Football Daily - The Commentators’ View: Media caviar & the Bayern buffet

Episode Date: March 7, 2025

Ian Dennis is back with John Murray & Ali Bruce-Ball to tell the stories behind the 5 Live commentaries. From John’s fancy food at PSG to seeing ‘episcopal purple’ in Notre-Dame. It’s Ian vs John in a Liverpool-themed Clash of the Commentators. And what will make it into the Great Glossary of Football Commentary?04:00 Ali gets glasses & football lookalikes 06:50 Using visual identifiers when players look similar 13:30 ‘Smash and grab’ for the Great Glossary? 18:40 Ian sees eight goals in Eindhoven 25:10 Caviar and runny cheese in Paris! 28:15 Back to the league in Clash of the Commentators 35:50 Great Glossary criteria are tightened up 40:20 Ali and John called into the Commentators’ Dock 52:30 ‘In and around’BBC Sounds / 5 Live Premier League commentaries this weekend: Sat 8 Mar 1500 Liverpool v Southampton, Sat 8 Mar 1730 Brentford v Aston Villa, Sun 9 Mar 1400 Chelsea v Leicester, Sun 9 Mar 1630 Man Utd v Arsenal.

BBC Sounds music radio podcast. The Commentators View with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis on the Football Daily. Hello, I'm Ian Dennis. Welcome to The Commentators View where we tell the stories around our five live commentaries that you don't normally get to hear. And before I welcome John Murray and Alistair Bruce Ball, just to say that I've been loitering with intent, I've been spending time in a saloon.

It wasn't a last chance saloon. And also you two, good morning to you by the way, I've heard what you've been saying whilst I've been away. Whilst the cat's away? Yes. Well the cat is back. The cat is back! Yes, and that's not good news because we're starting half an hour

earlier than we have done for the last couple. I've been doing the Chelsea Leicester notes since about quarter past seven this morning actually I thought let's get up let's get on with it let's let's you know let's get ready for the weekend. Oh I am just gonna... There was a doorbell. I'm gonna have to go and let him in hang on. Sorry. Straight at the start of the pod. I am just gonna lose a doorbell. I'm gonna go and let him hang off. Sorry straight the start of the pod Sorry about it was such a good start as well. Yeah. Yeah slick intro Well, I mean you could do a bit of commentary on what's just what's just happened there and all could just speculate on yeah Well, there was there was a nice ping of the doorbell John quickly promptly sprang to his feet He's gone to open the door. Could it be could it be the delivery of his new?

Equipment because that's one of the exciting things about this week's podcast. Although John, I don't think he's on the equipment yet, but you and I, amazingly actually, without a producer, without an engineer, without any technical help, have managed to set up a webcam so we're looking sort of smarter and shinier and more glossy. That is true. So the world tour is still on hold but at least things are progressing in the way that you know we've got a webcam which means that we there are no plans to ditches just yet. Yeah, no definitely a sign that we're we're going up in the world. How was your time off? It was very good. Thank you. I wouldn't say I was drying out, but I was definitely thawing out because my last assignment before I took a little break was Munich where the temperature was close to minus seven but on the app it

said it felt more like minus ten and Celtic almost took us to extra time they played ever so well against Bayern Munich and we were 60 seconds away from going into extra time sorry sorry about that and at the end of the night Because I we'd obviously had to do an extra half an hour after the game had finished My knees were hurting through the pain of the cold. I don't think I've ever experienced cold like it So yeah, so it's it's taking me all that that time to throw out. You're lucky that I'm here Because I've just heard the news this morning, having been to Paris on the Eurostar, have you heard the news this morning?

What, that it was Fashion Week and they wanted you down the, they wanted you to appear? Get him back. They wanted you to... It is Fashion Week in Paris, but also the news this morning that an unexploded World War II bomb has been found on the tracks between the tracks at the Gardenault and the whole place has been closed down. So unwittingly I was passing through that area yesterday so I'm lucky I'm here. But knowing your dedication to the cause you'd have found a studio in the BBC somewhere in Paris.

I might not have been in a position to find a studio. The Bureau. If I'd been prone to smithereens. I'm going to be wearing something at a football game this weekend doing a commentary for the first time ever in my life. Can you guess what that is? Is this part of Paris Fashion Week? Well you can be the judge in a second. What am I going to be wearing on Sunday that I've never worn before doing

a football commentary? Well if John was to appear in the Fashion Week in Paris he'd have to sport one of his gingham shirts. So I'm going to say you've got a gingham shirt. Oh look at you. It's glasses. But I'm really struggling to get used to them. I don't know about you chaps, but I've gone very focal because my problem is- That's a mistake. That's what I'm saying. I'm telling you now that's a mistake. Well, I tell you what, John, it's a very expensive mistake given what I've just

paid for these glasses. No, you're right. No, you've done the right thing because I tried to go very focal with contact lenses. It was disastrous. That was a disastrous mistake and I had to go very focal with contact lenses. It was disastrous. That was a disastrous mistake and I had to go very focal glasses. So what I'm struggling with and I've really noticed it this season more than any other is that thing of, particularly in the bigger football stadium, so say like Tottenham or the commentary position up at Liverpool, is going from close range looking at my notes on the desk

to looking up at the pitch and this season in particular as soon as I look up my eyes aren't making the adjustment quick enough and I'm blurry and so I've gone glasses so it's the debut. I've gone through exactly that and have you Ian as well or not? Yes I have yeah. Yeah I'm afraid that is something that comes to us all. When you put your glasses on you know and I know it's been said before but that makes you even more Hugh Grant ish

