alike right yeah but when I used to cover Durham cricket in the mid 90s Paul

Collingwood was just breaking through at the time with, there was him, Jimmy Daly, Melvin Betts. But Paul, for me, Paul Collingwood, for me he sounds like Alan Shearer. Let's have a listen, here is a clip of Paul Collingwood and Alan Shearer. I thought the sprinters toiled away all day with little reward but, you know, when you've got quality batsmen like they have in the Indian team they're always going to get a response. He must have walked into that football club and thought this is what you're giving me you've spent 600 million with the previous manager and this is what I've got to work with. He's got a huge job on his hands. So there you go.

There was one time when I was covering Durham and Newcastle United were going for the title. Durham had a lot of Sunderland fans they had Paul Collingwood, Mike Roseberry the captain, Simon Brown the pace bowler and we were covering the cricket and Newcastle United were playing at Manchester United across the way and I think that day they lost about four or five nil and every time that New castle United conceded a goal, Durham were in the field. The arms shot up from Simon Brown, Paul Collingwood and Mike Rose. They were celebrating the Manchester United goal because they were Sunderland fans on the cricket pitch in Old Trafford.

If you listen to Collingwood and Shearer, they sound alike. Do you ever get them, Connor? Have you got a famous lookalike? Someone that looks like me. Yeah. Oh, no, I remember, so Rory Smith, our colleague for the New York Times, he, I used to play five-a-side football with him. And he's been very flattering, I think, to any football skaters, but he said that,

and I don't get this myself, but this is because you're asking the question. He said that he thought I looked like Dimitar Berbatov. Yeah, I can see that. So there you go. The lookalike that I am, I'm always fascinated, as you well know, Alistair, I have got an infatuation with the movie Back to the Future. Like I'm obsessed with Back to the Future.

And the reason I know that that time travel stuff is possible is that Enzo Ferrari, who obviously created the Ferrari cars, and he is is Mezzodosl. So Mezzodosl went back in time and created Ferrari cars. So if you look up ozl so mesut ozl went back in time and created Ferrari cars so if you look up it's gonna show Denny a picture of them here I've just got up my computer Enzo Ferrari and mesut ozl are the actual same person so listeners need to need to just Google their two names and it's incredible just on that back to the future obsession I'm sure Connor won't won't mind me saying this

But but I was actually brought in as kind of cameraman and technical help for an incredible Video that Connor recorded for his wedding day, which was all about actually Missing the day of your wedding wasn't and having to yeah This is all connected to this is all bizarrely connected. Yeah. Yeah And so Connor managed to find you managed to find someone, didn't you, who owned a DeLorean? Yes. Who lived down on the South Coast and we went to film a whole load of scenes of Connor being late for his wedding and having to leap into a time machine and go back in, honestly.

And again, it's another of your great skills, Connor, that Denno and I and John definitely don't possess, but your technical wizardry with the social media stuff and the filming and all the little clips, you love all of that, don't you? No, you're very kind, but no, I do. And I think nowadays, you know, everyone makes little videos with their phones and stuff. And you almost forget that only a few years ago, no one did that.

It was seen as like, oh, you need professional equipment to make videos. I was one of those guys who had a camcorder on a night out and I'd be making little videos and sending it to people the next day. I always really enjoyed that. But yeah, I remember that, ABB, you and me were both doing a game at Fratton Park and I'd found this guy who was going to rent me his DeLorean for the

day, which was near Portsmouth. So I needed to be in it, but I needed a cameraman. So I was like, I don't know anyone who lives in the South Coast. I don't know anyone who lives here in Portsmouth. So ABB, this is your big break. You get to meet and you did a very good job to be fair. Oh man, great video. But you could tell that my wife organised everything at a wedding that I was off making back to the future videos with ABB. That was the role I was produced to. I didn't get any views on hotels or cakes or anything like that.

Last look alike for you, Tim in Suffolk. Quite nice this one. You have to know your football, but I agree with this because I see it all the time Leandro Trossard and the referee the Champions League referee Clément Turpin you know the French referee I'm just trust that if you you know maybe have a little Google of here same hairline same cheekbones yeah absolutely yeah and we have an exhibition game of Clash of the commentators on the way did Did you play Clash of the Commentators last time, Conor? No, I was Quizmaster.

