TCV: La Manita, handclasps & the moose head

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1:01and the words we use to describe the beautiful game. And full house again this week, Ian Dennis and Alistair Bruce Ball, nice to see you. Good morning, John. This feels like a... You're supposed to say to see you nice. Yeah, following on from last episode of Miss McEw there. You're supposed to say it together. Yeah. Sorry, sorry. Let's do that again. Nice to see you. To see you nice. To see you. Nice. Nice. It feels, John, it feels like a manager at the start of the Premier League season with the line up so far on the commentators view. Just not making any changes yet. You know, feels like the season has started okay. Let's not tinker with it. Lots of competitions, lots of football, lots of pods to come. But for now, they're just settling in and they seem to be linking up. So even though the Champions League's begun now, because generally that's where the change just starts, isn't it? That's right. Which YouTube has been involved in, Ian, just back from Portugal. Yes, the Estadio de Dragout, as he mentions,

2:02the city beat Porto by two goals to Nile. Hadn't been there for seven years. And very impressive stadium, brought back memories of... Actually, I had a couple of flashbacks to Euro 2004, because that was the first city that I visited during that tournament. And it was also the first time that I'd ever driven a broad I'd never driven a broad before I went to Porto. And as you know, we had a few... Were you 18 at the time? Back in 2004. Well, I can't think now. I remember I was 44 in 2019. So what has that made you into the fourth? Yeah. I was just saying to Alina before we started, there's not really much of a narrative at this stage. Is there in the Champions League? And all the English sides got off to winning starts. So I said to Enzo Morescar that, because obviously Manchester City have been the highest spenders in the Premier League, you know, the Premier League, with all their riches, will be the envy of Europe.

3:02And I just said, you know, what are your expectations? And he didn't really give me a worthwhile answer. He answered it better when a Portuguese journalist asked him a similar question. Because I said about the pressure, does it bring you a certain amount of pressure? And he said it's not a pressure, it's a privilege. The righty and the amount of money that the Premier League club spends. And I think when you look at the spending, I mean, all 20 are right up there, aren't they? In terms of all of the clubs across Europe. And I think that translates itself into the Champions League, certainly in the league phase. And that is why they're so powerful. And my feeling is, when it gets more difficult later in the season, I do think that that is part of the fact that they're, they are then up against the other super clubs. But also, I think that's where the, the intensity of the Premier League does kick in a little bit there, which is why I think they've not been as successful in terms of winning the trophy as you might expect, yeah? Manchester City though, I looked at the odds. Manchester City before the tournament started, were I think five or six on the betting list.

4:07They were about 10 to one. So they're not one of the favourites. Arsenal are up there with Paris Saint-Germain. But Manchester City aren't regarded as one of the top two or three in the, in the betting market at least. If that gives you a gauge. Yeah, so with, so our army now with young listeners to the commentators, if you should take for that is, don't bet. Keep your money in your pockets. There were big wins weren't there though for, for the big clubs. I mean, I was sort of flicking across Thursday nights, some of the action because Manchester United were leading very comfortably. And some of the goals, the latter goals that Bayern Munich scored against our friends, Börder-Glimd. There was some of the best goals you're going to see in the competition. This at least says an incredible footballer, isn't it? Just a joy to watch. I got a message from my friend Marius from Booter, who was there in the Allianz Arena. And he sent me a one word message which was brutal. Yeah, well, I tell you John, so here's something, and this actually links to the, because you weren't in champions, that you actually did get a rest.

5:10I did, I didn't get a Champions League run out. So you're, you're fresh for the pod today, but something I noticed on Sunday, which I really enjoyed, was your description of the pre-match formalities ahead of the Arsenal Chelsea game. Yes, the players, as they tend to these days, as they walk along the lane, clasping hands, rather than shaking hands. Shaking hands seems to be a thing of the past now, doesn't it? So the clasping is the more of a high five in. Yeah, that's what I'm clear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's what they're doing. Fist bump soon, John. No, that's not there yet. That's for defendants. That's for central defenders. So I thought, John, I thought that was really well observed, because it got me thinking about the handshake in professional sport, and is it almost obsolete now? I mean, for example, when the two captains shook hands, did they shake hands or did they clasp as you described it? But then what really made me laugh watching Alfonso Davis score for bi-mune can the Champions League

6:13last night is his celebration, his three of his teammates, was a very formal handshake, but it was almost tongue-in-cheek, you know, sort of like 1950s England cricketers shaking hands after a wicket. So that's obviously his thing or it was a thing on the night, but the handshake in professional sport has almost disappeared. Even the referees, the officials clasp hands rather than actually shake hands. I mean, do we like it? Do we not like it? Sounds quite old fashioned of me not to like it, but I was thinking so I was trying to think in which arena do we always have the handshake, and it made me think of test cricket captains. I'm sure they don't clasp. I'm sure you have a proper handshake after the, you know, the coyote toss at every test match, but I'm maybe, maybe not. Kenis is very clasp hands, isn't it, over the net. End of a snooker match would be a handshake, would it? Or would it not necessarily? It would, wouldn't it? That would be a handshake. Darts? Darts are handshake? Is it? I don't know, almost in the question. I've never really paid too much attention to it until he brought it up.

7:14Anyway, there we are. Y'all haven't said much about some unfield though. No, on Wednesday. So, so, so to Ian's point on narrative, that was one of the sort of biggest matchups, I think of the first week of the Champions League. We had Real Madrid into Milan, did we want Tuesday night, but Liverpool Athletico given their standing and their recent history actually, in terms of matches they played against each other, gave that a bit of heft. And I think Antoni Uriola's first game in Europe as Liverpool boss also gave us something to sort of peg onto it. Then the fact, obviously, that Athletic Home Madrid went ahead. So Liverpool had a little bit of work to do to come back. But actually again, sort of showing the strength and the power of the Premier League, good story with the Alexis McAllister girl, because obviously the day before he'd been promoting the fact that he'd not been offered a new contract like some of his teammates. So the strike was very impressive. And then the celebration, I thought, was quite demonstrative in sort of making his point. But after that, Athletico sort of faded really. They didn't really offer quite the threat I thought they might to Liverpool.

