Football Daily - The Commentators' View: England scrabble & The Hopping Rodon

Episode Date: September 12, 2025

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 [e-mail]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.

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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 with my chauffeur, won't you?

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. We have, and I thought you drove beautifully, if I may say so. The footage that you posted of that tunnel, the walk that the players make in that stadium in Belgrade,

Because I've commentated... There's a bit of a tale to tell there. Oh, good, excellent. Well, but it looked fantastic. That's a brilliant bit of insight, I think, 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. Can people still find that on your social media feed, Ian?

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 Ryko Muttich Stadium is that there is the press entrance and then that you've got to get to the tunnel probably about a good five minute walk outside the ground, down the road, pass some bars, and I walk 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 mission, Ian. Actually, 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. Now, can I ask, was it a self-appointed mission or had someone said, do you know what would be a good idea? You should go and da-da-da-da-da-da. 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 Carl 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. 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't help you?

And I said, yes, you can. Tunnel? Follow. So she took me through a door on the left. And I said, a nurse.

This is a little bit carry on this. 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 colors I get to the bottom of it and I tweet this is the long walk that the England players will take tomorrow 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, a 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. 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 Regan, Ackermichael, 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 tunnel that you didn't get to

is only about six foot tall, which gave us visions of how Dan Byrne was able to walk down that tunnel. before the match. It must have been virtually bent double. 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 nautily 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. I thought maybe one of them we would draw

and to experience big games, Champions League, Arsenal, at home, the Emirates, will be fantastic for the players. Is there any accuracy in these reports? No, no there's not. 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. You probably know who they are. I'll let you sort it out.

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 strike. stretch much further than Havala, but... Havala, which is... Thank you. Yeah, we did all right. So whoever is that, that's a little bit harsh. It was a memorable

tropion, 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. 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 Partisan 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 ponds, 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 much fiercer 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 armoured from head to toe, shields. 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 Matafeus, who were just leaving, having done the ITV commentary. So I felt as though I had a little, there 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 where the interview position is. 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. And Celtic actually go there in a couple of weeks time. They go, Celtic play there against Red Star on the first match day of the Europa League. think they will experience the real

Maracanar, as they call it. Just on that England performance, which was extremely impressive, you know, 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, fair, and then suddenly

there was that sort of performance. A lot of the pieces the following day, you know, very understandably are like, right, cricky, that was really good. What about when Bellingham, Sackle, Palmer a fit again. How do they get back in the team after a performance like that? 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, 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 I think as well, it does show, doesn't it, in the sort of statification of football and the Americanization that we've seen, you know, line breaking passes, all this sort of 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 believes that he is on the right track and then it comes together for him in the way that it did that opening line 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 right did he did he get the a team reference there john i don't know if i was necessarily making an eight team reference but the previous night alley after John had finished his interview with him, I just said, any previous experience here? And he said, yes, Paris Saint-German, Champions League.

He did actually set out to leave the room then. So he said that, yes. He said, yes, we won. Then he popped his head back around the door, and he went, 5-0. Anyway, I checked the next morning. It was 4-1. Although his words were actually then quite prophetic because he then ended up obviously winning 5-0 on this visit.

But there is an element of cheekiness about him, isn't there? Yes, there is. I think he's got good humor. 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. So 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, Zedinek Andrasek,

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 I remember he was a frightening looking man and he scored the goal 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. I was listening to you chap so I did the thing again so my chat from John Lewis arrived last week 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... 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, Noni Madiwakei is the first player with all five vowels of the English language in his name to score for England since Paul Gavé. Gascoigne. That is brilliant. I love that kind of thing. It's a bit like the Eki-TK, isn't it? I love the Pallandrum thing.

Yeah. He's the sixth Liverpool player, isn't he? The sixth Pallendrome player. But is that the longest Talandrome name to have played for Liverpool? It actually got me. So I immediately saw that. And then it immediately got me looking at the other goal scorer. And I saw obviously Esri Konzer scored. And I thought, I wonder. know who the last England player with a Zed in their first name was to score? Honestly, I traw back to the early 80s. There isn't one. I couldn't. I was actually trying to sort of

follow the stat up and I just couldn't. In the surname, you've obviously got Ezer recently. I was going to say, yeah, because that's also crossed my mind. That crossed my mind about the Zed. And I thought, well, well, Ezah scored. The first name, in the first name, I couldn't find one. I couldn't find one. Who else could, Zach, obviously. I don't think Zach has ever... Ezekiel? I don't think an Ezekiel has ever scored for a group. Bazz?

