The Commentators' View: England scrabble & The Hopping Rodon

Sep 12, 2025

Join the hosts as they recount their memorable journey through Serbia, revealing hilarious anecdotes from the stadium. They dive into the nuances of English football commentary, introducing quirky terms to their growing glossary. Excitement builds as they discuss the return of the Premier League and debate lineup decisions, including whether Liverpool should start Isak. The Clash of the Commentators amps up the competitive banter, all while celebrating the joy of football and listener engagement through voicenotes.

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ANECDOTE

Tunnel Mix-Up In Belgrade

Ian Dennis recounts getting lost in the Belgrade stadium and accidentally finding the famous tunnel via doping control.
He tweeted, deleted and re-tweeted after realising he'd seen the players' long walk under the track.

ANECDOTE

Inside The Marakana Experience

John Murray describes the Marakana's unique features: graffiti, a tank painted in club colours and towering floodlight pylons.
He also recalls heavy security and walking out through disgruntled fans to reach the interview area.

INSIGHT

Trusting The Coach's Eye

John notes Thomas Tuchel trusted his eye and predicted a strong England performance before it materialised.
He highlights that top coaches still rely on observation, not just metrics.

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John Murray, Ian Dennis & Ali Bruce-Ball talk football, travel & language. They reflect on their trip to Serbia and look ahead to the return of the Premier League. Can John strike lucky again in Clash of the Commentators? What will be added to the Great Glossary of Football Commentary? And there’s a brand new feature… Get your suggestions in with WhatsApp voicenotes to 08000 289 369 & emails to TCV@bbc.co.uk

01:00 Ian’s journey down the tunnel in Serbia 07:00 ‘Memorable’ trip as England perform 10:15 How do Bellingham, Saka & Palmer get back in? 13:25 Scrabble boards at the ready! 16:30 5 Live commentaries as the Premier League returns 19:00 Do Liverpool start Isak over Ekitike? 22:40 Most surprising managerial exits? 29:00 Clash of the Commentators 37:40 Great Glossary of Football Commentary 46:25 A new feature… but will it catch on?

BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries: Sat 1500 Everton v Aston Villa, Sat 1500 Newcastle v Wolves on Radio 5 Sports Extra, Sat 1730 West Ham v Tottenham, Sun 1400 Burnley v Liverpool, Sun 1630 Man City v Man Utd.

Glossary so far: 2-0 is a dangerous score, After you Claude, All-Premier League affair, Aplomb, Bag/box of tricks, Brace, Brandished, Breaking the deadlock, Bundled over the line, Champions elect / champions apparent, Clinical finish, Commentator’s curse, Coupon buster, Cultured/Educated left foot, Denied by the woodwork, Draught excluder, Elimination line, Fellow countryman, Foot race, Formerly of this parish, Fox in the box, Free hit, Goalkeepers’ Union, Goalmouth scramble, Good touch for a big man, Honeymoon Period, In and around, In the shop window, Keeping ball under their spell, Keystone Cops defending, Languishing, Loitering with intent, Marching orders, Nestle in the bottom corner, Numbered derbies, Nutmeg, Opposite number, Park the bus, PK for penalty-kick, Postage stamp, Put it in the mixer, Put their laces through it, Rasping shot, Red wine not white wine, Relegation six-pointer, Rooted at the bottom, Route One, Roy of the Rovers stuff, Sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, Shooting boots, Sleeping giants, Slide rule pass, Small matter of, Spiders web, Stayed hit, Steepling, Stinging the palms, Stonewall penalty, Straight off the training ground, Stramash, Taking one for the team, Team that likes to play football, Throw their cap on it, Thruppenny bit head / 50p head, Towering header, Two good feet, Turning into a basketball match, Turning into a cricket score, Usher/Shepherd the ball out of play, Walking a disciplinary tightrope, Wand of a left foot, We’ve got a cup tie on our hands, Where the kookaburra sleeps, Where the owl sleeps, Winger in their pocket, Wrap foot around it, Your De Bruynes, your Gundogans etc.