8:20And it just did make me think of, I think we are going to go through a league phase again, where the Premier League teams will comfortably, most of them qualify, getting that top eight. But as you say, John, you look at Liverpool in the last two seasons, both times they've run, then run into Paris Saint-Shamar in the knockout stages. Paris Saint-Shamar have been better than them on both occasions. You were able to get a presume Alli to Anne Field quite easily. They're in backqueras. I did worry about Eurean with all of the air traffic control business going on this week, but you might still be in Portugal by now. Yeah, only a minor delay. A fortunate actually that we have flew through Amsterdam. So I didn't have any worries about getting the first stage of the journey from Portugal back to Amsterdam. And then I just had a minor delay. But looking at the disruption and the chaos, I would say that the entire team were extremely fortunate. Yeah, I wonder if did that have any knock on for the Athletico and the Drup fans that coming to Anne Field? I know that I think you saw my friend Hugo Condez, didn't you, from Spanish radio,

9:23who I think was sitting not too far away from you? Hugo Condez, I didn't meet Hugo Condez. Did you not, John? No, he was there. He was definitely there. All right, okay, no, I didn't. I didn't. I disappointed not to have not said hello to Hugo. Yeah, no, he knows Athletico Madrid inside out. Michele Arteta's press conference was cancelled in Naples, wasn't it, because of the flight problems? Well, there we are. Didn't put them out there straight, though. Did it? What a good win that was for their quarter starts of this season. They thought they were, well, a, Arsenal Chelsea was a, there won't be too many better matches than that this season. As you said to me, Ali, at the end of the match when you were presenting five live sport last weekend, but I think you're right. I don't think there'll be too many better than that. And I thought, I thought the fact that Chelsea scored that goal, the only one that they've conceded so far this season, so early on was a bit of a right, what are you made of? And then they actually did show us what they made of, didn't they? Yeah, and I think, I think watching that performance, John, you know, I mean, everyone's making

10:27a big deal this season about, you know, Arsenal may be showing us a little bit more, giving us a little bit more going forward, but it just said to me that they can do it. They've got a squad there. They can do it any which way, can't they? Whichever sort of type of game you want to draw them into, they have got the tools and the resources to cope with it. And if you're going to give them a bit of space, particularly the form, third of garden avatars are in at the moment, then they will, they will relish that. And I know everyone said it, but it is stating the obvious that if or to guard avatars and sacca are fully firing and fully fitted, then, you know, that is a got a major goal threat that they've got there isn't it from several different areas? When you say that that game will not be bettered or the struggle to be bettered, the second half at Stanford Bridge in midweek wasn't too shabby between Chelsea and Legionited with eight goals of the nine scored. Well, second half. It was, it was very shabby. Wasn't it? It was. Oh, very good. Alonza, too, Jay.

11:27Anyway, plenty to come and we've got some very good input as well, actually. As usual from our listeners, emails always welcome to tcv at bvc.co.us. or the whatsapp for messages and voice notes, 08,000, 289, 369. And this is how the weekend is going to shape up for us on five live this weekend. We've got no Friday night game or Saturday, 12 30 in the Premier League. So we are straight into our Saturday, three o'clock on which note we have a voice note. Hi, tcv. Gary from Yover here. I have a question for Ian. I was just wondering if he's down to do a Scottish league cup game this weekend. The reason I ask is a certain band is playing radio two in the park. I'm sure he's aware of this, but I just thought I'd better just double check. Love the pod. Keep up the good work. Very odd message. Ian, well, thank you for the message, Gary.

12:28Sadly, I will not be in sterling to see the mighty Deacon Blue who are taking parts in radio twos in the park. They did that a couple of years ago in Leicester, I think, as well. But it was last year, 2025, that I happened to be in Scotland. I think I had a weekend off and Ross the boss offered me the chance then to do Celtic hearts on the Saturday. And as it turns out, I was already in Scotland because Deacon Blue were playing at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh the next day. So I then helped out Ross the boss with his request. And it was a Deacon Blue double bubble. But no, sadly, won't be in sterling, but I will be listening to radio two at some stage. Very good. Is the right answer. So three o'clock Ian, Liverpool Fulham, you and Chris Sutton. Mr. Chris Sutton. Chris Sutton, who, right, you know that we always get Gary Flint off the producer with the,

13:28he always seems to phone. Doesn't he when we're doing this podcast? Predictively as well, Chris Sutton. Don't hear from him for weeks and then hold on. Here we go. Where's the text? He reaches out to me on Wednesday, bearing in mind that the last time he gave me some grief, it was the end of August. I don't know how you're doing. Is there a chance of taking me back to Salford Saturday after the game? If not, no worries, I'll get the train. I turn into the Sutton Taxi Service. Whenever I'm working with him at three o'clock. I've just realized something as well. So so I've barely heard from Chris since the summer. But if he's doing Liverpool Fulham with you at three and he's asking for a lift back to Salford, that's 606 live from the studio, which I'm hosting on Saturday. So I didn't realize I was going to get to see the great man in person. So that's a delight. That's a delight. You're hosting 606. Yeah, on Saturday. I didn't realize we were actually going to be together. So so he can buy me a coffee. That'd be lovely. So you're hosting 606 on Saturday night and you're hosting five live sports on Sunday.

14:34Yeah, that's all I do now, John. It's just host. I'm just you are a busy boy, aren't you? That the host with it. Well, we all are. We all are. Well, I don't think I don't think you can pay you coffee. Because he said, thanks for the lift. That's very kind. I'll tell you petrol. So you will hear Ian and Chris at Anfield Saturday afternoon, the three o'clock commentary. The choice of commentary is Chelsea Hall City on sports extra from three o'clock. 530 on five live, Tottenham against Everton, Conor McNamara and March Water and late in the evening, Ali, into your 606. You'll have updates on Sunderland Arsenal, which is an eight o'clock kickoff. And then there's the US Open Women's Final on five live and I presume the men's final on Sunday night. That is correct. Yes, US Open tennis. Yes, you're right, John. Women's Final Saturday, men's final Sunday. And there was live golf. There was live Walker Cup golf into 606 last weekend because that came right.