Don't you think yeah, you do this? There's a there's a look of Hugh Grant there When John used to wear his old-style glasses He was out of the character from Bridge of Spies the film with Tom Hanks Mark Rylance. Yeah. Oh, yeah now, the BFG. Without my specs, oh who's the guy that Michael Brown's mum thinks I look like the actor? John Pertwee? No. That's an open goal this one. Anyway, but with my specs I look more like Harry Hill. Also, can I just do another look-alike which I keep meaning to mention and now he's not on the scene anymore

You know, it probably needs to be done now. Does anyone else think that Philippe Clamont looks very very like Another footballer? No, a colleague of ours. Oh, I think Philippe Clamont looks like Dan Rowan Oh, yeah yeah I can see that. And another one for you. People must have said this every time I see Kieran McKenna I think he looks exactly like Phil Neville. I'll give you that. I think they're so similar. Exactly like him. Yeah I do. We've actually stumbled now across a new category where we could get people to email in, and I've forgotten the address. I've been away for two weeks, I've forgotten the address, but they could email in football lookalikes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tcv at bbc.co.ucasia email address. We also have a number for voice notes. So 08000 289 369 Alex has got in touch. He was listening to me commentating on Club Bruce against Aston Villa on Tuesday and he says I mentioned how two players were almost visually Indistinguishable and you were having to go by something like under shirts and boots because otherwise they looked very similar. In terms of these two fellas on the right for Club Bruce, Sabba the right back is 20, Talby is 19. I've just got my visual identifiers now. They've got exactly the same haircut.

They're both playing in white boots. Talby, long sleeve shirt, and he's got one of those skin long sleeve tops underneath it and socks up to the knees. Sabba the right back, socks rolled down. You've got a short-sleeve shirt. I was going for slightly whiter boots for Talby. Okay, bright white compared to sort of cream for the right-back sabba. Villa in bright white this evening looking like they belong at Wimbledon playing a bit of lawn tennis. 12 minutes left in the first half. But these two

were wearing number 64 and number 68, so both numbers started with a 6. They had identical haircuts, they were the identical build and they were doing that thing down the right wing where one would overlap and then one would go inside. And actually even though you get those identifiers where socks are rolled down, I was then confusing which one had the socks rolled down. You actually need to write that down, I think sometimes sometimes, to remind yourself. But luckily, at that stadium, you're quite close to the action, not a massive stadium there. But you must use that, you must use those sorts of things to help you identify players, particularly in European games, I find.

Well first of all, that's a very good warning, because I'm going to be commentating on them next week in the second leg. And I don't think they both played when I previously commentated on Bruges, but the one that comes to mind for me, which I always think back to, and I think we'll have all commentated on the pair of them in the Everton midfield, was Thomas Graveson and Lee Carsley, one of whom was 16 and the other was 26. And I always found that really difficult. They would just really mess with my mind those two. It reminded me of a time when I was covering

the England's Under 21s, we were in a place called Viola in Denmark. We were in a bar and it had loads of football shirts actually attached to the ceiling of inside this bar. And this guy walks in and I said to Danny Mills Who you know very similar to well myself these days, but also you know Lee cars in Thomas Graveson in the way that they Folically challenged and I said I said that guy over there looks like Thomas Graveson Turns out it was actually Thomas Graveson. It was his bar in Viola in Denmark Thomas comes over

We have a nice little nice little chat with him. That reminds me of when we were in Brazil at the World Cup and we were somewhere way, it wasn't Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro and Danny Mills was with us at that World Cup. And it might have been Porto Alegre and we went into a bar there, similar as you say Ian, that had lots of football memorabilia

and lots of football photos. And one of the football photos on the wall was Danny Mills. And I, and it really makes you think that that's the sort of global nature of football, isn't it? That you can be with Danny Mills in somewhere in remote South America. And there he is. He's got his picture on the wall of a bar.

But you know, going back to your point, Ali, during the warmup, when you're doing a team that you're not used to seeing anyway, do you not make a bullet point of what boots they're wearing, colour hair, distinguishable features such as a wristband? Yes, I do, I do. I think we all do that, and particularly in the bigger stadiums, and the binoculars

are crucial for that. They are a vital piece of the commentators kit, I think and Actually a game like that. So that was an early kickoff 545 UK time Yeah, you got the early kickoff again, didn't you got the early kickoff? Yeah, which is quite nice. It's done all season Nothing to do with me, but it meant that we didn't come on air till half five So there was plenty of time to get the teams down, get the binoculars up and start to make those notes. But if you're doing a game, say, you know, where you're doing an hours build up to the

game and you're quite heavily involved in that seven till eight before the game kicks off, there's less time to do that kind of thing. But no, it was fine on Tuesday. But those are crucial, whether it's hairstyles boot color tattoos And actually even the way players move you watch them run Don't you in a in a warm-up how they carry themselves? I was interested whilst you're doing that game Ali whether you're gonna go Bruges or Club Brugge, let's have a listen Well, we've had the club Bruges fans chanting away all around us chatting to our receptionist in the hotel today.

Locally, the club is known as Club Bruge. They can be called Club Brugge. That is because Club Bruge comes from this part of Belgium, Dutch-speaking part, the Flemish region. We know this city as Bruge. We are calling them Club Bruge. Their team in the blue and black stripes... Have you sent that to Hare Chapman?

I was just going to say that that is in contrast with the trail that was running on Five Live in which Hare Chapman went full Brugger. The Champions League on BBC Radio Five Live. Tonight at 5.45 Club Brugger versus Aston Villa. Yeah, yeah. I heard that the day we traveled out, the day before the game, and I immediately got in touch with the office and said... Mischievous work, do we think?

Possibly. And I said, I'm not calling them that throughout the commentary. I am gonna be calling them Club Brugge, which is why I made that point right at the top of the commentary. And actually I'd also got in touch with Kelly, Kelly Cates, who was presenting the program.

