Full-time whistle for me but it’s been a real blast
AT the risk of being self-indulgent, I’m going to talk about my own role in Scottish football this week. Or indeed the end of it for me.
My final game for BT Sport in Scotland will be on Sunday at the SuperSeal Stadium – and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.
As readers may already know, this was a decision I made a few weeks ago. It was based on my choice for family reasons to head back to the United States on the back of eight great years here. Scottish football has been the beating heart of this wonderful chapter in my life.
It feels a little bit like saying goodbye to an old friend. I did it back in 1991 when I left BBC Scotland for the US. I didn’t think I’d ever be back but the opportunity came back through ESPN and then BT Sport.
I grasped it while filled with a sense of unfinished business: I wanted to prove I was a better broadcaster than the one who left. Hopefully I’ve done that.
What will be difficult is to say to farewell to the great people in the game who I’ve come across over the last few years. Players, managers, kit men, physios and press officers.
Many of them go on as the unsung heroes who you may not know. These are the people who are the heartbeat of Scottish football.
One of them is Danny Cunning, the Hamilton kitman, who I’m pleased to say I’ll thank in person for all his help on Sunday when his team take on Dundee United in the second leg of the Premiership play-off final.
As a commentator, it doesn’t get much better than going out on this. For me, this is the best reintroduction into Scottish football that we have seen during my time back here.
WYou could name all of them. The first one was Hibs v Hamilton and it comes full circle with Accies this time. They won very much against the odds three years ago. Coming from behind in the first leg, virtually the last kick of the ball from Tony Andreu forced extra-time before a dramatic win on penalties.
Motherwell v Rangers is an obvious choice and the words seemed to flow that day at Fir Park as Motherwell won 3-0, 6-1 on aggregate.
My quote of ‘Fir Park is Twisting, Shouting, Shaking’ on the Marvin Johnson goal that fooled Cammy Bell has been repeated back to me by many supporters of the Lanarkshire club.
Some of the derby fixtures really stand out, too I’m thinking of the Edinburgh derby where Hearts just managed to stave off relegation, the Dundee derbies too. Covering Celtic in the Champions League is right up there as well.
What I also really enjoyed was covering the teams from the lower divisions. We did that because Rangers were down there at the time but it gave me the chance to tell the story of some of the less heralded clubs such as Stenhousemuir, Airdrie and Queen’s Park. They are an intrinsic part of Scottish football.
I want to thank many fans who have been in touch since I announced my departure. As a commentator you maybe don’t realise how many people are listening. It’s so important.
I’ve always put my heart and soul into it. The players and their stories are what matters. I’m just a voice that blends in with the action. I will be back, but not in the same guise. It’s been a privilege to be at BT Sport the last four time and wish them all the luck for the future.