15:37That was one of the best sporting events of the year. I mean, that was an incredible Sunday. Yeah. And commentary on the Solheim Cup, all to the course of this weekend as well from the Netherlands. So as the presenter of Five Life Sports on Sunday, Ali, you might as well run through what's in your program. Let's do it. Let's do it. So on air from midday, Rangers Celtic, that's updates for us. That's a Scottish league cup called a final, but our Premier League action, two o'clock, Coventry without a win without a goal at home to Brighton in the Premier League. Chris Coles and Sue Smith are your commentary team for that one. And then the showpiece game Sunday afternoon is yours, John, alongside Paul Robinson, who says he hasn't seen you since the World Cup final because I was with him. I've seen him, but not worked alongside. Ah, okay. Okay. You're working alongside Paul Robinson for the Manchester Derby, which I think is going to be. I mean, it's, it's, it's always a fascinating fixture that one, but I'm very much looking forward

16:38to that Manchester United Manchester City in full at 430. Yeah. And Manchester United and City could win in the Champions League this mid week. I don't know whether it'll make any difference. Will it the fact that City went to Portugal, but they did play 48 hours early in Manchester United? And I know that Manchester United, much having watched it, you know, that was, that was a real, I don't want to call it a formality, a stroll, whatever. But it was probably a straight forward, a win as you get in the Champions League. Yeah, I thought it was a formality and a stroll. Do you think from Manchester City's point of view, Chaps, that Enzo Marrestgrim, particularly looking at midfield and then the attacking four, is going to have a regular sort of go to for the big games lineup, or do you think he is going to mix and match all the time? So what I'm asking is do you think it'll be for now Enzo Fernandez and Elliott Anderson? Semenio seems to play pretty much all the games obviously Harland, Turkey and then... Well, Doku has injured it the moment, isn't he?

17:39Doku and Jai? Well, what, what, what do you think? Do you think just every game, they might do? Yeah, I think with all of them, I mean he's got an alternative really, he'll have to, he'll have to, realtate it. Yeah. Top from Harland, really, you know, you're going to, that Harland's obviously going to play in all of the big games. And I think then it'll depend, won't it, on who's in the best form at the time? You know, that's the benefit of competition for places, I suppose, from their point of view. What is remarkable, though, and I don't know if you've started your notes yet, John, but Phil Thoden hasn't scored a goal in 2026. Amazing, that's nice. He's gone 34 games without a goal, but they've got so many different options, haven't they? You know, with Fernandez to play deep, play a bit further forward, and he certainly did that when Anderson came on, so he has got that ability to tweak the system. They've got the results so far, haven't they, but not really settled yet, I would say, into how things shall be under the new managers, that fair?

18:41Yeah, but Erling Harland was saying on his YouTube channel during the week as well, that he doesn't feel, I got told about it, I was too busy to matretta otherwise, but in all of your social media that you've got these days, you know, you know, than how you manage it all, you've somebody doing it for you? No, no, I haven't gone down that road just as yet, unlike, unlike, what's the new one that you've got? Like I joined Instagram in the in the summer. And how's that going? I'll be honest with you, I don't know what I'm doing with it. I haven't got a clue. So, and I don't get somebody to manage it for you. Yeah, yeah, I don't, I don't post on a regular basis, but anyway, the point going back to Erling Harland before he distracted me was, he obviously missed the preseason towards the far east. He didn't return to training until mid August. So, in many ways, he fears that he says he'll get to speed with the fitness, but he was saying that, you know,

19:44mentally, the mental fatigue about playing so much football and not having a proper break. And Enzo Morescar was saying at some stage, we all have to give him, you know, he'll either have a week off or he'll miss a game. Because otherwise, he fears burnout. Very good. So Manchester United, Manchester City, do not miss that. Five live, four 30, Sunday afternoon. Leeds Newcastle playing on Monday night. So, there'll be updates on that into the Monday night. Club with Mark Chapman, Chris Sutton, Rory Smith and Shay Given this week. On this podcast, we still have the Clash of the commentators and the great glossary to come as well as our unintended tool name of the week, which is a very good one this week, I must say. But onto the correspondence, Steven from Glassgirl says, there's an old firm fan. I was going to ask, what is the craziest local Darby you guys have ever commented on? Bearing in mind, obviously, Rangers and Celtic are going to play each other.

20:45Midday kickoff Sunday and the Scottish League Cup quarter final. What would you propose to you? Craziest is the sort of specific word in the question. I said, the ones I used to enjoy and they came early in my commentary career were Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Darby's when I worked at BBC Radio Bristol because people wouldn't immediately think of those as big Darby's because of certainly the level that both of those clubs were playing at, you know, when I was commentating on them. But you know, the passion, the ferocity, the intensity, and all of that was there. And you know, a Ashton Gate as was used to commentating a very rickety narrow sort of enclosed press box in there. Memorial Stadium, obviously, for the Bristol Rovers home games. But I do remember doing one of those ashton Gate in December, which I think was a 3-1 or 3-2 to Bristol City. And it was absolutely bouncing. I mean, both sets of fans,

21:51night game, lot of fun. Used to enjoy those. Used to enjoy those. Well, I always used to love the old firm when they had the full allocation of away supporters. I can remember being at Ibrox and there was something like six, seven thousand Celtic fans, which I thought always added to the occasion. But I again, like Ali would have to go back to the very early stages of my career. So I'm thinking mid-90s, Rokapark, Sunderland Newcastle, the intensity, the hatred between the two sets of supporters and the atmosphere was just something like, I don't think I'd ever experienced. And if you recall, there was a paddock that used to run in front of the press box. And I remember this Sunderland fan once pulling himself up to her abuse at Mick Martin, who was working for the local radio station at the time Metro Radio. And I was working for Radio Newcastle. And it was a real eye opener. I've got to say,