Yeah, so this time you're playing, you're up. Before we get to that, Simon has taken to the email, Dear all, thoroughly enjoying the pod, especially the insights behind the curtain, such as the size of sandwiches, John Murray, the size of your folders with notes for the games, Ian Dennis, and the size of the seats in the commentary positions, all of us. If you heard this week's Monday Night Club lot of, should I say, the, can we call it the big six anymore? I don't know, there is a big six anymore, but you're sort of, you know, you're Manchester City's, you're Liverpool's, you're Tottenham's, you're Chelsea's,

do they not have to play in a certain way? He's pluralized them. Pluralizing the clubs, yeah. Yeah, you're City's, you're Tottenham's, you're Chelsea's. I think so much of it, I was listening back to one of the previous episodes and you're talking about in and around the penalty area. And I think this comes into the same bracket. So I think as a commentator, what it is, is that you want to make a point, but you don't want the point to be held sort of, you know, forensically back against you. So, you know, I could say something like, you know, well tonight, Rasmus Hoylant has actually seen a lot of the ball in the penalty area. And then someone could, I could say something like, you know, well, tonight, Rasmus Holland has actually seen a lot of the ball in the penalty area.

And then someone could say, well, actually, he had eight touches in the D and the edge of the box, but he only had two touches actually in the box. So, you know, you're buying yourself some wriggle room by saying in and around the penalty area to make the same point. And I think exactly that. So as Chris starts listing out teams there, he's thinking, I don't want to leave anyone out and offend them. So by pluralizing, I'm saying, well, you're that type of team.

So it's it's a wriggle room tactic as so much of football broadcasting is. I agree, I think it's become it's done knowingly that. So I think Chris knows that's that there is only one man obviously knows there's only one Manchester City, one Chelsea, whatever. But it's sort of become part of common football parlance. You're Berbatov's, you know, your two cheese. Your grants. Your grants, exactly.

We should thank Simon for being our eyes and ears and listening to you, Chris Sutton's, your Rory Smith's and your Shea Givens on the Monday. And also Connor, I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone say Chris was worried about offending someone. I don't think Chris ever worries about that. He didn't get where he is today by worrying about well he grumbles a lot I mean I've worked with him quite a bit recently and you know Ali now he just grumbles but when we've been talking about Clash of the

commentators he thinks that he's been plagiarized from Sutton death and he's he's not happy he's not a concept of it so I'm yeah as you know I'm quite happy to throw in a hand grenade every now and again yeah yeah yeah let's do Clash of the Commentators Ian so you get a rest this week because you beat John on Liverpool goalkeepers so in our competition this season I'm five from seven John's three from seven you're now three from eight so level with John on on three wins but today it's exhibition exhibition and you're in charge of him. Yes, and no longer am I rooted to the foot of the table. Right, Ali, I'm gonna make an executive decision here because we're in a studio, the two of us, me and Connor,

and Connor's penned into the corner, and for him to go second would mean that he's gotta make his way all the way out of the studio. It would take about two minutes. So thinking right. And times of the essence this morning. So, so Ali, if you want to unplug. Doing it now.

For this. And this, you know, the drill Connor, I'll give you a category. I'm getting my excuses in early. This has been recorded very early in the morning. My brain has not woken up yet, but come on. You've got 30 seconds to give us many correct answers as you can. And it's a challenging one this week. No, thanks a million.

Atletico's Madrid, Julian Alvarez, had his double touch penalty ruled out as Real Madrid set up a Champions League quarterfinal with Arsenal. Real's Vinicius Junior also missed his penalty in normal time as he blazed over the bar. I want you to name the worst penalty takers in Champions League history. What? So among players to have taken at least three penalties

in the Champions League, excluding shootouts, I want you to name anyone with a 60% conversion rate or lower. There are an unlucky 13 possible answers this is an outrageous question I'll be honest with you when I saw it I was pleased that I was quiz haha but your time starts now I don't even know where to start I'm gonna just go people who score lots of penalty take lots of penalties I'm gonna say people like Sergio Aguero Ronaldo Rooney Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazilian Ronaldo, Champions League penalty takers.

Oh, this is so hard. Er... Er... Missing lots of them. This is such a difficult question. I'm going to say Julian Alvarez. I'm going to say... Erling Haaland.