And I said, that is what I am doing. And right at the top of the show, she went'd also got in touch with Kelly, Kelly Cates who was presenting the program and I said that is what I am doing and right at the top of the show she went in with a club bruise and I thought excellent we're sorted. Have you noticed that Hare Chapman also throws in a Milan? Yeah yeah Steve Crossman likes a Milan. Yeah I would imagine that you two would both be Milan. Yeah I think if I was over there talking to Italians about AC Milan you probably would end up calling them Milan but I think for a football commentary that's going to be heard in on these shores I would call them AC Milan. Yeah that's like saying that when you're in Denmark and you're having a conversation with a Dane you'd call them Brombo instead of Bromby. Yeah and you'd say, KUBE and say Cuban horn. Well yeah I don't think I'd do either of those but it's because I

have I have lived in Italy for a little bit and I dabble in the in the language a little bit so I like I like you know I like to give it a try. Pala Italiano. Un po, un po. Talking of European action John you had a cracking game in Paris and Chris in Sydney says could the term smash and grab be included in your glossary? It's been widely used to describe the Liverpool win over PSG but I don't think I've heard it in other sports. You did use the slash and grab John. I used it unashamedly.

Three and a half minutes to go. Nunes. Darwin Nunes gets it down! Into the D! Tisop Elliott! Left foot shot! It's in! Donnarubber got a hand to it! What a smash and grab this is! In the Parc de Prance for Liverpool!

If ever there was a smash and grab. Exactly. That was it. And even though it's a bit of a hackneyed phrase and In the immediate aftermath. I was almost berating myself. I've gone and used smash and grab But it was a it was I cannot think of a better example of a smash and grab Yeah, I would quite like our listeners to email us with other games that would come under the, you know, famous games that were smash and grab.

Someone actually messaged me after the game and said it was the smashiest of smash and grabs. I actually used Sucker Punch in sort of similar circumstances the other day when West Ham beat Arsenal, Premier League, a couple of weeks ago. I was commentating on that. Juan Bisac is a really willing runner down that right-hand side. Socks rolled down. when West Ham beat Arsenal, Premier League half time at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal nil, West Ham won, the classic sucker punch. Arsenal had had the ball all the first half, West Ham scored right at the end of the first half,

and it was just the classic example of the sucker punch, I thought, which is sort of along the same lines. Well, when I was on radio for the morning after the match Mike Williams who was who I was on with there said what is the French for smash and grab? Which obviously I didn't know but then our colleague Jonathan ledger had got in touch with me and he said it's a class a a copy Very good smash and grab very good unfortunately that was too late for me to actually say that on air to catch and catch that you were saying last week that if the term applies elsewhere that it won't feature in the glossary. So they're smash and grab, you could have a you know a thief going into a to a shop for a smash and grab.

You could I thought we were talking about if it could be used across the board in sports and I actually think smash and grab is quite football. You don't really hear that in cricket or rugby or tennis or so I'd be happy with smash and grab. I football. You don't really hear that in cricket or rugby or tennis. So I'd be happy with smash and grab. I know what you're saying. I thought we were talking more about other sports. Like last chance saloon, I think features in other sports, which is why we were getting tough on that one. Tony Livesey actually used last chance saloon. In fact, the day with me last time, Conor McNamara used it within two minutes of starting rail Sociedad against Manchester United. That was an early entry into the last chance Saloon wasn't it? Yeah well you've got one more option John after that I think you've got well maybe not one but the very last chance

you've got with last chance Saloon I think is last orders at the last chance Saloon. Last orders in the last chance yeah exactly. So with that in mind, Ali, did Brandished make it into the glossary? I think Brandished is an absolute definite definite for being included in that, don't you? Yeah, I think so because- In that case, they're smashing, grashing, going. Yeah, yeah. And on the subject of Peter's appearance,

so yesterday I didn't come back from France until later in the day, so that meant that during that day, I was able to go and have a look at Notre Dame. So went inside Notre Dame with Phil Zentner, our engineer, which we were both very, very keen to do. And it was a beautiful day as well. But we were very lucky, well,

Liverpool fans very fortunate as well, that weather was absolutely superb in Paris this week and I noted as well that Sam Fender had played on the Tuesday night and I was thinking I bet some Liverpool fans will have gone there seen Sam Fender play on the Tuesday night had a sparkling day in the Paris sunshine then watched Liverpool win that match on the Wednesday night. I'm sure some people will have done that. Anyway, going back to the matter in hand and the point. So we went into Notre Dame around about midday and it turned out it was it must be the midday mass that they have there

and there was a large collection of clergy people who were by the altar and they were all in robes of Episcopal purple. So I immediately told Peter. You also took a photo. I did. I sent it to Peter. We've not even discussed your midweek adventures Ian. I mean eight goals. I didn't see that coming given that given the

fact that I also been struggling for goals recently well some some people did see it coming because mr ian denis got in touch with me that day and you were asking me weren't you where the best place was to look for record scores for clubs in the champions league yeah but I do that for every team that I'm doing so there used to be one in the UEFA press pack that would get the scores for both teams. It would say record win, record defeat. And it's since been taken away from the UEFA press pack. And there was one website that I use,

but I asked John if there was a quicker way of doing it. Anyway, John said, oh, you could just check Wikipedia or whatever else so I'd got Arsenal's because Arsenal had seen Arsenal score five against Sporting Lisbon earlier in the in the season which actually equaled their joint biggest away win so I was mindful of what the records were for Arsenal but also then my son texted me at the end and said is that the most goals you've ever commentated on in a game? And I thought, oh, it got me thinking.

And then I remembered I'd actually done a couple of years ago, Liverpool beating Bournemouth, nine nil at Anfield, which I think is the most. But I mean, have you ever done more than nine, the two of you? Well, the one that immediately comes to mind for me is the five-five draw between Liverpool and Arsenal in the League Cup at Anfield, which also then went to a penalty shootout.