22:58one of my first encounters working on a weird time, Darby or a time weird Darby, that the passion that both sets of supporters had was it still, I can still remember it quite vividly. I agree with that. I've got similar experience, Rokapark, Sunderland Newcastle. The one that comes to mind as well is Birmingham City, Aston Villa, because I was commentating on the Peter Enkelman match. And that may well have been my first Birmingham Master in Villa that I'd done. And I remember thinking, wow, this is absolutely because of Andrews, which can be one of the noisiest places that you go to. It can be, it can be rapid there content. But I mean, every, every, every Darby has got its passion, hasn't it? And you know, even think back to last season, that extraordinary final Darby match, a goodest in part, season before last. That was an amazing finish, an amazing match, the atmosphere and everything that went into that and how it kicked off,

24:01that, that will definitely stay in my memory that one. Yeah. The Darby I'd like to do, and we wouldn't obviously do commentary on it, but it is on my bucket list, is Red Star Tarty's in Belgrade. I would, I would like to, I think that will be white hot in terms of an atmosphere. Who was I chalking to? Oh, yes, a friend of mine who, I got to know in the summer, who, who, who, who worked for Brazilian TV, and that there were, there were team of them who moved around, they were covering England, you see, so we'd see them every, every time that, we covered an England match. Anyway, last week, I got a sat on my shoulder, and here she is. She's got a job covering the Premier League. And so we were talking about this kind of things that that she'd encounter. We were talking about orders like in Mexico as well. And I was saying, well, you have some real experiences here. And she said, yeah, well, I've covered football in Argentina, so I've done Bocca juniors against River Plate. It's rich, I thought, ah, right. Yeah.

25:02In that case, in that case, I'm not sure there's much I can tell you about hostile environments. So that's good. That's good. Thanks very much to, to Steven for that. It's always good talking about tar being matches, isn't it? And whenever we have this conversation, different memories will, will, will come up. But listening for this one, Ali, only on T-C-V, would we get correspondence about ear infections? And this is after Ali got, was it swimmers ear? Well, when you were on holidays, that were you called it? Well, I think so, John, because it came from, I mean, I remember this as a kid. It came from spending a lot of time in the swimming pool. Anyway, another Ali, Ali and Coventry says, hi, T-C-V team, I'm a Coventry City, season ticket holder, and recently drove to watch the sky blues play a way to Plymouth in the Carabaiw Coupe. I stayed all the night at a friend's house, says Ali, but woke up the following morning, dizzy, nauseous, death in my left ear, unable to walk, unated. It was so bad my two grown-up sons had to drive to Devon to bring me

26:05in my car back home to Coventry. Suffice to say, I missed our 25-year-old premier league homecoming match against whole city and hour away match at Manchester City, so I've really depended on BBC Radio commentary to follow along. In my other ear, no doubt, Ali, that neither of this will get a sympathetic ear from hair Chapman. The exclamation mark, brackets no pun intended. Hoping I get back to seeing the real sky blues live soon. I think I'm safe to say, my situation is cleared up. I can't believe how much time we're spending on this. I don't think it was elaborate in Thitis, so I'm just going to keep going as I was. I'm sure all of us wish the other Ali in Coventry, the best with that. We've also got an email from Westham fam Keith, who says, hi, Gents, look the podcast. It completes my football watching stroke listening experience. When I'm at a game, I still turn on five live group dates at half time. Well done, forgetting connection for that.

27:10I'd also never heard the term polka used for a player scoring four goals. I'm looking to support the hammers, and old enough to have seen players score five and six goals in a match, five by Brian Dia in 20 minutes against West Brom, Easter 1965 and six by Sir Jeff Hearst against Sunderland in 1968. A game where two future nights of the realm scored says Keith, Jeff Hearst and also Trevor Brooker. Now how often has that happened? My question is, what is the name if you score five or six goals in one game? We've got some answers here, John, from the internet. By the way, am I right in saying in terms of Premier League history and that only starts in 1992, I know, but we had a double hat trick or is five the most in one game? It's five, isn't it? I can't think of a player that scored six or not just a Premier League. I don't think we've had a double hat trick in the Champions League. No, no. No. Yeah, Erling Harlan scored five against few fives.

28:22Leipzig, Messi, Adriano, but I don't think we've had a double hat trick in the Champions League. Okay. Okay. But John, the answer to this question is, and again, this is just this is just from a from a quick search on the internet. Five goals apparently known as a glut, a repoker. Don't love either of those or a manita, meaning little hand in Spanish. So representing five fingers. I like how like that. I've not heard that. No. Have you heard, have I ever heard a manita? No. The five goal list from Premier League football, Andy Cole against hip switch, Alan Sheeran, Newcastle United against Sheffield Wednesday, September 99. I saw Jemaine, yeah, I saw Jemaine defo do it against Wigan at White Heart Lane. He scored five. I think that was nine one that game, Burbotoff did it for United against Blackburn and Sergio Aguero, Manchester City against Newcastle.

29:22There you go. I was there for that one as well. That was Steve McIran's Newcastle United, who I think took the lead that day. Yeah, that this from Sam in County Down, who I think is fishing to be read out on the podcast as Sam knows will always read out messages from our younger listeners. Sam says, hi, TCV. I look forward to TCV every Friday. I always listen to it while I do my Friday homework. I don't think I would do it if it wasn't for TCV. Keep up the good work. Can keep up the homework. Sam, Friday homework, I always thought you have the day off from doing homework on a Friday. I always used to do my homework on the Sunday going back to school on the Monday. That surprises me. Knowing you as I do now. What that actually did homework. Well, no, no. I thought you would do a Friday homework. And you know, you know, you do not know. You do yours Saturday morning. What with my meditation for always doing things well in advance of time. You do yours Sunday night. I often did my homework on Monday morning. I'd get

