Commentator Question

Gary Birtles and Gary Taphouse were the commentators on the WBA/City match this week. One of 'em is a right tater. Very dour and starts off with "Dearie Me" everytime there is a bad pass or a shot off target. Bit of a northern accent - which Gary is it? He sounds a right miserable sod. The other one sounds better and gets quite excited after a goal but he's always waffling on about City's expensive signings (compared to the paltry $6m for Shane Long).

Birtles sounds like the first one with the northern accent. He played for Forest in the 70's when they won the European Cup then had a spell with the rags in the early 80's. The taphouse guy is a southerner.

Wensdi Birtles is definitely the deary me and his "i would ban them simple as that" He is annoyingly shocking. The thing that really gets me about him is the fact he criticises players for not scoring ala yaya and that header, or balotelli when he went through the 3 of them only to be thwarted by fosters outstretched leg yet he forgets in the early eighties he was a 1.25 million flop for the red scum scoring 1 goal i believe in some 40 odd appearances before they sold him back to forest for a fraction of the fee paid.

There will always be an anti City slant now that we've "arrived" upset the applecart etc. and muscled in on the SKY 4 cartel, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't some-kind of subconscious loathing of City be all and sundry, because we've "bought the title" "ruined football" etc...
I listened to the game at WBA and even when we were ontop with 10 men, the commentators only begrudgingly gave credit for it, as if, because we won the title last season, 10 men some how makes it fairer for all!
I've got rid of Sky now, and ditched the sport channels, so it's old fashioned radio in one ear while I do something else, then MoTD or wait for the highlights on the City site

beware. being here in perth the coverage we get is genuinely good. I can put up with all the negatives as to me it is fantastic being able to watch every match inc champs league being so far away. Ok i know the times are not always user friendly but i cannot grumble about the coverage. the pundits are muppets though, but their comments are taken with a pinch of salt. As i said if they had done what they preach when commentating during their playing careers maybe then i would take them a bit more seriously.

I agree SkyblueOz - fantastic coverage for us Ex-Pats apart from the occasional muppet commentator. Do get annoyed with ESPN coverage when there's other games going on at the same time though (which I record to watch) when they tell you the bloody scores during the City match - ruins it for me. GRRRRR

Vice-versa, now sky have the F1, I was watching a race, recording teh football (think it was united-chelski).. when the commentators blurts out -

Welcome to all the football fans who have just changed channel after that 4-4 thriller.. or somethign to that effect...

was well annoyed

My favourite moment recently was Mark Bright explaining where Kun was going wrong as a striker! It was the equivalent of me giving shagging tips to John Holmes.

You couldn't make it up.

Mark Bright

It's like Danny Mills saying anything about City. Not even anything specific, just ANYTHING he says. It's like he thinks he can keep cashing in on us, just because he lived on our physio's bench for a few years. Numpty.

Danny Mills... Haven't heard many good words out of his mouth about City, he always seems to slag us off, same with Steve McManaman on ESPN, tosser.
Now it was refreshing to have Motty do the MoTD commentary on us at the weekend, just makes you realise how unbiased and balanced he is, infact I'd rather have Gary Neville doing the commentary than most commentators, ironic, but he seems the most clued up of the lot when it comes to ex footballers.