They say it's old women who spend their time on idle gossip and chatter, so I reckon yesterday's commentators must be very very old women with deep voices in dire need of a spell on the bench. There were large gaps of inane witterings that were unacceptable. I pay to listen to a live commentary on a football game, not a long discussion on, for example, which players are wearing gloves and the need to dress up warm ( layers of clothing of course) in cold weather. I remember Emma used to get a lot of flak, all I can say is bring her back, at least she attempted to commentate on the game. Was anyone else annoyed?
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Also why do they also leave it to the last minute before coming on air
Also often score comes up on sky before player so there has to be a pretty big delay.
Rant over.
It's easier for home games but for away games it costs them a lot of money out of their own pocket to get to the away grounds to provide the service
I would be lying if I said that CAFC player was a brilliant service as I admit there are many faults , however without it none of you moaning would have been able to get any kind of commentary for the majority of matches
I'd also like to say how hard commentating is. I've never done it for a Charlton game but I've tried for others and its hard to keep dull patches of the match interesting. Next home match try and talk positive about the game for the whole 90 minutes and see if you never get sidetracked
The attitude seems to be 'I am a character/celebrity/personality, and listeners want to know more about my journey/pie/drinking habits than the mere frippery of describing the build up to, or even the goal scored'.
Yesterday the Wolves people on their player were just as bad, although you occasionally get a really good one covering the oppo.
Those who have created Charlton Live, which seems to have a synergy with the away commentary won't like reading this, and they will circle the wagons against the slightest hint of criticism, but all we simply want to know is what is happening in the game we can't see but they can, is that really too much to expect? It seems so because this problem sticks around season after season.
However this bit: ' its hard to keep dull patches of the match interesting' could be so easily sorted if the commentators TELL US...like' there is a lengthy injury just now, and you won't be missing any of the action as I tell you about the pie I've just eaten, when things start again I will describe it faithfully.'
What happens is much more like:
'Bolton are attacking down the right here with Smith, his shock of blond hair looks a bit like yours (meaning co-commentator), actually I saw Smith outside befor the game and he looked like he had trouble parking his car (meanwhile tantalising crowd noise in background), you (meaning co-commentator) had a bit of a long car journey up here didn't you, and just made it in time, but your pie was cold wasn't it? Never mind, ho ho, you need to lose a bit of weight, and Charlton have a free kick, that Smith was promising as a youngster at Carlisle, but seems to have lost his way in recent seasons, oohhhhhhhhhhhh just past the post there, nearly a shock equaliser'
And so on.
First and foremost I am a volunteer and take no payment for my summary, I also have to pay my travel expenses.
I am sorry that you do not enjoy the commentary, in my defence, and I have explained this before, I am guided by the professional commentator I work with, yesterday it was Kevin Hand, and so I can only react to what he says to me, where I can, I will try and describe why we have a break in play.
I will answer a couple of questions you posed
Why do we come on at the last minute? this is in the control of the BBC Commentator, and the main reason is they will be supplying previews to BBC London and other BBC stations in the lead up to the game, and therefore have to use the ISDN unit to dial into those stations, only when that is done can they then dial into the CAFC Player network to commence commentary.
Hulse's lack of Confidence, We did mention this several times, we also looked up when he had last played and used that as an explanation during the course of the game
If you have any further questions please feel free to Message me and I will answer that way.
What I have written is no criticism of you personally because (with the exception of Leeds away, or when I go to games) I always listen to the opposition people via player.
PeteF - how did you get selected for the job (voluntary or not) ?
If one of 'our guys', like the estimable Peter Finch (who I believe was behind a lovely anniversary march from Woolwich to Charlton that I once went on) is only there to summarise when asked by the 'pro' commentator the deal could be: 'OK, as long as we stick to getting all of the action and events across to the listener, and never talk about other stuff while play is going on'. It would be possible to set up an arrangement like that surely?
If the BBC person asks Peter or anybody else to help, perhaps they could also pay them their expenses.
You could say we're lucky to have any commentary at all, but the fact they're taking a decent wedge of cash from me and the other subscribers - and not even paying Pete - entitles me to at least a half decent service, which often it is not!!
Peter I, and I suspect others, recognise you can be in a difficult position etiquette wise in the commentary box. I hope you know that our complaints are not supposed to be about any attack on you or your efforts, the complaints are born from sheer frustration about not being able to be there to see the game, and therfore wanting the game described to us.
If you read the match thread fron yesterday you will have an idea about, and indeed quite a lot of feedback about, the listeners experience.