30:22a good early and do it on Monday morning. The other thing I think about that I've no longer got the capacity to listen to speech radio and do my prep at the same time. I just can't concentrate. There's too many words and thoughts. And it's slightly annoying because when something like the Soul Hunt Cup is on as it is at the moment or TMS. You know, I just, I just, it really slows my work down if I'm listening to TMS. I love it. But I just, you know, I just need quiet now. I just need to. Yeah. Yeah. When I was, again, this is very niche, but I suppose that's what this podcast is for in terms of commentators preparation. But I can do my player notes while I'm listening to speech radio. But when I do the more complicated stuff about, you know, team records, facts and statistics, then I do need to, I can't listen to speech radio then. I do that with quiet. That actually makes sense to me, John. That does make sense because the initial bit of player notes is just writing numbers, names, ages, cap, skulls. Yeah. I get that. I think I could probably manage

31:27that. Yeah. I had something in midweek when I was in Porto. So on the day of the game, I look at my notes that I've already done, go through them with the, the highlighter. Then I'll have a little siester before going off to the game. But when I was going through with my highlighter, I don't know if this has happened to you too. There was a word that I just could not read. And I was thinking to myself, what does that say? And I looked at it, I was squinting at it, I put it under the light. And for the life of me, I was, I must have spent about 10 minutes thinking, I couldn't even read my own writing. I thought, bloody hell, what does this say? And in the end, I actually gave up on it, went back to it. And then I thought, ah, that's what it is. And it was leaders. They've written down leaders. Yeah. But it didn't half-wine me up. So you're, you're going to need to employ someone now to do your insta and actually handwrite your notes for you. You're going to have to dictate your notes so you can read them. He sounded like him now. Well, applications for that look, Christopher, all to tcv at bbc.co.uk.

32:56Remarkable stories and the biggest talking points from across European football. This pressure is on every manager in the league. The expectation is high. Subscribe now and don't miss an episode. Search EuroLeaks on bbc sounds. Influencers and content creators have been making headlines at the US Open, but how important are they to tennis? Find out by searching for more than a score wherever you get your bbc podcasts. The commentators view on the football daily with Alice the Bruce Paul, John Murray and Ian Dennis.

34:03Right. I think it's time. Thank you very much for all the correspondence, by the way. We still have an intended pub name to come and the great glossary of football commentary. But it is time for, when you're not playing it, our favorite feature on the pub. When you are playing it, the least favorite feature on the pod, because you're in the spotlight. You're under pressure. It's time for Clash of the commentators. A chance for Ian here to get his first point on the board this season. The league table after John Tacy defeat last week in a, in a humdinger actually, players who have left Chelsea this summer went to a tiebreaker. I managed to nick that. So I'm two from two. Johnny's one from two and Denno so far. Ian is zero from two. So John and Ian today are going to take turns to answer a question and give as many correct answers as they can in 30 seconds. However, however, Ali, when you say a humdinger last week, we've had an email into the TCP inbox from Ian, which is titled just as for John, by the way. And he says, no, not that one. He says,

35:12good morning, team. And it is indeed morning as we're recording this. So good morning to you, Ian. I've just been enjoying your latest episode. And although I am a fan of AVB, I would like to raise a query around the scoring at the last Clash of the commentators where you had to name the 39 Chelsea to purchase this summer. Was Robert Sanchez included in ABB score? If so, did he really say Robert Sanchez? It sounded at first listen that he questioned whether Sanchez had left, but didn't sound like he committed to him as an answer. Just thought I would raise it for the bait. So let's have a listen. Cooker. Robert Sanchez. Has he gone? Come on. He's gone. Well, so what I would say there, most of these games, one that is that's a tactic I've learned from Chris Sutton because that's the way he plays those games where he's looking for confirmation from people. So then if it's wrong, I mean, you can't actually do it in Clash of the commentators, but if it's wrong, he'll then claim he didn't say it. So I agree with that. I think I did say it. I think it was a rhetorical question

36:17to myself. I think I did give it as an answer. I feel it'd be very harsh to have it redacted and removed from the competition, but you know, I'm happy to go with whatever we decide. Well, no, I don't think that should happen, but I've got to say that that is a technique that you have used in the past. So therefore, if that was to be removed last week, you'd then have to maybe go back and and and you're the first season of TCV when you were the champion. You don't have to strip you of that title as well. And I wouldn't go down that avenue. Well, it's been a theme of the week, hasn't that reason, the possibility of titles being stripped. And actually, though, the Bolton fan Don says, I'm sorry to say John, but I doubt there will be any official ruling from Los Angeles coming to your aid this week. And of course, the last season we did have that tremendous piece of work. That wasn't from Don. Was it? Or was that from

37:19someone else? It was, yeah. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. Yeah. Yeah. It was. It was a brilliant piece of work. He had too much time on his hands. It's too much. And so, and he obviously hasn't got enough time on his hands now. So, but I think on this occasion, I will hold it. Okay. I will also take a yellow card on that. And I've got one. I will not do that again. Okay. You have well and truly had a shot across your bows. That's a totting up process, isn't it? The next one. That's that's it. That's it. Right. Okay. You don't want to do a Christos solace either if you fold on the ground waving imaginary yellow card. Right. So, class of the commentators today, who would like to go first? Well, I went first last week. So I'll, you know, do you want to go first? Okay. So, Ian, here we go. Again, this, this is, this is, this is John's commentary game. This one. So, you know, do we make him the favorite? Are Sunday, four thirties, the Manchester Derby United won this exact fixture last season, two nil, but they've not beaten city twice in a row at Old Trafford in

38:23the Premier League since winning three in a row there from 2009 to 2011. So those dates are absolutely key. We need you to name any United or city player to have featured in those three Premier League Derby's at Old Trafford. So they could have played the United or city between 2009 and 2011 and apparently double points for each goal scorer. You can name as well. Any player for either side in that hat trick of Manchester United wins your time starts now. Like me. Um, verb it's off, really. Um, and the star, a Guero, silver. No, no, that's too soon. Um, gigs.