Bazz. Bazz. I don't think anyone has ever represented the England team called BAS. Wayne Rooney, Waza. Maybe Waza? Well, that obviously doesn't count. No, obviously. I don't think that counts.

I think that Echatee might be the longest palindrome Liverpool player. Because the ones I've quickly found are Ozan Kabak Shehi Ojo David and Andrew Hanna Sir Echateke with seven letters

probably would be There we are then 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 On the subject of great facts Ali the WSL match that you were covering on Sunday lunchtime there was a fascinating fact in that, Matt. 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 hatrick, a brilliant hat trick in this 4-1 win at Amfield, is the first Everton player to score a hatrick 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 emphasise 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? Like, you know. Anyway, emails to TCV at BBC.co.org and we particularly love your voice notes. We've got a couple of those coming up. 08,000-289-369. So this weekend, the Premier League resumes

after its early break. the internationals. Everton against Aston Villa. Ian is your appointment at 3 o'clock with Stephen Warnock, your first trip to the new stadium. I've got to say, thoroughly, thoroughly looking forward to that. I 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 favour

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. 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 Five Live, a choice of commentary. So Newcastle Wolves will be able to be heard on five 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 jolly him along a little bit. Okay. Well, I'm with him on Saturday, and then we're off to Bill Bow 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 and Forrest 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, Javi Simons and Kola Mwani? So that'd be interesting. And also, I spoke to Jared Bowen early in the international window and he was extremely chipper after their...

win against Nottingham Forrest. So that is Saturday this weekend. Then Sunday, Burnley, Liverpool is the 2 o'clock 5-Life commentary. Chris Krolls and Leon Osman with that, and of course the big issue there, everyone would be looking to see if Alexander Isaac plays

his first match for Liverpool, Ian. 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? No, do I'm not. 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 Ekateke 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 thought? The man you just broken the British transfer record for? I think they're going to have to ease him in.

He's in, Isaac. Yes, Isaac, yeah, exactly. And then the small matter of Manchester City, Manchester United at 4.30 when Dionne Dublin will be alongside me again, as he was with us last Saturday, Ian, at Villa Park 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 with that, wasn't he? He was, yes, his bright red cap. I've got to say as well, Jed Spence was equally pleased

to receive his red cap, his first cap in midweek little presentation from Harry Kane in Belgrade after the... Yeah, and actually, you've just reminded me because I interviewed Elliot Anderson who had a very good international window, its 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 cap 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 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, you know, 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. And also obviously has a new club manager, doesn't he? Because Andrew Poster Coglou. Yes. And that is one of those, that is very much one of the big games of the weekend, isn't it? 12.30. So there will be, there'll be updates on that match in five live sport. Mark Chapman from 12 o'clock. Five live sports. boards and while that is being played out, Mark will have the Saturday lunchtime panel of this week, as well as Stapman 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? You know, this reminds me of being back at school that 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 sort of like, 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. I apologize. We've had an email from, and we've heard from him before, haven't we? Y-front wearing Pete who was just reading that I know that 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 Hinchelwood 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. Any thoughts on that? Well, Ian's had time to prep for this because he's been reading ahead. Don't you start, Ali?

And, of course, we've also had the sacking of Eric Ten Haag by Oliverkusen this season after just two Bundesliga matches. 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

you know, how he handled him. I mean, quite damaging for him depending on how seriously you take that sort of stuff, but... 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 Raniary lost his job at Leicester, which was just a few months after that incredible story there. The one that surprised me

probably wasn't a sacking. It was the resignation of Kevin Keegan. And it was ahead of a F.A. Cup tie at Chalton. And it was in the Sunday papers, and I remember, but it still caused obviously a massive shock throughout Tynside.

So I think the game was one-one 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 Tyne side 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 Bramwell Lane this year in the summer 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.

