Hotels, earplugs and a freezing gantry
Sometimes I dread meeting people for the first time and having that inevitable "what do you do for a living?" conversation.
Compared to nurses, firemen and teachers, the job of football commentator sounds pretty dumb. Hardly a proper occupation for a grown-up, I think you'll agree.
Generally, just as I am struggling to convey how tough it is being sent to watch football every weekend, I get asked what I do during the week or during the summer.
Given the answer is "more football", I then have to give up and admit that it is pretty much a dream job.
Yes, it's true that there are very few downsides that I can think of to being on , but working every Christmas is one of them. Actually it's not so much the working as the travelling and the nights in hotels.
I remember feeling particularly sorry for myself one New Year's Eve several years ago. Fate had dealt me a cruel hand with an early kick-off on New Year's Day a long, long way from home - to be exact.
Whilst all the colleagues I was due to work with lived near enough to travel to the ground on the morning of the game, I live near the south coast and had to go the day before.
As Teesside went crazy with excitement when midnight struck, I was going stir-crazy in my hotel room on my own.
You can imagine how delighted I was when about 200 happy revellers pitched up in the room next to mine at three in the morning intent on keeping the party going. Thank God for earplugs.
There is nothing more likely to earn you a puzzled stare than turning up in a business suit for a hotel breakfast for one at half past seven on the morning of New Year's Day.
Some years prior to that lonely , I had spent Christmas Day in the flat I lived in at the time with only the friend of a friend and a turkey roast for company.
All my flat-mates had returned to the bosom of their families, but I had to stay in London because crunch match on Boxing Day had my name on it.
At least that year I could enjoy a beer with the dinner we cobbled together. I recall driving back to London from my in-laws' house one Christmas night having foregone even the chocolate liqueurs whilst my wife and kids stayed behind.
It was only on the way home that I realised my car had very little petrol in it and that the garage proprietors of Sussex had strangely decided not to stay open on Christmas night just for me. It was a long and nerve-shredding journey.
Having no fixtures this New Year will certainly feel strange, but not as strange as not having an tie to commentate on over the first weekend in January.
The loss of the contract for the Cup is still extremely keenly felt in the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s football department.
Being perched on a scaffolding gantry, eyes watering in the face of a freezing wind watching a would-be giant-killer in action is frankly my idea of a fantastic day. Whatever I do instead that weekend it won't be the same.
In the meantime, I hope you have had a great Christmas and wish you and your team luck in 2009.
I'm Match of the Day commentator Steve Wilson. In between driving up and down the M40 and M6, I will be hoping to reflect some of the behind-the-scenes action from the Premier League, reflecting on the stories of the season as they unfold and relating the odd anecdote or two along the way.
Let me know what you think by getting back to me on the blog, or by hanging out at Oxford Services.
Comment number 1.
At 30th Dec 2009, Lee10ten wrote:The River Tees runs through Teesside not the River Tee. Hence the correct spelling of Teesside, Steve.
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Comment number 2.
At 30th Dec 2009, Ali_Don wrote:Shame really that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ lost out to ITV in regards to the rights for the cup. Thats bad enough. It will be dreadful when we lose the Premiership rights to them as well.
Drowned down to our throats with silly diabolical commercials every 2 minutes.
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Comment number 3.
At 30th Dec 2009, Whiteoutloud wrote:There are two schools of thought that spring to mind here Steve.
1. The die hard football fan. What could possibly be better than watching any football match, regardless of the day that it falls on? Most footie fans would give their right arm to do your job.
2. The football calendar has never been kind to those actually involved. I sympathise with you for all those Christmas mornings that you have been forced to miss with your family and the moderate celebrations at the dawn of a new year.
Thinking about your New Year's Day in 'Boro', You should have phoned up Robbo Robson and reminded him of the favour he surely owes you.
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Comment number 4.