39:23I don't think that's no, I don't think that's too bad. I hate these ones. I hate these having to go back to a date and think of squads and players. I think these are really difficult. I've got it here. Burbotoff correct, really correct, Vandasar correct. You're right about a Guero that was too early. Silver correct gigs correct. That's five correct answers. And knowing how John can sometimes, you know, fall over in a, in a big, where any of them goal scorers. Oh, good question. Uh, rune's double points. David Silver's double points. Great question. Yes. Two of them. Uh, that's it. Yeah. So that's not bad. I think that's not bad. I, I, I'm gonna, I'm gonna put my neck on the line here and say, you're gonna win this. Right. Let's get him back. Let's get him back. Let's wave it in. Here we go. Here it comes. Before he comes back, though, he's, he's, he's about a plug in. All right. Yeah. Yeah. I think I know what you're going to say. And back. He's back. He's back. So hush hush in. Here we go, then, John, the game you're commentating on Sunday, 435 live

40:28and BBC sounds is the Manchester Derby. Manchester United won this exact fixture last season by two goals to NIL, but they've not beaten city twice in a row at old traffic in the Premier League, since they won three in a row there from 2009 to 2011. So we need you to name any United or city player to have featured in those three Premier League Derby's at old traffic. So key dates between 2009 and 2011. And there's double points today for each goal score. Are you name? So if any of the players you name scored, that is double points. Any player for either side in those three Manchester United wins between 2009, 2011 and your time starts now. Okay. RUNY. JOKO. TEVE스. RARROWNELTO. BLưjà.

41:46So John definitely fired off more names, definitely fired off more names, but wasn't accurate enough with them. So what I can tell you is the Ian scored, Johnny, and scored seven points by saying Burbototh, Rooney, Van der Sarr, David Silver and Ryan Geeggs, Rooney and David Silver, both goal scorer to get to seven points. From your answers, we've got Rooney, so that's where two points. Jekko, correct answer came off the bench, I can see in one of the games, correct answer for one point. Tevez, correct answer and scored. So what's that you're up to? Two, three, four, five, Ronaldo, correct answer and scored seven Burbototh, eight company nine, Skulls, ten, he's absolutely walked it.

42:50He's won it by a country mile, and I said after Denos go, I thought Deno might win that. That's very good. Now that, well, congratulations, first of all, John. Thanks, Ian. Thanks, Ian. That's very much. The point I was about to make to you, Ali, before that John came back on. There has got to be a steward's inquiry now that for successive weeks now, we've had commentaries based on games that John's doing the commentary for. Yeah, no, I wasn't, I'm not doing the commentary in 20, 20, 10. I'm just saying. I see both sides of that, Ian, because John's obviously getting himself into a Manchester Derby frame of mind, but there'd be no reason really. I suppose though, I suppose if you notes took you back to when was the last time, like that question, I, you know, same as, same as last week, I haven't started. I'm not threatening that much yet. You say that? Yeah, but how many Manchester Derby's have you done? Oh, with all done Manchester Derby's. Oh, you looked on the most. I'm older than you. I hate those ones, the date ones. I hate them. You both would have been here now.

43:50I'm not getting that. I was dreading that. I'm not getting that way. I was dreading. As soon as you started saying that, I thought, oh, no, not one of these. I disappointed a bit. I disappointed a bit. Neither of you mentioned, uh, Bozinoff came, came off the bench for Manchester City. I was going to say, I was going to say Victor. I think it's Valerie. It was Valerie. Yeah. Yeah. Call on me. Yeah. Valerie. That's it. Yeah. So John, John is two from three. And Denno. And still yet to win this season. Yeah. I think he did well there though. Still early days. The clocks have not come back yet. I think I need to fully fully a socks. I'll change my approach just to let you know the goal scorers because those were the ones worth double points because I know people will be playing along at home as well. So from the game May 2009, Ronaldo and Tevez, they were both mentioned, uh, both by John actually, they scored in a two-neil win. The September 2009 game was the Manchester United four Manchester City three, rune scored,

44:56Darren Fletcher scored twice. Michael Owen. Remember with the 96th minute winner. Gareth Barry Craig Bellamy and Bellamy actually got two for Manchester City. And then February 2011, Manchester United two Manchester City won Ian mentioned David Silver, rune scored again. And no one said dear old nanny. Nanny. Now the nanny nor Valerie Borgian. No. Good. That is just to repeat. That is now you and me joined top of the table, isn't it, Ali? Although you brought yours ahead by the fact that you played twice and I played three times. It was last year. I can assure you of that. Yeah. Well, let's see about it. Will if you keep playing me. Well, at the moment, your, your however, form fluctuating. Yeah. We know this. Yeah. Covering sport as we do. Let's move on to this week's unintended, to the name of the week, which is an absolute cracker. And it comes from Steve from Chumsford.

45:58And it's, it's actually the inspiration Ian to cheer you up comes from your commentary on Nottingham Forest against Spurs last Saturday afternoon. Unintended pub name of the week. Golf or at the dirt now being against Cambridge United as Tanaali. Faced by the prospect of Marillo and Spurs going to throw on this near side. Unintended pub name of the week. So a bit of context to this London pub goers may know of. And I am aware of this, although I don't think I've been in it. The prospect of Whitby, which is on the banks of the Thames in the East End. And Steve says, the prospect of Marillo would be the sisterhood to the prospect of Whitby. And since a little further up the Thames, it would be a proper old Docklands boozer, dark wood, low oak beams, guest ails and over the front door a weathered sign showing a tall

46:58ship being tossed about in stormy seas. The ship would have sunk in the Atlantic and the wreckage would have washed up on the Copacabana Beach in Brazil. The jukebox in the prospect of Marillo would only have one song, The Forest Anthem, Bullock and Taya playing on repeat through crackling speakers while a faded Brazil flag hangs on the wall above the Billiots table. There we have it from Steve, the prospect of Marillo. Those the last two weeks, the goalkeeper's arms and the prospect of Marillo are two of the best we've had. Those two entries have really hit the mark, I think. I've got to say that's it. That was a very good suggestion. Before we move on to the glossary, we've actually have had a follow up piece of correspondence about some unintended put names. It's actually a WhatsApp message from Matt in South End who says just listen to the latest PCB podcast. And I think I have a useful bit of information that falls into two camps of discussion.

