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Lets have a look at some of the great football commentator quotes. Over the years, the game of football has been shaped up by the players,the people coaching or managing them and, as a result, the performance of the respective teams. But, specifically, what about those who watch it on their television sets or, in the yesteryears in some places, heard it on their radio sets? They are richly attracted by the amplified feeling that an element of the game provides them the commentary. So lets go through these interesting quotes.
#10 Ernest Okonkwo
“The Guinean number 7 shirt beats Christian Chukwu....He beats Christian Madu...He has beaten 2 Christians. ...He must be a Muslim“
Late Ernest Okonkwo was one of those commentators who brought spice to almost everything he covered on the football pitch. Having a stronghold on countless languages, Ernest could be compared to what Dave Morrison is for cricket – facts with fun. If a player’s performance was below par, he would have no vocal barriers to say exactly how bad the player has played and vice-versa. This quote was made by him during the Rangers match against the Pillers in the early 80’s. As is evident from the quote, Ernest cooly described the racial situation at that time. Such is the quality of the man’s talent.
#9 Martin Tyler
“50 million pounds have just been repaid.”
Fondly called as “the golden voice of the Premier League”, Martin Tyler has delivered brilliant moments of commentary at pivotal times.Another enigmatic figure in the commentary box, Martin Tyler has amazed everyone with his interesting and intuitive commentary during matches. Also, his characteristic pauses and blunt words are an added attraction for the fans. He is a key asset in making the public connect with the game more.
This quote was made by him in the Champions League semifinal between Chelsea and Barcelona in 2011. The match was tied at 1-1 till Fernando Torres made a surging run towards an empty Barcelona half, collected John Terry’s clearance and calmly slotted home beyond the keeper for Chelsea to progress into the finals of the Champions League and live the dream of winning it for the first time. An extremely tainted striker, Fernando Torres was talked about by Martin Tyler in such a way to make the fans realize the true importance of the goal. And he succeeded.
#8 Barry Davies
“OH Nooo...”
Yes, even something as simple as that can also go up on the list of one of the greatest moments in commentating history as the effervescent Barry Davis proved here in the 1996 Euro Cup match between England and Germany just after Gareth Southgate missed his penalty, handing the Germans a spot in the finals and handing themselves another moment of despair at their home ground. Being touted as a fine commentator for all sports, Barry Davis voiced the emotions of the entire nation with this quote.
#7 Clive Tyldesley
"Can Manchester United score? They always score...”
All Manchester United fans would have teleported back to the past with this quote as it was made during Manchester United’s triumph Bayern Munich in the dying minutes of the 1999 Champions League final. Bayern were leading 2-1 when Manchester United made a comeback in injury time through goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole-Gunnar Solksjaer. Clive summed up this fighting spirit of the club with this quote and put the cherry on the cake for the day to be a landmark in the club’s history.
#6 Stan Collymore
“Oh my days, Zlatan Ibrahimovic! I wanna give you a manhug! That is the beautiful game played in a beautiful way!”
A former England player working as a radio commentator in talkSPORT, Stan Collymore is another commentator who never shies away from making statements openly about a player or any other trait in the game. He quoted this when Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored with a stunning bicyle kick when England played Sweden.
#5 Brian Moore
“Thomas charging through the midfield... it's up for grabs now!”
If there’s a person who can be credited to be the “developer of commentary”, it surely will be Brian Moore. With his raspy radio voice, he enthralled many fans and brought the emotions out in the game. This quote was made by him when Michael Thomas scored against Liverpool, with virtually the last kick of the season, to clinch the First Division title for Arsenal in the 1988/89 season.
#4 Andy Gray
“OHHH YOU BEAUTY!! What a hit son! What a hit!”
There have been numerous commentator partnerships which have lightened up the game by providing some fan-friendly commentary to the public. But a partnership that will always be remembered for the sheer enigma that they portrayed and the rapport that they shared – the partnership of Andy Gray and John Motson. Working with John in the 1998 World Cup, Andy Gray has collected various accolades for his extreme excitement during matches, especially the characteristic screams during exciting moments.
Such a moment was when Steven Gerrard scored a screamer from 30 yards in the group stages of the 2004 season of the UEFA Champions League against Olympiakos. Hitting a swerving side-footed volley into the corner of the Olympiakos goal, Gerrard also made sure that Liverpool qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. A pivotal moment for the club made even more interesting by Andy Gray.
#3 Ray Hudson
“Messi knows physics, physics knows no Messi”
Catchy phrases “like a Jedi knight” and “he scores goals like he is ordering pizzas” can only be made by the wackiest commentator in the field – Ray Hudson. A retired professional football player and a former coach, Ray Hudson works as a football commentator on beIN Sport. This unique style of his has also been ridiculed by many to be an insult to “traditional commentary” in the game. But this doesn’t deter him to not make his emotions about players be clearly felt among the masses.
#2 Peter Drury
“It’s Aguero..AGUEROOOOO! STAGGERING! JUST STAGGERING!”
Here, Manchester City had to score twice in stoppage time to beat their city rivals, Manchester United, to clinch the title in the 2011-12 season. Being on the precipice of another brilliant season, Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson, had to endure an extremely rare moment of dissapointment when Sergio Aguero scored for City in the dying seconds of their game against QPR.
The emotions were felt by the commentator too, even though he’s not a City fan. Manchester City won the title after 44 years. Peter Drury, working for FoxSports, captured the moment with the excitement of a 2 year old child and the emotions of the City fans themselves. A statement to remember for every City fan.
#1 John Motson
“Radford again...Oh what a goal! Radford the scorer, Ronnie Radford! And the crowd are invading the pitch!”
Probably one of the best commentators to ever grace the mike for commentating in a football match, John Motson has brought realism to the game through his raspy commentary and an almost surreal voice. His uncharacteristic semi-strained voice in excited situations can give goosebumps to any true football fan. This quote was made by him during the FA Cup match between Newcastle and Hereford in 1972. This is when he started climbing the ladder of popularity in this field.