Do you ever have games? Because the one I had, I had to look this up to check that I was actually there. You know, sometimes you think you were at a game, but because you've either heard the game or watched the game, you've sort of transplanted yourself into the commentator seat when you weren't actually commentating. So I went and used that commentator's database on the internet, which actually one of our, I think one of our correspondents this week has been using that and sort of directed me towards it, but it did prove me right. I was at League Cup tie 2012, Reading Five, Arsenal that was that that was extra time Theo Walcott got a hat-trick I have to say I don't I don't remember it that that well

I do remember Walcott scoring a hat-trick but the very fact I had to check that I was there it's amazing you do a 12-goal game it's sort of drifted away into the into the ether. What you say forgetting, do you remember when, an incredible match, when Aston Villa beat Liverpool during COVID-72 at Villa Park? I mean, that was an amazing game. Liverpool, of course, were still relatively new defending champions in the early months of that season.

And I remember saying on air during the course of that, when it's all unfolding, I remember saying, I'm not sure I've ever commentated on a 7-2 before. I think this is the first time I've ever commentated on a 7-2 and a listener got in touch and said yeah you did 7-2 last season. It was when Bayern Munich beat Tottenham in the Champions League. But that day you were at Villa Park. I was at Old Trafford, Man United Spurs and Spurs I think put six past United that day and I was listening to you on the way home took a phone call And then the next time I obviously finished a phone call the commentary came back on It was it was so like 7-2. It was remarkable remarkable day

I think the Premier League record is still 7-4 isn't that right? I think Portsmouth were involved in a For most goals in a single game was that Portsmouth Reading? I think it was in yeah I think it was I'll tell you what that game at PSV did do It boosted my my goal count for the golden mite competition for 2025 because John's goals average has regressed 77 from 22 was 3.94 per game now 3.5 but mine has gone up largely thanks to the Gunners. 49 from 17 was 2.5 per game now 2.88 and Ali your goal average just keeps dropping and dropping and dropping. Penalty shootouts do not count. 30 from 13, 2.3 per

game. Yeah, I'm at Chelsea Leicester on Sunday, so if Chelsea could fill their boots there, or Leicester fill their boots. Or alternatively Leicester, yeah. Or high scoring draw, 6-all maybe, might get me back in it. Yeah, I was actually going to run through the five live commentaries this weekend. We've got the clash of the commentators on its way. The great glossary coming up as well.

I'm at Anfield for Liverpool-Salhampton with Chris Sun. Are you expecting John Liverpool to rotate for that one? That's a good question. Probably yes would be the answer, wouldn't it? I think you'd have to say that bearing in mind what they went through. Wednesday night, I thought it was totally different for Liverpool this season. I'm not sure they've been involved in an experience like that before.

And you would think that there would be an effect physically on them. So he'll probably feel that he's got to make changes for that, particularly with the match being on Tuesday night. And it's prob it's probably one of those games, if it goes perfectly for the me, and from Liverpool's point of view, where you change maybe two or three, start a lot of the key men, get yourselves ahead, and then take some of those key men off.

I know it doesn't always work like that to be ready for the second leg, but I know they're 13 points clear in the Premier League, aren't they? They could change the whole team but they there's it's dangerous isn't it to let up even against Southampton at home which they'll be expected to win heavily I can't see them taking them lightly or eight changes I don't see that. But I know a number of Liverpool fans and this

season it is all about the Premier League trophy. They would go Premier League over Champions League but Arna slot obviously will want to try and win as well as the League Cup. They'll be looking at the Champions League too, but I would think that yeah, I could see changes being made. Not wholesale changes. Yeah, but the squad's big enough and good enough to do that and cope with Premier League games, almost any Premier League game. So after Liverpool, Southampton, I'm with Chris Sutton. The 5.30 commentary on Saturday is Brentford Aston Villa, Conor McNamara and Matt Upson. As Ali says he's at Chelsea Leicester the Sunday two o'clock game, that's with Mark Schwartzer. Spurs Bournemouth, the BBC website

for that one at two o'clock. And United Arsenal John you're joined by Leon Osman. Yes Leon Leon's gonna be alongside me for that one you mentioned Matt Upson who's gonna be with Connor at the at the Brentford match I couldn't help but send when we were in the Parc de France the other night there was the big tray of salami that they put out there say a big tray a big tray with small slices of salami. I took a picture of that and sent it to Matt after his unfortunate salami incident, the last time we were there in January. And the response was?

For those who weren't, for those who didn't hear, Matt put this salami, they give you tiny pieces of bread and tiny pieces of salami and Matt sort of rolled up the salami, they give you tiny pieces of bread and tiny pieces of salami. And Matt sort of rolled up the salami and put it on his bread, took a step to his right and the salami flopped off the bread and landed on the floor. And the other thing as well, I mentioned this on the air the other night, again, for those who haven't heard,

that it's very Parisian. They lay out these trays of tiny little bites really, they're finger food, aren't they? And they're high class. And I got one of these little sandwiches that is no bigger than the size of a 50 pence piece. And I bit into it and found that it was smoked salmon with caviar. I think that is the first recorded experience of being served

caviar in a football ground that I have had in my career. I heard you say that in the commentary. By the way, well done on spurs, on saying spurs or Tottenham Hotspur, not Tottenham anymore. You know that? Or no, you've been away, maybe you don't know that. Go on. The club have expressly asked that commentators and people in the media call them spurs or Tottenham Hotspur, but no longer call them Tottenham. No Can't be having that can you I'm afraid that that's one that will be consigned to history

and we also by the way going back to Park de France, they do put on a sensational cheese board there. And I decided, and there was a lovely sort of brie there, and it was very, very hot in the press room because it had been such a warm day outside and they obviously still had the heating up. So therefore, this soft French cheese had become really runny. And when we had to get up to the commentary position because we had to do various bits and pieces pre-match so I thought I'm gonna take a slice of that