48:03The unintended put name and your conversation about the glossary term backstick. At South End United's Roots Hall, there is a put in the East Stand call The Far Post. It's even got a goal post on the wall. Anyone seen that? I've been to Roots Hall. I've definitely commentated there, but I've probably seen it, but I don't remember it. Always makes me think of Rob Northman as well. Our football producer and commentary coach to the stars. We're always set at the end of a conversation, see you at The Far Post, won't he? I think he's bursting. Yeah, that's true. You've been at South End. I have, although it was a while ago now, it was for an FA Cup tie against Whole City when Steve Bruce was the manager. So you'd be going back at least 10 years. I can go back a little bit further than that. My first trip to South End was when I was working in local radio, TFM in commercial radio. I know remember one of my early commentaries who aren't at South End. When we got to Roots Hall, there was a market right outside the ground.

49:06So it wasn't your way to park. And they just said, no, just leave the car in the market. So they actually, I was driving around these stalls and I thought, well, we'll just leave it here. And they said, yeah, just leave it here. I got out the car, the stall next to where I parked the car. And I've never seen another market stall do this. It was selling toilets. So it was toilet. It's actually toilet. Basins. Is that what you call them? There's like a 40 toilet. They're both toilet balls. Toilet balls. But 40 toilet balls for sale. Yeah. And how many did this sell? Well, I don't know. I don't know because by the time we came out of the match afterwards, everything's gone. The car's still ever there for sale. So that was going to be my question, Joe. Would you be concerned leaving your car parked up in the midst of a market that you might come back in your car or been sold? That is a good question. Because fortunately, it's fortunately my trusty VW jetter is still there.

50:07It's just reminded me that the golf course I play at here, we play around a Salisbury race course. And when the races are on, our golf course, our nine holes get shut for a couple of days. But it reopens at 10 o'clock the following morning. But if people have had a few to drink and decide to leave the cars, sometimes the overflow parkings in the middle of the second fairway. But if you're not there to pick your car up at 10 o'clock the following morning, then that is that's fair game. That's a target. So then you're sort of trying to shape shots around around cars in the middle of the second fairway. Gentle fade. Exactly. Yeah. Just thinking if you had sold your car in a mix, the ceramics of the toilet balls, you'd have been feeling a little flush. I think best to move on to the glossary, the great glossary of football commentary. This is where we build a collection of commentary terms and phrases. And we put football exclusive terms into division one.

51:07And division two is for terms used across various sports, not just football. So for example, last week we added Terria and working their socks off into division two while the beautiful game and backstick made it into division one. And our first division one entries of the season, however, Rob in Rompford has sent us this. Regarding last week's episode, the term backstick is also used in hockey, the proper kind, not the one on ice. It may occasionally be used to refer to the back post and is lightly borrowed from football. However, it is most often used to describe use of the rounded or back of the stick to strike the ball. This would naturally result in a free hit being awarded to the opposition. So thank you Rob for that. And 15 year old new castle fan Adam says, I play hockey and a key rule is you can't use the back of your stick. The crime is labeled as a backstick. So I think it must be relegated to division two, which may come to the potential delight

52:09of John, who wasn't the biggest fan of the phrase in the first place. Thanks for being a constant inspiration to the younger generation. Says Adam. Well, thank you for being inspired Adam. So there we are. I didn't know that it was actually cool. I knew that that was the rule having played a little bit of hockey. I knew you couldn't use that, but I didn't know it was. That was, oh, you that's a great. I played it. I played a lot of hockey, John. And I, you know, now those messages come in. I would totally accept that. I mean, they are in slightly different context, aren't they? Because the backstick we're talking about is the far-posting football, although who was it said there was it Rob, who said actually that the far-posting hockey can be called the backstick as well. But backstick in that instance is totally different from the backstick we're talking about, but I accepted same words, did too, yeah, fair enough. Yeah. So backstick relegated to division two and thanks also to Prabha in Sandy Eagle. So there's that new location for a piece of correspondence to the commentators viewing.

53:09It might be. He also told us about the hockey version of backstick. Next up, George in heart for sure, high-TCV. I love the show. Perfect Saturday morning accompaniment for my walk into town, following on from the addition of backstick, now relegated into division two. Could you also have woodwork or some variation of, for example, hit the woodwork off the woodwork? Whilst rugby has posts, I can't recall ever hearing them referred to as woodwork and not sure any other sports with goals do the same, like hockey, for example. What do you think? Good question, George. I mean, the hockey ones nowadays aren't made of wood, are they metal? They ping those ones, do. Uh, rugby posts with the other. Did they say, struck the upright, maybe? I don't know, I'm not sure he said that. Yeah, they're up right. But George is asking whether the hatchet belongs in division one. Well, I think it's division two. Okay, fair enough. Denied by John Murray. AJ in Goldstone says, hi John, Ian and ABB. I want to first thank you all for helping me get through my hour long walk to college

54:14in the mornings. I'm a lifelong Manchester United fan, which is admittedly not that long. I'm only 16. You say all teenagers correspondent gets read out. So let's see if it's true. There you are. You see, told you AJ. And he says, I was watching the Manchester United Sabah game in which I thought at times it could be described as men against boys. I didn't describe it as that way at the start of this podcast. But he says, I was wondering if this could be used in any other sports or could it give into division one? That's very much division two, isn't it? I would say so. But I agree with him. It was men against boys. There was so easy to play around, weren't they? But thank you, AJ. We've now got a Liverpool fan, OB, dear TCB, writing to you from Toronto in Canada. I absolutely love your podcast. For me, it's to pass time in traffic on my drive home on Friday evenings. My suggestion for the glossary is, makes himself big when referring to a goalkeeper. I can't think of another sport or any other situation where somebody makes themself big,

55:19but I could be wrong. My mind goes to hockey again, possibly. I mean, the goalkeeper was massive with all the kids on there. Can they make themselves look bigger? Handball possibly. Probably division two, because you will have that it'll be hockey won't it says that would be a phrase. Possibly, yeah. Believe it or not, Gary Flint's office ringing me now. Gary's ringing me now. He's ringing us every week. This is our football producer. He's ringing me. Yeah, I've referenced this before, but it's the faulty towers episode where Sybil's in hospital and she's asked Basil to move the moose's head and she keeps phoning him when he's in the process. I'm doing it. What is the point? What is the point of phoning me to tell me to do something I'm already doing? Holly. Holly. Oh. Manuel. Oh. Yes, faulty towers. Hello. I was just doing it to stupid woman. I just wanted to say, I'm not doing it.