I've got to say, I think it's the hardest question. That's a rageous question. I've heard Certainly since we've been doing this podcast John Murray when he doesn't appear on the podcast doesn't listen to it. How do you how do you been listening to it? I think you'd have winced thinking oh my word if you know I get them all right So a B beacon yeah, you can give him the thumbs up I'm gonna keep you in suspense as to how well you did. Ali, it is an extremely challenging one. I've got a really bad feeling about it.

Atletico Madrid, Julien Alvarez had his double-touch penalty ruled out, Real Madrid set up a Champions League quarter-final. You've got to name the worst penalty takers in Champions League history. So among players to have taken at least three penalties in the Champions League, excluding shootouts, you've got to name anyone with a 60% conversion rate or lower. There are 13 possible answers. Time starts now.

I bet you Messi's missed enough to... Well, no, but he must be higher than that. I'm going to say Messi, Ronaldo. Let's just say them all. Lewandowski, Shevchenko, Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Ibrahimovic, Simone Inzaghi, Didier Drogba, John Terry wouldn't have taken enough, obviously, but famously missed one. Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney,

Erling Haaland, Sergio Aguero. I want to look through the glass, yeah, the scores are in. Conor McNamara, nil. Yes, excellent. The first ever nil now. I've dragged you down to my level, ABB. That's an impossible category. I'm convinced that question is some sort

of a blooper reel setup. There's no way that's been asked as a proper question. That's an impossible cat. I'm convinced that question is some sort of a blooper reel and settle There's no way that's been asked as a proper question. That's so hard. I'll be honest with you I think even I don't think I'd have got one. I Would I would defy? Anybody and in fact, I'm tempted to say right. Yeah, let's not give out the answers. Yeah Yeah, but instead anybody who then I suppose people be Googling it. When you've got time you could do it. But it's when you're in the spur of the moment. Oh my word. I'm just I'm so relieved because when you started listing out names there I

thought he's going to hammer me and I'm going to look terrible here. So Falcao, not from three Neymar, Parejo from Valencia, Quarret's, Kalea had a costly miss for Napoli de Maria, Thierry Henry, Antoine Griezmann whilst he was at Celtic 18 months ago, Raquel May, Neymar Hulke, just a few there. Honestly if you give me two hours I wouldn't have come up with those. No, I mean Henry possibly could have got there just by rattling off names of great players yeah yeah no no good job what was it John Rory who suggested that question I think we might have to rephrase the exhibition yeah behind closed doors

the football daily podcast on BBC Sound. The Monday nightclub on The Football Daily. Join myself, Mark Chapman, Rory Smith and Chris Sutton to look back at the biggest stories from the weekend's football. They've obviously had terrible trouble scoring goals, particularly in open play this season. He's worrying about if he's not going to score the goals then others aren't going to score. I spoke to many strikers who felt like that, crisp. Shearer, Larson, Hartson, all felt like that. If they didn't score, maybe they else would.

The Monday Night Club, only on The Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sound. Hello, I'm Robin Eates. And I'm Brian Cox. And we would like to tell you about the new series of The Infinite Monkey Coach. We're going to have a planet on. Jupiter versus Saturn! It's very well done that because in the script it does say wrestling voice.

After all of that it's going to kind of chill out a bit and talk about ice. And also in this series we're discussing history of music, recording with Brian Eno and looking at nature's shapes. So listen wherever you get your podcasts. Your five live commentaries this weekend, plenty more football on the way for you. In fact Connor and Ian are about to hop in a car together, although they're not commentating together like back in the day, but both heading to Portman Road. So Ipswich against Nottingham Forest, three

o'clock kickoff on Saturday. All the goals as they go in, your usual service. That is Ian alongside Paul Robinson. Bournemouth against Brentford. We've got full commentary on that. Half five Saturday. Jonathan Pearce and Franny Bernali with that one. Two games on Sunday at half one, the five live game is Arsenal-Chelsea, Mark Scott and Andy Reid doing that and Chris Coles alongside Ben Mee for Fulham-Tottenham, half one on Sunday. And then 4.30 Sunday, Ian, you and John actually doing a double header so that that is a rare thing that we occasionally do it obviously for England in cup finals but you've got the League Cup final first domestic trophy of the men's season at Wembley Liverpool, Liverpool Newcastle.