At 30th Dec 2009, Bangforyourbuck wrote:Ali_Don - At least we'll have Andy Townsend's tactics truck to soften the blow :(
I do feel for you Steve, as much as you're going to get grief for complaining about doing a dream job. It could be worse though, you could have had Lawro as your pundit and had to spend the nights with him... hell on Earth!
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Comment number 5.
At 30th Dec 2009, Phil G - ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport wrote:#1
Yep, apologies for that. Now corrected.
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Comment number 6.
At 30th Dec 2009, srylatt wrote:its TEESSIDE steve, good research
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Comment number 7.
At 30th Dec 2009, MUFC South London Reds wrote:Nice insight into the behind the scenes of a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ football commentator.Happy new year to you Steve.
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Comment number 8.
At 30th Dec 2009, Worst_Firm_In_The_World wrote:Steve, please spare a moment for our Sovereign, Her Majesty The Queen.
That poor woman hasn't had a Christmas Day off for over fifty years!
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Comment number 9.
At 30th Dec 2009, BigOhGee wrote:decent blog!
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Comment number 10.
At 30th Dec 2009, PaulChasetownFC wrote:Great blog Steve.
"Being perched on a scaffolding gantry, eyes watering in the face of a freezing wind watching a would-be giant-killer in action is frankly my idea of a fantastic day."
When I read that, I cast my mind back to November 2005 when you were commentator on my boys Chasetown FC when we took on Oldham.
Will never forget watching back the match and your delight at Nicky Harrison's goal (I don't care that the FA later said it was a Chris Day own goal...)
Magic!
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Comment number 11.
At 30th Dec 2009, Steve Wilson - Match of the Day wrote:Apologies to all Teessiders for the dodgy spelling !
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Comment number 12.
At 30th Dec 2009, DougCoglan wrote:You must like your family. I would love to spend every Christmas away from home. Forced fun - nothing worse!
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Comment number 13.
At 30th Dec 2009, Stuart Turpie wrote:Its a shame the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ lost the FA Cup contract to ITV as the FA Cup games or highlights are now no longer shown up here in Scotland on STV.
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Comment number 14.
At 30th Dec 2009, Nick wrote:Oh how my heart bleeds!
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Comment number 15.
At 30th Dec 2009, dufcterror - I love the shimmy wrote:I'm working Hogmany and New Years Day, bet you're better paid than me though....
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Comment number 16.
At 30th Dec 2009, randalthor1812 wrote:Hard life want to swap for being a postie ....oh well worth a try :p What i would like to know is which team does which commentator support we know some but not all.
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Comment number 17.
At 30th Dec 2009, TeeTempest wrote:Yes, a pity the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ lost the F.A. Cup to ITV and will lose the Premier League highlights as well.
With just a bit of co-operation between the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ and ITV they could have taken on Murdoch and beat him years ago, but they continued to bid against each other for the scraps off Sky's table, and let the satellite monster hold the English football loving public to ransom.
They couldn't even manage to get the last package of live matches withheld from BSKYB and Setanta (who were they?) bought them.
It appears the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ and ITV were so used to battling each other for top-dogs they couldn't move with the times and now are second-raters in the TV world.
The real losers are the fans who have been let down by the myopic bosses at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ and ITV, who can't afford to go to games or afford the rip-off subscriptions required for SKY.
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Comment number 18.
At 30th Dec 2009, dutchfinest wrote:Good blog Steve
Definately a shame that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ lost the rights tot the FA cup. I always loved watching some team I never heard about play one of the big English teams on rainy, cold Saturdays in January. Since I live in Holland, and the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is the only English TV channel over here, that time is over.
P.S. I couldnt help noticing that the picture on the sport homepage above your blog link is a picture taken at a Dutch league match between AZ and Ajax. That game was back in November I think. Luckily for Dutch commentators we have a winter break.
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Comment number 19.
At 30th Dec 2009, gbdforever wrote:Good blog Steve and the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is the best place for FA Cup football, but money rules!
Which leads me to say, that why do the dept. for organising where you are at make sure you all have a more local game? It would also save money, for us tv licence payers!!