56:22What is the point of reminding me to do what I'm already doing? I'm on what is the bloody point? I'm doing it all time. Well, Gary's made himself very big there, which suggests that it really is a division two term. And on the subject of making himself big, what about this one from Matt in South London who says, dear TCV, when Harvey Barnes scored his goal against Bournemouth last weekend, match of the day, commentator Tom Gale said the following. Harvey Barnes allowed to cut it onto his right foot, but ain't nothing away from the finish. You can have two goalkeepers in there and no one's getting near that. That is a great division one. That is it. That is in division. Well done, Tom. So for the old, you could have had two goalkeepers in there. And Matt says, implying, of course, that the shot was unstoppable, regardless of how many

57:23goalkeepers were in goal. And Matt says, I'd like to propose you could have two goalkeepers in there as a division two entry for the glossary. That's not that in division one, wouldn't you? Yeah, I think so. Again, hockey, but I don't think I mean the goals in hockey are so small that you wouldn't use that in hockey. I don't think. And also, if you did have two goalkeepers in hockey, they actually would never score. Exactly. And actually, if you think about it in hockey, they've already made themselves big, haven't they, with all the padding? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So so thanks. Well spotted Matt and as we say, you know, any contributions to the glossary from any commentary, football commentary, otherwise that you hear during the course of the week and send it to us. But let's finish with this one from Norwich City fan Leo, who says, hi, Ali, John, and he says the newly coined BBC's football senior footballs daughter, Ian, that's right. You called him Ali, wasn't it? Yeah, but that's actually, I've been, I've had that title since 2009.

58:26Yeah, but not, but not BBC football senior football reporter, you haven't, not with all the footballs in it. No, that's not with you. Sorry. Yeah. Yeah. I got my word said last week. And Leo says, as I was listening to the latest TCB watching the game week highlights and attempting to finish off some lengthy summer homework all in tandem. He's no Alistair Bruce Ball. He says, I heard Gary Taphouse describe Harvey Barnes' wicked effort as a purler. It struck me that this might slot in nicely next to Pinneca in Division 1. As I can't imagine what other sport this has been used in before. However, I will leave it to the masters to decide. Keep up the good work and may TCB ever continue to distract me from my homework, loyal, Norwich City fan, Leo. So purler, I think I know what Ali's going to say. Well, are you thinking along the same lines as me, John, could, could crick it out of it?

59:26Yeah, exactly. You're, you're, you're miming seam up aren't you? And I think you could deliver a purler. I think a slip catch could be an absolute purler. I agree. Division two definitely, you know, an out swinger kicks the outside. I think it's a purler. Yeah, it's a purler. Yeah, opportunity missed. I always remember this commentary years and years ago, Euro 2012, Pilo scored a brilliant free kick in a game I was doing. And that should have been a purler from Pilo that I always think, bother. I should have said that. The summary this week for the great glossary backstick relegated to Division 2, woodwork into Division 2, men against boys, Division 2, makes himself or herself big division to purler, division two. But you could have two goalkeepers in there and they still wouldn't have saved it, goes into Division one. Three.

1:00:27So that is about it for this edition of the commentators view. I mentioned we'd had probably get in touch. We have had other listeners from San Diego, AJ wrote to us about squeaky bum time and Fergie time from San Diego and proud Brad Fordian Michael also got in touch from a small mountain town called Julian, which he says is an hour from San Diego. So we have had listeners from San Diego. Thank you very much to you too. Thank you. I think we're all back in tandem next week. Aren't we again? Can we can we be in tandem as a three? Or is that is that for a discussion next week? Good fine. Okay, we're all going to be back in tri-cycle next week and looking forward as well. We've got Carabao Cook commentary. Seven week coming up this this coming mid week. Are we all in business for that? Or is that just there's not just some of this Liverpool top? I'm a Ipswich on the Tuesday doing updates into Liverpool top. Yeah. Okay. And I'm a Manchester United Brighton on Wednesday night.

1:01:30So you'll be able to hear us commentate there. So that is it for this episode of the commentators. Few questions and correspondence. Always welcome anytime to TCV at bbc.co.uk or you can send us a message or a voice note on WhatsApp. To 08,289369 we always look them must just mention before we go. Personal thanks to everyone who looked after me at Demontford University in Leicester. This week which they put on a great occasion. So thank you to everyone there. And the next episode of the football daily ahead of the Manchester Derby will be the football interview with city defender Ruben Diaz who's a really good talker. So that will be very well listening to. Now well. The ESL has a brand new home. Hello and welcome to 72 plus the home of the ESL from Firefly Sport.

1:02:30Aaron Paul and Jovi Mackenaf tackle the biggest stories from across the championship. League one, League two and beyond. A minimum of one weeks where it is fine. And we may be even right to your wife and tell you where you've been fine if you carry on. And the biggest talking points from across the football league. I always spoke while I was in the European and enjoyed working with him. My show too, but yeah, thanks for that. Sorry, I don't know. Search 72 plus the EFL podcast on BBC sounds. Influences and content creators have been making headlines at the US Open, but how important are they to tennis? Find out by searching for more than a score wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Get more with BBC podcasts wherever you listen. Be the first to listen to your favourite shows, like Evil Genius, Good Bad Billionaire and Your Dead To Me, with a subscription to BBC Podcasts Premium on Apple podcasts. You can also enjoy a range of our podcasts,

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