Yeah and indeed we've had a message from Patrick from Knutsford who's sent us a voice note in from Cheshire. Is it my imagination but did commentaries within games used to be shared between two commentators? One doing the first quarter the other doing the second quarter and so on why and when did this stop? How did you choose who went first? Do you share notes were you competitive keep up the good work? That's a great question or tell some great questions within the question as well. Yeah, and we also had an email from Stuart on the same theme. I've wondered how

you approach games where there are two commentators. I know Five Live used to do this more often when there would be two commentators and a pundit for a game and the commentators would change mid-half. How did you find this when you did it? How did you determine when the other commentator takes over? Did you have to change your prep and did the other commentator ever borrow one of your stats? I think in answer to Patrick's question it probably changed around 2016 or maybe was it slightly before but then all of a sudden they've kept it for the major finals. So the major finals we still have the two but when we all joined it was

the common theme wasn't it you would work with a senior commentator yeah and it was you know I suppose if you think about it's two hours of broadcasting if you were to take a breakfast show or a drive-time show you know to have two presenters doesn't seem you know that they would dovetail off each other seems seems quite normal even now but it does seem excessive when you think back about how having to come to it but yeah so to answer some of the questions, the, when you would pass over was midway through the first half. So it was always 22 and a half minutes. So midway through the first half, and now here's half time. But on that Connor, if you're commentating and you're

doing the first half of the first half and about to hand over to me and there's a corner, then you had a decision to make there, didn't you? Because it's quite hard as the second commenter to come in, you know, and suddenly hit the ground running. So actually, you probably might just take it a little bit further, wouldn't you, to deal with? And then there's always the threat of being the burglar of the big dramatic moment. You know, you don't want to steal that the goal from your colleague. But yeah, sometimes, yeah, you would you would let it bleed over a little bit longer

and then pass on. My experience was I always thought it was easier to go second because you'd have had an idea of the passage of play and the layout of the land, if a player had a new haircut or a pair of boots. Your identification was aided by having watched them play for 20 minutes without having to commentate. Similarities to that still exist. For example, I went to San Sebastian last week to do the first leg of the the Man United Real Sociedad so obviously last night I was I was much more au fait with the players and the names would roll off the tongue having done it so there's an advantage there but but some commentators used to be quite

precious about wanting to go second particularly if they were working with the junior commentator and I never really saw the advantage of that because as often as you would get a great dramatic ending which of course any commentator would love to be you know in control of the advantage of that because as often as you would get a great dramatic ending, which of course any commentator would love to be, you know, in control of the microphone for that, so often a game could be 3-0 with 20 minutes to go. So you're, you know, it's been handed over to you, done and dusted and you're only repeating what's already been said. So I think the sort of the lottery of some weeks that you're on first, some weeks are on second and what we used to do then, if it was you and me, we would keep our own tally between

ourselves, we would go every second one wouldn't and then you'd have your own system with ABB or if I was with John Murray every second one every second one and that was generally how it was done. Yeah when earlier on you asked Ali you asked Connor what his first game was for Five Live and you're right the junior member always tended to go first and I had a trial game for Five Live so I was at Radio Leeds and it was with Ian Brown at Parkhead. It was Celtic St. Johnston, the opening day of the season in 2001.

And I knew that this was an opportunity to sort of like stake my claims and maybe show what you can do move to the network. And so that felt a lot of pressure. I didn't help myself because blue is my favorite color. And I turned up at Parkhead with this Royal my favorite color. And I turned over Parkhead with this royal blue bomber jacket. And I thought, what have I done? So I took that off.

It was a baking hot day. And Brownie, to his credit, he said, I'll go first, I'll give you 22 minutes grace. And I was so nervous. I remember the hands were just soaked in the back of my shirt. I was really putting myself under so much pressure. And I'll never forget Ian Brown,

because he didn't have to do what he did that day. Because as you say, some commentators could be saying, oh no, junior member, you go first. And within 15 minutes, there was a towering header from Meowby who'd scored for Celtic, and I got it right. And I got a message from one of the editors, and it was gonna be sit tight we'll come and get you. So I knew I'd done all right and in fact the following week I worked with John Murray then on both occasions with a great Billy McNeil and it was it was

such a privilege to work with somebody of the stature of Billy McNeil but the pressure and Ian Brown just saying tell you what I'll go first. He did me so many favours. I had the same with John Murray. It wasn't my first game, but the first time I worked with John, and I, you know, at that stage, he was established five-life commentator and I was expecting that I would go first. And he made a big deal of it.

