Gareth’s worst moment has become the basis of his best one
VOICE of cricket Richie Benaud always lived by the commentator’s golden rule that, in sport, there is no such team as We or Us.
In the Euro 2020 final battle of the box, it is a principle ITV’S Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon would do well to observe. And the same goes for the BBC’S Guy Mowbray and Jermaine Jenas.
If we want cheerleaders, we’ll sign up Neil Diamond to perform the infernal ‘Sweet Caroline’, or sing along with refrains about football coming home.
In his first year as ITV’S No.1 commentator, Matterface has endured a social media pile-on from that bastion of fairness and balanced analysis, the guttersnipes of Twitter.
No further criticism is directed at him here – except to point out that when he wished Harry Kane “good luck” as he stepped up to score England’s winner against Denmark, some viewers in Scotland, Wales or the emerald isle may not have shared his allegiance.
Football commentary has evolved, not necessarily for the better, since the Beeb had to choose between John Motson and Barry Davies to call big games, a dilemma like the England managers who had to pick either Peter Shilton or Ray Clemence in goal.
Davies, now 83, was the eloquent wordsmith who provided the soundtrack at England’s Euro 96 semi-final heartbreak.
After conveying the despair of Gareth Southgate to the lion’s share of 23.8million viewers, he is heartened to see the fall guy on the brink of a reincarnation as English football’s lion king.
“Southgate’s worst moment in football has been the basis of his best moment,” said the great Bazza.
“Nothing could have been worse at the time for a young player, and in his memory for the last 25 years, than that instant when his penalty was blocked.
“It was brave of him to take one when more senior players were not prepared to put their hand up.
“My two-word contribution to the drama on air was, ‘Oh no!’ – although I suspect much of the country was adding a few unrepeatable expletives.
“To be truthful, it was a poor penalty and a sad way for England to go out because Paul Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland had changed the whole mood of the country.
“One moment of brilliance gave an entire nation belief.
“Euro 96 was my favourite time in the commentary box. I was very lucky to have such a privileged view of it.”
Many fans of a certain age still hanker for the heyday of Motty’s sheepskin coat, Davies painting with words or the golden age of David Coleman and Kenneth ‘They Think It’s All Over’ Wolstenholme.
Great commentators never needed premeditated one-liners and rehearsed contenders for the archives, nor a trainspotter’s almanac of stats as a cure for allknown insomnia.
And they certainly didn’t wish England captains good luck at critical moments in semi-finals.
Davies observed: “A code of neutrality is an important part of a commentator’s make-up – although at times it’s easier said than done.
‘Paul Gascoigne’s goal against the Scots changed the
mood of the country’
“The odd line, on the spur of the moment, is understandable, but taking sides does a disservice to the parts of your audience who may not share your ancestry.
“I come from an era when the Home Internationals existed, and I was always very conscious of Scottish, Welsh and Irish viewers’ loyalties. It also helped that a couple of our producers were keen Scots, so references to ‘we’ or ‘us’ were unforgivable.”
To our brethren in the commentary box and on the pundits’ balcony at Wembley, please remember – many Ukbased Italians will be watching, and virtually none of them likes pineapple as a pizza topping.
And here’s hoping they heed the last word from Davies – sometimes, in football’s giddy soundtrack, less is more.
He added: “My last commentary, apart from a one-off comeback for Match of the Day’s 50th anniversary, was in 2004 and styles have changed since then.
“My personal opinion is that if you don’t give viewers a chance to breathe in their own armchairs, you are not supporting their enjoyment of the occasion.
“But editors now seem to favour commentary being more of a conversation – and who am I to say that’s wrong?”