so I cut off a little quarter of this cheese and wrapped it up and took it up with me and put it on the desk in front of me and I didn't have time to eat it immediately so therefore and it felt so fitting that I was sitting in the Parc des Princes, watching Paris Saint-Germain, and the whole place is red, white and blue. And for at least half of the evening, I had the smell of French cheese in my nostrils. Well, I can tell you, I had the smell of something else in Holland. As I arrived in Eindhoven, it was carnival week, and you talk about the red and blue of Paris I saw every vibrant

color possible as I arrived in the in the Netherlands rather late on on Monday evening but now it's time for Clash of the Commentators and we're back to the league after a couple of exhibition matches and Ali it's over to you. Yes welcome back Ian to Clash of the Commentators a couple of great exhibition matches I think John think john against peter uh... last week in those teams that have one thirteen titles or more in europe's top thirteen lakes was an absolute humdinger

that this i i had a message by the way you won't be surprised to hear from her chapman uh... which just said you must have been disappointed to lose to peter so her chairman has been converted been converted to a loyal listener well it's not loyal though is it? I think that maybe slightly overstates it it's looking for little bits he can pick up on and then attack us with whenever we're next on air that is why he's listening right here we go Clash of the

Commentators this week and this one counts so scores on the doors at the moment I I'm on 5 from 7, not playing this week, so a chance to make ground on the leader. John is 3 from 6, Ian is 2 from 7, as you chaps know, but for any new listeners, I'm going to give you a category and you've just got to give as many correct answers as you can within a 30 second time limit. Who is up first today? Who wants to go first with this one? I think

this will be good. I think you will both go well on this one and that's genuine, I mean that. Do you want to go first John? I mean normally you don't give me the choice. Well hell, normally you don't give us the choice of what time we're going to start recording this podcast. Okay, come on John, you go first. So Ian, you unplug. Take the cans off, thank you very much. Okay, he's good, he's good, he's good. Right, so Ian's already mentioned it in the

pod this week, John. He's going to Liverpool for our Saturday 3 o'clock commentary. Liverpool having won 1-0 in front of your eyes at the Parc des Princes in midweek. Goalkeeper Alisson saying he had the performance of his life. All you simply have to do today is name as many Liverpool goalkeepers as you can, and you're not going to enjoy this, John, to have for goalkeepers only there are 23 possible answers and your time starts now Allison Kelleher, Jarosz, Dutek, Goulacsi I think played for them in the Premier League. Pepe Reina. David James. Oh crikey. Okay, time's up. You came out with seven names there i think six of them correct

i can't see galachi yeah he didn't play very much he didn't play very much because he didn't play in the premier league so the ones you get i mean the three this see you know the the squad case of allison keller her yarosh you did straight away david james correct dudek correct five and there was another one, Pepe Reina to get you to six

okay okay he'll be let's bring that he'll be yeah I I I predicted seven or eight was gonna be around about what you're gonna get and once you read the list at the end of the game John there'll be some you'll just go how did I forget but that's that's always the way of the game Mignolet is one that immediately comes to mind. Shhhhhh I saw him, I saw him on Tuesday night in Belgium. Yes please Ian, please rejoin the game. That felt like an awfully long time. Well, it felt like a long time for me as well. Bit of post-match discussion just checking the

odds. There's nothing controversial though, nothing controversial. I'm going to boldly predict that you will win this. Oh no I don't like that, that's mind games, that's Mourinho-esque mind games. Here we go then Ian You're off to Liverpool for our Saturday three o'clock commentary Liverpool having won one nil at the park They're prancing midweek and their keeper Allison said he had the performance of his life that takes us to the clash of the commentators Category this week. You've just got to name as many Liverpool keepers as you can We've played in the Premier League So it's Premier League era only and they have to have played in the Premier League, not the other

competitions. Premier League appearances for these keepers. 23 possible answers. John Murray is making you the favourites. Your time starts now. Well, Alison, Kelleher, and Brad Friedle, Bruce Grobbelaar, 92, 92. Who's Alison's keeper before? Come on, think, think. Sander Westervelt, Pepe Reina, Jersey Dudek, Roosevelt's Pepe Reina Jersey Dudek Grobbelaar oh it's a repeat of Grobbelaar but you've snuck it with Dudek you've got seven correct answers you know I didn't say Grobbelaar because I thought he was pre-92 no and he didn't say Brad Friedle either John. No did you? No, no, no, no, but you got Yarosh who Ian didn't get so Ian's seven I've got and I was doing that in my head as we went neither of you said Minulay. Did you know no no no

Allison Minulet is it is it is it what that's what the Belgian colleague told me all right John had a and colleague told me. Oh right. John had a Pettigulacci who unfortunately didn't play in the Premier League. So Ian you are our winner of Clash of the Commentators this week. Well that is an excellent return. I think you'll find. Other names on there. Adrian. Oh yes. Karius, Bogdan, Danny Ward, Brad Jones, Doni, Daniele Padelli, who made one appearance for Liverpool in the Premier League on the final day of the 2006-07 season in a two-all draw

against Charlton when Harry Kuehl scored a late equaliser. Is that ringing any bells? It's bad news not to get him. Yeah, exactly. Scott Carson, Chris Kirkland, Paul Jones, Patricerice Lutzi Peggy Arfexad possibly the only Peggy to Peggy have played in the Premier League and Mike Hooper with the other the other correct answers but that is a win for Deno so Deno is on three John is on three I'm on five. The Football Daily podcast.

On BBC Sound. In focus. On the Football Daily every Saturday. Catch the biggest names from the Premier League and beyond as they share all with nothing off limits. We are here to speak to awesome Riccardo Calafiore. Ruben Amorim, welcome to the Football Daily. When I had this invitation, I felt that I had to do this.