He's like, no, listen, I did these teams recently. I'll go first. You can settle into it and, you know, mark of the man. Yeah, very much so. So interesting what you say, though, there, Ian, as well about pressure, because talking to younger commentators, getting started, and you can't avoid feeling that because you want to show what you say though there Ian as well about pressure because talking to younger commentators getting started and you can't avoid Feeling that because you want to show what you can do and you don't know how many chances you're gonna get You never commentate as well when you feel like that you commentate so much better Don't you when you just relax and enjoy it and be yourself?

But that's so hard to do at the start I think because you're worried about every little potential mistake and will this be my only chance? And, you know, I remember people saying it to me and I now say it to younger commentators as well. Don't put that pressure on yourself. Just do what you normally do. Don't try and do something different. You know, just a bit like a footballer, like in the first five minutes, just play your simple pass and get into the game and do the basics. Don't do the flashy stuff. But it's so hard not to do that. Yeah. You remind me of watching Rasmus Hoylan last night, ABB. The poor guy is trying so hard to score a goal, but he's trying too hard and it's not coming naturally. But I mean,

do you guys find this, if you, if you pre-record something, you're far more likely to make a mistake and stumble over your words. If it's live on air, whatever, this lightning rod goes up your spine and you're just, you're instinctively more tuned tuned in aren't you? Yeah. Yeah. But it just goes back to the two commentators thing. I don't think it's extravagant because if you think the papers, the papers will often send two or three reporters to cover the same game and we only do it now for the major finals but I still think it gives whoever goes second you've got a little bit more clarity in your mind so you can offer a different perspective to the first commentator who's very much in the zone.

Sharing notes is an interesting one because everyone's got their own system, everyone's got their own handwriting or their own font or whatever you want to call it so you know you are able to read your own notes but someone else's like if I tried to read John Murray's notes it'd be like trying to decipher hieroglyphics you know I wouldn't know where to start but I do remember working with Alan Green at a game years and years ago. And a player came on. It was like obviously some teenager making his debut that Greenie hadn't,

you know, be expected to play or hadn't been aware of it, which is, you know, and that that does happen, particularly back in in those days. But I remember I had to my little sticker system and I had a sticker with the details of this of this player. And in my naivety, I thought, oh, this this might go down well. I'll offer to share this. So I kind of reached across and handed over to said and I remember greeny and I go what is this? He was just like what are you handing me a sticker for? So that didn't go any further

but he was he was well able to talk his way through it anyway. You got swatted away. I mean as a listener just before we move on to the glossary on Sunday I know I'm really going to enjoy that because as a listener it is a luxury to have to, you know, John will see the game differently to Ian, has a different commentary style to Ian, has a different relationship with Stephen Warnock to Ian and it just means you get a sort of, you know, just a different sound and a different... A little refresh, right? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And I think, you know, and obviously, I mean, we do the majority of games

now with one commentator and listening to Ian on his own or John on his own or you on his own is fantastic. You don't necessarily need the two, but I sometimes like the, all right, now we're going to get something different for 20 minutes or so, plus all the pre-match and post-match and whatever is a round table discussion between all of you. So that's what will happen at the League Cup final. Let's get onto the great glossary because these chaps have got to hit the road to Suffolk shortly. Yes, the great glossary of football commentary. So, Conor, you were talking about the sort of the debates and, you know, kind of controversy

that this sort of thing can spark. And our premise is it's the great glossary of football commentary. So we've been talking in recent weeks about they have to be terms mostly used in football. Now, Gerry's got in touch, TCV at bbc.co.uk, as a Yorkshireman I'm contacting you to offer my services as the rugby league filter to the glossary. You are waving way too many terms through into the glossary that are equally at home in the 13-a-side game. For example, I couldn't believe that last week you included Mark in Munich's

suggestion of derby Bragging Rights. That decision shows none of you have had to go to work on a Monday morning in either Hull, St Helens or Wigan. Keep up the great work, TCV's potentially taking the crown from Fantasy 606 as my favourite BBC football podcast. Well, steady on, Gerry. Yeah, that's a good point, Ian, because I think I said Bragging Rights football, football but I can see that I can definitely see that from Jerry. Yeah I can see that I actually I've got two visions right I'm thinking I mean you you're very creative. You're like ABB in his new glasses. The world tour is still on hold okay yeah but BBC publications are gonna do a book about