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, blind me, that is a bold decision. was 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 Pochitino 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 Pochitino did great things for them

and then went on to do even better things at Tottenham but I do remember at the time thinking hmm bold but you know also another one and 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 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 actually yeah Ian mentioned that yeah yeah Ancelotti won the double in two didn't win anything the following year and off you go sunshine go and win stuff elsewhere famously sacked in the cupboard at goodison park was it yeah and vangal of course fangall yeah they plonked the f a 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 peter hope that i hope that very much answers the question and um we're actually served by a waiter this week who looked like a young louis vangar 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. 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, 545 athletic Bill Bowie 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 Villa Real, Connor 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 five sports extra so it is with six teams six English clubs, six Premier League clubs in the Champions League this season it is going to be a busy time and five live

will be the place to listen to the commentaries The Women's Football Weekly has found a new home It's a very own feed. We've called it, unsurprisingly, BBC Women's Football Weekly. 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. 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 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. The Commentator's View on the Football Daily with Alistair Bruce Ball,

John Murray and Ian 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. 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 2 from 2. I'm 1 from 3 and John 1 from 3.

But I think the way John is looking at that is 1 from 1. 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.

Well, do we know? Who's going to unplug? Hang on. Go on. 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 it. this. Thank you, Ali. Thank you. Okay. Has he unplugged? Well, he's taken his headplug the

right. Ian, today's category is based on this piece of commentary from England against Andorra. Would you go Ian on the back if you were... Would I go Ian on the back? Would I go Ian? Yeah. No, I'd go Dennis. You'd go Dennis, would you?

Yeah, but I think that must be a... What do you think of the first name on the old back of the shirt? Oh, 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 there 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. I think 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.

Okay, so I listen 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 Nigel. 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. Nigel Martin, Nigel Ria Koker, Nigel Atkins, Nigel Pepper, Nigel Spackman. I'm just sticking with football. Nigel Adley, commentator. Nigel Hawthorne, is that right?

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 Hawthor. I can picture it from Yes, by minister. Yes.

And yeah, yeah, yeah. Nigel Pepper? Didn't he? Was he a midfielder for York City? Oh, right. Let's have a look. Let's look him out. 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, 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. I've got to say, very good question. I'm back. That seems to take a long time.

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? Before mentioned Ian. Gets there first and it's cleared away. That's a good strong name, Ian.

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. can from any walk of life, okay? Okay, that's all you need to do. And then obviously we've got to...

So not sport, any... No, it doesn't have to be sport. Just hit us with your Nigels. Your time starts now. Okay, Nigel Farage, Nigel Adelae, Nigel de Grushy, Nigel Rio Colca,

Nigel Mansell, Nigel... Nigel... Nigel... Nigel My uncle Nigel My uncle Nigel

Oh, Callaghan That was after That was definitely after the buzz It doesn't matter anyway 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 Nigel Spackman

Nigel Pepper former York City midfielder Yes I commented on Nigel Pether And Nigel Horthorne, which is a great get. But let me give you some others that were out there. Good game. Well played, Japs. Well played. And Ian, Ian, on fire this season.

That's three out of three. So you could have had Nigel Worthington, Nigel Winterburn. Yeah. And Nigel Clough from the world of football. Nigel Havers. Nigel Ben, the boxer. Nigel Bond, the snook. player, Nigel Short, who was a British chess champion, I believe.

Nigel Lawson, the late Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel. Nigel Kennedy. Might even have slipped in a Nigella there as well. Yeah, I wouldn't have allowed that. Nigel Kennedy. Nigel Slay to the chef, Nigel Lithgow, who was a music producer, wasn't he? He was on pop stars or whatever that show was called back in the day. So there you go. Did you say Nigel Kennedy though? He did say Nigel. Yeah, I said Nigel. Yeah. He was just Nigel, of course, wasn't he? He just, a little bit like Ian Olivera. He became just Nigel.

Did he? Well, on the back of his shirt? He dropped Kennedy at one stage. Did he? He said he wanted to be known just as Nigel. Right, okay. There we go. Flash of the commentator's done.

I'm disappointed to have lost that. I'm very disappointed to have lost it. You started well. You started really well. Yeah, yeah. And then you just, you just, Nigel, Nigel the Grusia I enjoyed. I don't know how he came from mind.

You started very well, but just like the name of Nigel, you then died. Then he started dying out. 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.

Martin Allen probably played alongside a Martin at some point, didn't he? But yeah, in a modern midfield, I agree with you. In a modern midfield. Of course, Arsenal do have a very famous Martin in their former ranks, aren't they, Martin Kion? They do. So it's very much an arsenal, 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. I hope you're not going to get one from Nigel, Martin. Anyway, that was all good fun. We've also got, I think, an excellent feature coming up, which I think it will capture the imagination of our life. Right.