Rodri, that was incredible. Thank you for having me here. In Focus, only on the Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. The Commentator's View with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis. It says here, Goulash never made a senior appearance for Liverpool, never played in any competition. I think that's right. Yeah, yeah.

I think he appeared, I think he was on the bench a lot. I think about 30 or 40 times on the bench but never played. Anyway, well done. Anyway, the victory's been called, doesn't matter now. It's in the books, it's in the books. There's no VAR on TCV, but there is wasn't necessary. There is GGF because it's time for the great glossary of football commentary. We agreed last week on some criteria for entry or you did GGFC then.

I realized that we agreed last week on some criteria for entry after Cameron had told us it was getting as inconsistent as the handball rule. So corridor or uncertainty does not get in as it's more cricket than football. Ali, I think you referred to that in your game didn't you? Yeah I did. At Wembley with Izzy Christiansen doing England against Spain we got into a discussion about corridor or uncertainty, its origins, how it's used and etc. But it works for football but I just don't think it's specific to football. Alexandra has also banned or barred

Last Chance Saloon and Part and Parcel because they are too common in other walks of life. You see other walks of life I was I was paying attention to Alexandra's point. Yeah anyway terms and phrases have to be primarily football related. For example, Peter Drury suggestion from last week, the postage stamp did make it as in a sporting context. It is primarily used in football to describe the top corner. We also had straight off the training ground from Denise in Whitstable. So all good. Let's get the ball rolling then.

Simple one to start Ben in London. I love it when a strike is described as having stung the palms of the goalkeeper. It captures the ferocity of the shot and the bravery of the keeper to get behind it to make the save. Keep up the great work and can't wait for the day that we get Hair Chapman on the show. I'll be honest with you Ben, I don't think we can afford him. He's too busy doing other podcasts. I've been trying to get him on the fantasy pod for six years and he still won't come on so... But Ben deserves full marks for adopting the Hair Chapman moniker.

Yes, yes. serves full marks for adopting the hair Chapman moniker. Yes. Yes. And Ben, I'll tell you, it's hard enough just getting him on the phone, let alone getting him on a podcast. It's not easy getting him into the studio in Salford. Anyway. Getting him out of that dark room in his house.

I can feel his palms are being stung here. Yes. Stung the palms, stinging the palms, easy one. Would a bowler sting the palms of a wicket keeper? Would a drop catch be stung the palms? John, I use stung the palms, I like stung the palms and I think it is football. Yeah, I think stung the palms and I think purely referring to Hare Chapman as Hare Chapman I approve of Ben's choice.

Yes it's Hare Chapman and Lady Kelly. Similar theme Wolves fan Chris, the other week during the Arsenal West Ham game Declan Rice, I think it was him, took a shot at goal that was described as being straight down the throat of Arreola. I haven't heard this phrase in a sporting context before, it would be great to hear you discuss whether the phrase should be included or not. Keep up the good work. That for me is a cricketing term, taking a catch that was straight down their throat.

But I do use it for football as well. I do as well. But I agree, it would be used. You could see somebody running in from long on. Well no, it wouldn't be done so he'd be if it was straight down his throat he would not have had to move okay picks him out always remember playing a cricket game as a kid

where precisely that happened and the opposition batsman hit one straight our captain fielding at at mid on so high steeping one and he was right underneath it, didn't have to move and then for something inexplicable reason just as the ball was about to reach his hands he pulled his hands apart and it smashed him straight in the nose and it was like Mike Gatting against Malcolm Marshall in the 80s. Oh it was an absolute mess and I've no idea why so I mean it very nearly literally went straight down his throat it was um yeah it wasn't pleasant. I did think you were

going to say for a moment there he opened his mouth and it went through his throat. Don't forget by the way you can send us voice notes as well so we love to hear from you in the written form but we love to hear from you hear from you 08000 289 369 a couple of those I think this week John? Yes we'll have a listen to one or two of them and see who has as they say landed in our inbox. Hi it's Roberto from Hartford just kind of asking this week for a term to be put in the football glossary. And really it was actually listening to the legendary Alistair Bruce Ball commentating on 5Live in the FA Cup, fifth round, Bournemouth against Wolves.

And it was when Jorgen Strand-Larsen had a kind of ball bouncing around and Ali used the term Scromash. Kepper gets slightly underneath the clearance here. Ball is spinning high in the air. Two Bournemouth players go for it. It comes off Tyler Adams back. Another clearance high in the air, headed forward by Totti. Way up it goes again from Lewis Cook, even higher this time. Strand Larsson lets it bounce once.

Right old scrimmage that. And eventually João Gomez takes control of matters. Passes in. And I thought, in what other context would a scrumash be mentioned firstly I didn't even know the word existed so well done Ali for finding that one but secondly surely this would only be used in a football context but feel free to let me know either way but just interested to get your thoughts on that one for the glossary. So there we are, Roberto with, I think it is Strumash and I would first and foremost

associate that with rugby union. Yeah, I would agree. Yeah, I have misspoken there. I think I probably meant to say Strumash and said Scrumash and maybe actually got confused with my rugby union and imagined a scrum half in amongst a pile of bodies trying to get a ball out and spin it down the line. As we have discussed before this pod, I think I probably learned that, got that word, maybe Bill McLaren, but Roddy Forsyth, you know, our colleague and friend for many, many years, loved a Scrumash. It's a great word to describe, I mean, as you heard from that bit of commentary there,

it was a great word to describe, I mean as you heard from that bit of commentary there, it was a complete mess, the ball didn't move five yards up, down and it was in between legs and all over the place, it just sums that up I think, I think perfectly well but having said Stramash rather than Stramash, I think Roberto might have to take legendary away unfortunately so. But I'm absolutely certain that someone will put a straight on that in terms of the derivation of that to TCV at BBC co.uk Definition I see is an uproar state of noise and confusion a row