the football glossary right and in the first half better get the room sorted by that in the first half it's gonna be the ones that are in the football glossary right in the second half you have to use the book the other way around and it's the ones that have been excluded from the football now where you give where would bragging rights sit there now because I actually people do say bragging rights regarding the derby in a football game bragging rights for me has to be in the glossary but equally I can see rugby league it has to be in. When you say has to be what you mean is it's a term that's used a lot in football but not exclusively. Yeah as if you don't hear that anywhere else

bragging rights you don't talk about bragging rights in tennis do you? But your correspondent just said you do in rugby league. In rugby league I know. So that's where we got from.. That's where we got from him. Well, I'll tell you, I was listening to the Peter Drury episode and he was talking about the postage stamp corner. And this one works very well for you. So of course people use postage stamp all the time in life. Yes.

But you never say postage stamp corner. I mean, even if you had an envelope, you don't say, I'm now going to put this in the postage. You know, you just put it there. But you know, there's no other part of life where you say postage stamp corner than you do when you're describing a part of a goal mouth so that to me is a great example of football only usage now people are gonna say well in our blackboard in school we used to say the postage I mean that fair enough but but I've not heard it my mate Joel Richards who lives out in in Qatar he sent me a message this week charmed

life the goal has got a charmed life. And I don't know whether it's because he sent me the message, but I actually used that at Anfield on Tuesday, that a goal has got a charmed life. Yeah. I've always been a believer, people use the term football cliches. I mean, the idioms are a key part of football,

because what you're trying to say is an idea that you can say in just a couple of words, three or four words, but that people know exactly what you're talking about. And by definition that has to be something, you know, if it's something that everyone's going to know about, by definition, that's got to be a phrase that's used more widely, but you're putting it into a football context. So, but I really like this. I'm intrigued to see how thick this book is going to be, Deanna, when you publish it, because you might have a lot more in the second half that you turn over than you do in the first. Well actually you can send your emails in tcv at bbc.co.uk the voice notes

number is 08000 289 369. We can look at some other potential editions because this one is from Tim from Kent who now lives actually in Dubai. Hey commentators, Tim here, loving the show. One of the suggestions I had for the glossary is in the ascendancy. You almost exclusively hear it in football and in no other walks of life. Now, during my career I've spent several years as a journalist and a writer and not once did the phrase even begin to appear in non-football related writings or commentary or anything or even in standard conversation. So if I was at work and I went, hey boss I've submitted those reports that you're after I've got them in a day early as well.

He's not going to respond by going, great job Tim you're really in the ascendancy today. Never. So to use the phrase in a fall but admittedly optimistic example since I am a Newcastle fan other teams are available Newcastle were really in the ascendancy in the League Cup final against Liverpool when they went 3-0 up before half-time. We can all dream can't we? I would have to say that doesn't make it because I think you could use that and I think I'm sure I have when I've covered cricket that you know all of a sudden three quick wickets fall and Durham are now in the ascendancy again. Yeah, Rory McElroy could be in the ascendancy

He's a he's a back-to-back birdies but but it's very much a sporting commentary glossary term because I totally agree that you don't I I wouldn't say that out of a Sporting context in the ascendancy you've just I was talking about one team or one person doing better than another. It doesn't in everyday life. I wouldn't use in correct. Correct. It's I mean, what would you say that Prince William is in the ascendancy that he's on his way to the throne?

I mean, would that be a usage of it? But yeah, you know, you never hear that. You've just spoken of the idea, Ali, so we could have a foot. Don't give them away. It's a more awake, so like a down JK rolling over here, which are multiple book deals. Volume two could be volume two could be a sporting glossary. Yeah.

Okay. It's kind of a library. I know we need, we need, we need an agent. Connor has got a long journey to suffocate of in the south. Then I'll tell you with all those ideas, blimey. Richard's got in touch TCV at BBC at bbc.co.uk. Hello team, first of all, loving the pod.

As a former local radio football reporter with commentary ambitions, never realised some of the stories are bringing back great memories of my own of dubious press positions and variable catering standards around the many non-league grounds I've visited. I would like to put forward a term for inclusion in the great glossary. Listening to the 72 plus pod this week on BBC Sounds, Leeds United manager Daniel Farker was talking about Tony Mowbray's West Brompton. What I like about Tony's sides, they go for it. They also to dominate possession, also like to be good in possession to create chances, not just to park the bus.