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 Cuckabra sleeps from Chris in Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia. We added Usher stroke, Shepard the ball out of play, which came from Rachel in Alexandria, Virginia in the United States.

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. When you say you think they've all been added, spoiler alert, I've looked to head down the script. Don't get carried away with yourself. 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 08,289-369. Suggestions and disputes always welcome like this one from Sam in York. Morning chaps. I just want to challenge the recent inclusion of Usher or Shepherds 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 a chef, 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. And this was only added last week by Rachel in America. And David has also emailed in, he says, surely usher, shepherd, the ball out of play, has used in both codes of Roop Beat 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 subjective disputes, Alex in Chicago has sent us a clip of a recent edition being used in American football. Joe McKnight, and McNight will lose the ball again. It goes right into Edelman's hands, and Edelman goes in for a touchdown, and the Jets have turned the ball over four times.

Whoa, boy. This is the Keystone Cops. I'm telling you, this is it. You're getting the chance to see it live tonight. Julianne on the fly catches that thing. So Alex says that Chris Collinsworth describing the New York Jets in a 2012 game against arch rivals in 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. 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 Cop's 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. Yeah, I think change the rules. I think we've got to...

Yeah. 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 Copps stays in

then surely Rachel's suggestion has going to stay in. I think it should stay in. Then you're going to upset Sam and David. Yeah. Well, I think this The life's full of disappointments. This all needs a root and branch review

I think, the whole thing. This is Amy, who's written into TCV at BBC.co.com. To put some flesh on the bones of a previous goalkeeping edition. Hi, team. Absolutely love listening to this podcast. 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.

I never thought it would be considered specifically as a sporting term, much love from Down Under, and a keen coppite, Amy. So gone walkabout. Yeah, that rings a bell. 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 how much I enjoy the podcast. As I'm a blind list, now 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 would 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. Well, thank you, Billy. I thought he'd be a Brighton fan, any Sussex, but no, Pallas.

Taking one for the team, I like that. Yeah, I'd let that in. Yes, I would let that one in. Yeah, and that's one that's almost probably gone from football and is now used 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. Yeah, I often take one for the team when I'm travelling with Mr. Murray. Well, you did 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.

Hi, guys, Callum here from Lavinum in Sunny, Suffolk. My term is it could be a cricket score. Now, this is a term used when a team goes 2, 3, 4-0 up early on in a game, and it looks like the score line's 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. No, for one, 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. I love the pod, way better than MNC. Cheers, guys. Thank you, Callum, from Beautiful Lavenham. my favourite places. I was very disappointed when Ipswich were relegated, Ali, because that reduced the opportunity to drop into lavenom 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 1.0,000, yeah. It was. yeah yeah and then you can say the run at 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 that 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 we don't expect football games to go 111 do we like Norway Moldova so I think I still would use that I think I don't mind turning into a cricket school? 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 score, and they said, Worcestershire 33-3-3-3, Graham Hick is ill. I had not heard that before. I wouldn't have that one in the cricket school. Well, Callum, Calum sent the voice note,

and he doesn't want it in, so. Yeah, exactly. But apparently, it is already in. So it's already been accepted. It's already in. So the summary for the great 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 live. And this will be new to you, unless you listened to me commentating with Paul Robinson on 5 live a couple of weeks ago. That's headed away by a hopping road on out to Sheff. Sheff. Why did you laugh at that? He has Miley now. He actually slices his cross and it drops over the cross.

They chuckle when you come out with some things. That's two pub names we've had today. We've had a hopping road on and a bearded bogle. Should we pop down with a hopping road on 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 term, a phrase that could be a pub name, then send it into us. Tell us where you heard it. TCV at BBC.co.org. 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 Ossula or Ossula. And, Ian, you were correct.

you in terms of how it's meant to be pronounced. It is Osula. William Osula. Well, it's the way he says it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's not to stop John from sticking with the... No, I'd like to do it as he says it, that one.

So I will... Are you thinking of a pub name with this? Yes, exactly. No, I wasn't. The mispronounced Osula? The locals would just call it the Osula, wouldn't they? We'll come up with them. Our listeners will come up with one.

So there we are. That's the challenge for you this. And that is it for this episode of the Football Daily. The next one will be drum roll Bruno Fernandez, 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. Oh, cramp. Oh, dear. Nigel cramp. He scored goals, lifted trophies and broken records along the way. There it is! It's a day to remember the Wayne Rooney!

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