But it's you know where we're using a slightly more loosely than that in the sporting context Next up on the voice notes than that in the sporting context. Next up on the voice notes, Cameron has got in touch and I see here John, it says you've been called into the commentators dock by Cameron who lives in the Czech Republic. I had to call in because I could barely sleep last night having heard John's pronunciation of Victoria Plutzen. Victoria Plutzen. Oh please. Plutzen. Victoria Plutzen. John really has to do better there. The correct

pronunciation is Pilsen, Pilsen in German. It is Pilsen. Put er on the end and you get Pilsner. I think you know where I'm going there. Pilsner Lager. First brewed in the town around about 1842. So John, next time you're thinking of it, just imagine this woman called Victoria pulling behind her a Zen monk who's holding a glass of Pilsner lager. So pull Zen. Pull Zen. Thanks, great show. I'm absolutely banged to rights there, aren't I? Well, thank you Cameron for putting me straight on that. I've never been there and that's one that has, and they're relatively recently new on the scene aren't they and

Whenever their name comes up I mean it always helps if you've been there because you're able to actually find that but Cameron's done the job for us So Paul Zenya have we ever done commentary on them as a station? I'm not sure because like you say John I always see them on the video printer and always mention them like that But I don't think we've done that. I don't know about you, with the Conference League this season now it's getting to the sharp end and Chelsea obviously in a position where they are very much the favourites to win that, there are some very very intriguing prospects of potential commentary matches

further down the line which include Bodo Glimped which is right up there on my list of places I would love to go and commentate but also and this is another one if anyone's listening in where where this team comes from then I will be very happy to hear how you pronounce their name but it is the team that looks like Jaggi Alonia Bialystock. They're Polish aren't they? They are. Someone sent me an amusing little message last night. You know the way that Bodo Glimt is written? With a slash? With the forward slash. Which is, which must be, this must be going to say, is there another team in world football with a slash in their name? Well that's a question. No, the message I was sent, they'd screen grab the fixture

from the BBC Sport website. So it says UEFA Europa League, Bodo forward slash, glimped against Olympiakos. And my friend said Olympiakos are still waiting to see who they're going to play at eight o'clock. You know, like in those FA Cup draws when you get the forward slash, that really tickled me. I thought that was funny. Also, with the draw the way that it is now this season and you have the prospect of, you know, playing four or five different teams, you could have bordo slash, game slash, slash, slash, slash, slash. Yes, exactly. I'm worried about this introduction of the commentators, Doc.

The voice app feature is for you to send your suggestions in for the glossary. It's not necessary to pull us up on our mistakes because otherwise I fear that we could be in the doc every week. Yeah, that's a fair point, Ian. By the way, Mark has sent us an email in. Greetings from Munich.

Your recent talk with Jackie Oatley got me talking about whether I have enough time to make a visit to the men's during the halft time interval at the Allianz Arena. I will certainly have to watch my liquid intake. By the way, I met John Murray there in Munich, hanging around the buffet when Liverpool played there and won under Klopp the last time Bayern lost at home in the Champions League. I think we even did an interview for the same German broadcaster about the game. He's also saying, by the way, one phrase I think only used in football commentary is Derby bragging rights. I don't think I've heard it in any other context.

What do you think? Apologies if already mentioned on a previous pod. I listened to most of them while pushing my two year old in a pram around a Bavarian village in various stages of sanity and awareness. Keep up the great work. Best wishes from the Byham Buffet. By the way, that's not a buffet. That's just a wrap. I was at the Allens Arena recently. The most disappointing is just a wrap. It's not a buffet. You've no choice. You're given a wrap. You're given a... Well, you get a selection to pick up a wrap.

You can have a meat wrap or a veg wrap and some fun-sized Mars bars. A Bayern Munich? A fun-size is what you get at Chelsea. That's a buffet. A Bayern Munich? They'll get a buffet at Bayern. Well that's changed dramatically then because Bayern Munich, the last time I went there, that was a proper buffet.

Although this, can I just say, I am not knocking the Bayern buffet, well I am, but they also have a Bayern bar in the press room after the game. Yeah. Which, that should be implemented at every press room across the country. Club Bruges do that, so there was three bottles, I mean they obviously love their beer in Belgium, it wasn't the strongest stuff, but three bottles of beer after the game and we were sitting there feeling rather guilty because you were thinking well this is lovely and it's free and you know I'm enjoying this and Pat Neving doesn't drink beer and they didn't have wine so we had to move on to go and find somewhere that could get Pat a glass of red.

So all for the team, all for the team. Yes, so bragging rights is that in or out? Oh yeah. Oh bragging rights, is that in or out? Yeah. Oh, bragging rights. Definitely. I thought we didn't, I actually, and admittedly Mark does say, doesn't he, if we've already mentioned it, I thought we had mentioned that Darby bragging rights. Yeah. Do you know what, John, I think we might have discussed it on the old WhatsApp

group and not brought it to the pod, but I think we both, we all wholeheartedly agreed bragging rights definitely. Definitely. Yeah, yeah. Yes. At the minute I've just scrolled down, the only bees we have, brace, brandished, and breaking the deadlock. All right, okay, there we are then. And I hope I didn't get in the way of Mark at the buffet in Munich in the same way that

a woman in a very big purple coat got in my way in the... Episcopal? It was not quite a piscopal. Next one, Bovin Enfield, long-suffering Tottenham Hotspur fan. May I nominate a phrase for your glossary which I heard Izzy Christensen say alongside Conor McNamara after the opening goal at the Etihad at the weekend. This incredible FA Cup journey for Plymouth Argyle has just hit a new high note. It's Manchester City nil. Plymouth Argyle won. Well, well, well. We've got a cup tie on our hands. So Bob says we've got a cup tie on our hands or with added emphasis now we've got a real cup tie on our hands It's typically coined when the lower ranked team scores either to go ahead equalize or less often reduce the deficit

I like it because it can only be used in knockout games. I hope you'll wave this phrase into the glossary Thanks again for your information and entertaining musings And that Bob's gone specific there, cup tie on our hands, because quite often you'll say, we've got a game on our hands, and that can be another sport, can't it as well? But cup tie on our hands. Well done, Izzy, by the way. Well done, Izzy. Very good. And I would definitely wave that in, and particularly the double of, and now we've really got a cup tie on our hands. But I think I might even have said that at Newcastle Brighton last weekend, which was a real cup tie.