So they always try to go for it. So to create chances not just to park the bus. So they always try to go for it. So Richard carries on. Other than the actual practice of bus drivers parking a bus, I cannot think of another sport where this could be used. I also submit in further support of my claim that the term being used by someone whose first language is not English

is clearly a sign that it is an integral part of English football lexicon. Many thanks, keep up the great work from Richard. Parking the bus. Yes. It's it's classic, but he's answered his own question there. But apart from the act of parking a bus, which happens millions of times every day in every city. I mean, of course, you know, you're going to find it so difficult

to find places that are only exclusively. You see, you've got to think this through before you get to, you know, sending the draft to the publisher down on that actually takes us neatly onto the yet to the voice note from the continent Michael in Germany. So I've heard several times that commentators mentioned that one team has parked the bus which has nothing to do with public transport. That means that one team is playing extremely defensively. So this is a uniquely English in my humble opinion in German. We say bit on, on, so literally translated as a mixed concrete.

You get the idea, right? Thanks a lot for your great show. Great way of improving my English. Bye bye from Germany. What a great voice he has. Yeah, yeah. But I mean, and Michael's absolutely right there that that is a different way to say park the bus.

I think park the bus does go in in the glossary. Yes. Like you say, Connor, it does get used in everyday life. But I think for a glossary of football commentary, I remember in terms of what Michael's just given us there, the sort of the German equivalent of our Park the Bus, having great fun during the World Cup in Russia with Chris Sutton in our commentaries because Ksenia, who was part of our team, who was Russian and was helping us get around the country and book the restaurants and do all the traveling, whatever, she was helping us with, so I think one day she heard Chris talking about, oh yeah, the cat amongst the pigeons. Chris said

the cat amongst the pigeons, that's put the cat amongst the pigeons. And she said, what does that mean? And he explained and she said, oh, in Russian, that is you let the goat into the vegetable garden. So you don't put the cat amongst the pigeons, you let the, and then we had a little competition about how many of those we could actually get into our commentaries. But that was good fun. Just to take it up a point that your German correspondent said there about, he said that's a very English phrase, park the bus, and that he was giving the German example. I'm interested in your view on this. The first time I'm pretty sure I ever heard park the bus in a football in context was when it was

said by Jose Mourinho in a press conference. And it was that classic thing where he's Mourinho, particularly that time was great at doing this. He would come up with a little sort of left of field expression, but everyone knew exactly what he meant. I wonder, would you have used that expression in a footballing sense pre Mourinho? Probably not. So is it actually a Portuguese expression Yeah, and I wonder I wonder if it came to him like it was on the tip of his tongue as and it just came out

Or whether before he went in and gave the interview he sort of sat down and thought what's a great way of describing He is a cunning linguist is See that always reminded me when you play cricket as a youngster, and you'd be batting and someone would say, just move over, I can't see your stumps. And I'm thinking, well, that's the whole idea. That's what I'm protecting. So why would I let you see the stumps?

If it hits me on my legs, I get done for LBW. But other than that, I'm protecting my stumps. I remember Alan Murray, used to be Graham Soonest's number two at Southampton. And when he went abroad and he also managed Hartlepool as well. We once played in the BBC game and remember you used to play French cricket where you would turn the bat face on.

You're speaking a foreign language to me. Look at me as if I'm so sure what these things are. Alan Murray stood there and we skittled this team out for 42, which was not bad bearing in mind. We'd had a couple of pints before we'd started playing. stood there and we skittled this team out for 42 which was not bad bearing in mind we'd had a couple of pints before we'd started playing so we'd skittled them out for 42 and at one stage we're 41 for 7 and we're whatever we were 30 officer and Alan Murray had to go there and see us over the line playing in this unconventional way of basically French cricket standing in front of his stumps

and he is he parked the bus because because that was the only way he knew how to play or that was like a forfeit he had to do it he was what's the word is it when you need a single is that right is it yeah yeah you know it'll yes good that's good I think this podcast could be called that reminds me because every time someone says something that reminds me that can be one of your books that can be the fourth book in the series that reminds me when you're that can be one of your books. That can be the fourth book in the series that reminds me. When you're speaking about your your your friend in Russia,

we had a girl called Corina was showing us around. And you might remember your FIFA accreditation for the World Cup in 2018. When you went through the airports, you were allowed to take a sort of a fast track route to go through security and stuff. So we showed up in Kazan to the airport and there was no fast track route. And she was really militant about, you know, there must be a fast track route. And she was going out asking people and they said, sorry, there's no, there's no FIFA route here. And she kicked up such a stink and she was speaking in rapid Russian to me with no idea what was going on.