Oh maybe it doesn't matter as you all live in the South and don't like us Northern folk!
Either way its the usual throwing money away for no reason thing again!
Apart from that I am a happy man!
Happy New Year
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Comment number 20.
At 30th Dec 2009, NigelEdwfc wrote:which is the coldest football ground you have had the pleasure of commentating at, Steve?
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Comment number 21.
At 30th Dec 2009, bluestreety wrote:I can't understand the dread at meeting people bit. I would love to tell people that I commentate on football, or cricket or any sport.
It was a dream of mine as a kid to be the new Ken Wolstenholme, but alas I never made it beyond subbuteo in my bedroom.
"Oh what a save, off the keepers base and out for a corner, but wait, Francis Lee has a problem, I've just snapped his arm off."
Mum! you got any glue?
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Comment number 22.
At 30th Dec 2009, sameoldcabbage wrote:Why no new year's fixtures this time around?
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Comment number 23.
At 30th Dec 2009, juninhowept wrote:boro on new years day? you lucky chap
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Comment number 24.
At 30th Dec 2009, EalingRam wrote:How about having to tell people that you are an IT consultant like I do?
That's usually end of conversation.
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Comment number 25.
At 30th Dec 2009, Ali_Don wrote:You lot have it easy. How about telling people that you are an estate agent? Cue some strange looks and gimmicks behind your back.
Nice read though.
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Comment number 26.
At 30th Dec 2009, 30STMLCFC wrote:I'm slightly confused. Firstly you say that it is a downside having to work around the festive New Year period i.e. the loud neighbours and early nights/mornings and travelling.
Then at the end, you express your disappointment at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ not having the rights anymore to FA Cup; and how you miss the wet, cold, wintry afternoons watching giant-killers.
Clear this up by any chance?? Is it a hate it and love it at the same time job??
Anyway, nice read :)
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Comment number 27.
At 30th Dec 2009, Super Reubs wrote:I know this is a bit random, but anyone know what the photo is they used for this link to bring me here? It looks like Arsenal v Chelsea, but I never remember the two teams playing in the snow????
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Comment number 28.
At 30th Dec 2009, tarquin wrote:Cool blog - how do i become a football commentator?
I'd never thought about the loss of the FA cup from that perspective before, I presumed the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ would still send radio teams out and it'd be pretty similar, unlucky mate - but I bet it'll be back when nobody watches it on ITV
and 2. Ali_Don
they already had it a few years ago - remember 'the premiership'? - I don't think they'll be trying that again
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Comment number 29.
At 30th Dec 2009, SuperStrikerShivam wrote:UNITED!!!
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Comment number 30.
At 30th Dec 2009, wade_ELLIOTT_11 wrote:*comment number 2*
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is dull in terms of commentry, sound and picture. ITV will only put on Adverts at break and so do Skysports but Skysports beats all with the fantastic Jeff Stirling and his pundits, Kammy and also Andy GRay and Martin Tyler!
Atleast ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ still got MOTD and the F1 rights!
In relation to the qoute at the beginning 'commentators being a dumb oppucation'. Commentators aren't dumb nuts, I certainly don't see that in Andy Gray! There's not a better commentator in the world better than him!
Anyway thanks for the support, I do hope 2009 will turn out well!
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Comment number 31.
At 30th Dec 2009, not_so_special_one wrote:Nice Blog! Would you care to tell us how you got here (ie a commentator) in the first place?
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Comment number 32.
At 31st Dec 2009, sheeptest wrote:#18 - it's 'definitely', not 'definately'. You'll be spelling Teeside wrong next you muppet.
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Comment number 33.
At 31st Dec 2009, north_bank_1971 wrote:I can't feel too sorry I am afraid, you moan about being on your own at the festive time but you have a job and a family, many people in the world do not and have to spend Christmas and New year on their own with no, or little money and no one to even call on the phone. You are extremely lucky with your job and your family and should not use this blog to complain about having such a privileged position in the world.
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