Yeah, it was. We've got a voice note as well from Spud from Cambridge. Hello chaps. Brilliant to hear from Peter Drury last week, one of the true greats of the commentary game. I thought I'd get in touch with two phrases that refer to other sports but are actually only used in football commentary. Firstly when Ali's beloved Ipswich inevitably concede their fourth goal in the opening 10 minutes against a rampant Liverpool, the commentator might be heard to say that this could turn into a cricket score today. Which is a strange phrase because a full cricket score is given in the form 81 for 2 for example. But the idea of course is that in cricket the runs can go

into the hundreds as might Ipswich's goals against column. And also when a game becomes increasingly stretched and end to end it is sometimes described as turning into a basketball match. Again I don't think this phrase is ever used in any other context. Anyway, keep up the great work guys. All the best from Spud. Those are two great points. So Spud is a regular contributor to the Fantasy 606 podcast. He produces for us some genius content, writes songs, he's done vox pops in Paris for us around the location of the Stade de France, whether it's in Paris or whether it's in Saint-Denis, he put together a minute and a half, so he's brilliant to hear, and those are two really good

points and I think both go straight into the glossary, I think they're bang on. I agree and incidentally that an exploded bomb in Paris was in between the tracks at Saint-Denis, so it wasn't in Paris, the tracks at Saint-Denis. So it wasn't in Paris. It was in Saint-Denis. But I know that's a great point. And also it made me wonder, hearing what Spud said there, during a basketball commentary, do the American basketball commentators ever say,

well, I say this has turned into a real football match now. Are they from Wales? Yes, they are from Abergavenny. And on the on the mention of Peter Drury from Spud, I do think we need to move on to this because Peter sent me a very nice message saying how much he enjoyed being a part of it last week. But during that, he said he was keen for us to discuss this. And Peter said, commentators and especially pundits are prone to say, particularly about a struggling team, they have to beat the teams in and around them. Peter says, to my mind, there may be

teams around, for instance, Ipswich, but there are absolutely no teams in them, which of course is true. And inappropriate uses of in and around are, well, in and around us. Wes Broms' Isaac Price was quoted this week as saying, it's a good time at the moment because we're in and around the playoffs. Tom Cleverley after Watford's goal, the Straughts Stokes said, it's something I haven't said too often this season, but we lacked a cutting edge in and around their box because we couldn't break them down. And also recent article on the Bolton Wanderers website, Bolton Wanderers would like to remind all traveling supporters of fan behavior in and around match day. So are we having in and around? Well I totally agree with

Peter is that it is used ad infinitum now isn't it? It's just a catch-all in and around and sometimes the in sort of means in the vicinity of but that's the same thing as saying around. I mean in and around the penalty area that is okay because you can be in the penalty area or you could be just outside the penalty area. However, you can't be in and around the edge of the penalty area. No, you can't.

Because you can't be in the edge. I think this came from Andy Townsend. I think Andy Townsend, as a summarizer, was someone who, if it didn't derive from him, then he certainly has caused it to spread to a wider audience. And it's like you're pluralizing, isn't it, which is the classic, where you go your Harlins, your De Bruyne's, your Silvers, your Edisons, which again is just, that's football speak, isn't it? It's just become sort of common parlance that and you know what people mean

when they do that. Yes, we had it. But unless you're talking about. football speakers and it's just become your hair Chapmans. Quite excitingly next Friday is also the day of Thomas Tuchel's first England squad announcement. Oh your Tuchel's. Your Tuchel's. So I might um. Hair Tuchel. Hair Tuchel. I might end up being being called away during the course of that recorder. Anyway let's move on because we're coming to the end. Stephen has written in can you ask the EuroLeague's podcast what the European equivalent of the draft excluder is, probably some sort of sausage for Germany. We will do that and we'll see what we come up with next week on the EuroLeague's pod on the Football Daily. The next episode of the Football Daily will be, and it's a good one actually for Coventry

City supporters, in focus with Frank Lampard and Dion Dublin. And if you missed any episodes of the Commentator's View view you can find them all on the football daily feed. I have got somebody working in the house at the moment who is likely to turn up during this so at some point I'm gonna have to go and say hello to him. Is that your butler? That's what Ali said. And what did you say to Ali? John misspoke he said working on the house he meant to say working in the house. That's

what the butler does, doesn't he? Yeah, that's true. In and around the house, as Peter Drury might say. Actually, in and around the house actually is okay for a butler. Actually, that's true. Because you can't be working in and around the house. What does it take to go racing in the fastest cars in the world? Oscar Piastri. Your head's trying to get rid of one way, your body's trying to go another. Lance Stroll. It's very extreme in the sense

on how close you're racing wheel to wheel. We've been given unprecedented access to two of the most famous names in Formula One, McLaren and Aston Martin. I'm Landon Harris, racing driver for McLaren Formula One team. They opened the doors to their factories as the 2024 season reached its peak.

They work to build a beautiful bit of machinery that I get to then go and have fun in. I'm Josh Harden. This is F1, back at base. Listen on BBC Sounds.