But I was with Dion Dublin and George Cobbins, our producer, and she got, she marched all of us back outside the airport terminal. We're walking down the road as if, you know where all the taxis come in, away from the airport. I think, where is she bringing us? And into this room that looked like an office block beside the airport terminal. And it was a private airport, like a VIP terminal. This was where Vladimir Putin would probably come in and out.

And she brought us into this room. And I also remember there was no security, no kind of scanners, no boarding pass for us. We walked into this room, and there's one other person in this VIP terminal at this airport in Kazan. John Murray. And it was Carlos Valderrama,

the Colombian midfielder with the big hair. So we're sitting down, I remember, I was there, there was a massage chair. I was sitting there getting massaged. Well, the guy came over and Dion said, is there a menu for breakfast? And he said, I will make you whatever you want. So there was all these like complicated omelets

and stuff were ordered and he brought out. And then we got to that we're, okay, it's now your turn. So as in you're ready to board your flight. So we walked down the steps. It's a people carrier that drove us out onto the tarmac, up to the plane. Now, you know, any of us who go on your holidays, you go on a plane and sometimes you go on the bus

to the plane, but they don't let you off for a minute or two. You arrive outside the plane, you're waiting waiting they don't open the doors of the bus so we and our little people carrier we came out and we got the steps but we're looking everyone else who was on the plane had to wait in the bus for us so that we walked up the steps and said yeah they're in now now everyone else can go so we were like proper us and Carlos Valderrama were given the proper VIP treatment all because Carina kicked up the stink that there was no that there was no fast track through the airport. You don't ask, you don't get it. Right, that is it for this week. So in terms of the glossary

this week, India ascendancy is not getting in, Bragging Rights is being taken out of the glossary because it's used in rugby league and other sports. I love Bragging Rights. Park the Bus is going in. Send us your voice notes please. Lots of interest in the glossary. We love all of those. 08000 289 369 is the number to dial for that and the emails to tcv at bbc.co.uk. The next episode of the Football Daily is going to be a bonus edition reaction to Thomas Tuchel's first England squad announcement. Our football correspondent John Murray will be involved in that. Ian, really quick top line, I don't know if you've been looking at your phone while we've been recording, Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford both included in that first England squad under Thomas

Tuchel. Well Marcus Rashford is very surprising given the fact that obviously it wasn't that long ago, his career just seemed to have stalled completely at Manchester United but he seems to have been revitalized although I don't think he started that many games has he started the other night but I don't think he started that many at Villa Park and Jordan Henderson obviously is in Ajax at the minute isn't he the other one I noticed Dan Byrne of Newcastle United has been called that that's the first call up for Dan Byrne so what a boost that is ahead of him going into the League Cup final at the weekend. And we will have commentary on both of those games on Five Live. It's Albania and Latvia,

isn't it? Friday March the 21st and Monday March the 24th. So more on the England squad announcement later on your Football Daily Feed. And if you've missed any episodes of the Commentator's View, you can find them all on the football daily feed on the BBC sounds app Connor lovely to see you again we will get you back on soon no doubt. Safe travels chaps to Suffolk and and thanks for listening. Beton an Rühren so literally translated as mixed concrete. What a great voice he has. Yeah.

Football, a game of passion, rivalry and loyalty. But decades ago, beneath the cheers and the chants, lay a different kind of warfare called hooliganism. On a match day, everyone was your enemy. Everyone was going to kill you. We'll uncover the brutal bloody battles where punching below the belt was a way of life. It was just a day of mayhem. It's a day you dream of. Join me, Tony Bellew, as we hear from those bruising for a fight in the name of the firms that they belong to. We hated them, we hunted them, we battered them,

and nothing got in the way of football. Something they called the English disease. They were destroying the football club, the game I love. Gangster Presents Hooligans. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello, I'm Robin Ince. And I'm Brian Cox, and we would like to tell you about the new series of The Infinite Monkey Cage. We're going to have a planet off. Jupiter versus Saturn!

It's very well done that because in the script it does say wrestling voice. After all of that it's gonna kind of chill out a bit and talk about ice. And also in this series we're discussing history of music recording with Brian Eno and looking at nature's shapes. So listen wherever you get your podcasts.