- 7 Jun 08, 02:25 PM
Villach
So here goes with my blogging debut. The instruction is to give you an insight into the life of a commentator at Euro 2008, so that is exactly what I will endeavour to do.
Actually, it is a relief to be here. When none of the home nations made it, I did wonder if 5 Live would have the same appetite for the tournament.
However, just about the final decision former controller Bob Shennan made before he left his post was to commit the network to providing commentary on every game, so here we are.
It's been a hectic couple of weeks since my last domestic commentary of the season - the Championship play-off final. I was in Trinidad with England this time last week, arrived home at mid-afternoon Tuesday with a good deal of my prep work still to do, so figuratively speaking my feet haven't touched the ground.
Believe me, working as a football commentator is great. Like any other job it has it's negatives, but they are hugely out-numbered by positives, and I regard the tournament finals - the World Cup and the European Championship - to be the cream on the top.
France '98 was my first experience of this sort of thing, so I've now clocked up three World Cups and this is my third Euros. I can honestly say that my enthusiasm is undimmed. I'm not embarrassed to say I felt a real buzz of excitement as I closed the front door behind me at six o´clock yesterday morning.
Actually, just before I did that, I spotted a copy of the Rough Guide to Austria sitting on the bookshelf that I'd forgotten I had. So I spent most of the flight reading about the places I'll be spending the next three weeks, plus the potted history of Austria it contained. I am now a good deal wiser about Prince Eugene of Savoy than I was this time yesterday.
I have only made one visit to Austria before this so flying into Klagenfurt (International, as the lady on reception proudly reminded us) Airport was new territory. Extremely green and lush it is with the lower Alps all around. My commentary colleague Ian Brown reckons it has much of North Wales about it, and I wouldn't disagree. We are based here in Carinthia in the pretty town of Villach, famed for its ski jumping (see photo above), on the Daur River, which is about 20 minutes drive from Klagenfurt.
The main development yesterday as regards our team here is that Graham Taylor turned up with a plastic boot on his left foot. Only late on Thursday afternoon did he discover he has a problem with his Achilles tendon and the unwieldy boot was the only solution to ensure he could even join us here. It's great credit to him that he's just as cheerful as ever, but what a pain it must be for him in every sense. The doctor's final words were that he should try to give it plenty of rest. Some hope!
Anyway we're now concentrating on the action. We will be the last of the 5 Live teams into action at Euro 2008 when we bring you the Germany-Poland match on Sunday night, and, trust me, Ian and I have given Graham a long briefing session this morning on the pronunciation of the Polish names.
Listen in tomorrow night to find out how he - and we - cope with Jacek Krzynowek (pictured above) and his mates.
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Very interesting post, a dream job it sounds!
Who's in reserve for Graham? Could Trevor Sinclair get a late call up once again?
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Krzynowek is one of the easier ones i find to pronounce. Bet your gutted Jakub Blaszczykowski isnt there lol
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yeah ... graham taylors foot injury is really impotant right now ... after all i't's mot like he is getting paid for it ... it's not like failure to attend would cost him anything .... ohh wait ... failure is a word he knows well ... sheesh .. who cares ....
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I'm sure Graham's foot will heal quite com-fort-ably...
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Nice write-up John. Please try not to be as negative as Alan Green was today at the Switzerland-Czech game. He complained about everything - as usual. It's nice to hear your little introductions about the weather and the venue and the scenary, which you always start off with - but PLEASE once only, that is enough.
I'm 'shocked' that Radio 5 live is taking all the games, considering that England are not there. This is a very positive move because the attitude generally seems to be that if England are not there then it's not worth bothering about.
Where do you stand on this Alan Green thing about, 'which players (Switz/Czech) apart from Peter Cech will get in the England team'.? Given that England conceded 3 goals at home to Croatia, then I reckon all the Czech Rep. defence would qualify. Don't most of them play in Italy for the big teams anyway?
Look forward to hearing you on Germany-Poland.
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graham taylor? havent we suffered enough humiliation at his hands
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You might have a better chance of pronouncing Polish and German names correctly, if the BBC started including diacritics and other indicators in its printed output. The manager of Germany is not called Low, despite what many of the BBC's own web pages say. Put an umlaut over the 'o' or at least spell it Loew. Then you may get the pronunciation right! And diacritics if present do actually help with the pronunciation of Polish! especially the barred 'l'!
(How the hell are you going to cope in Poland and Ukraine in 2012?)
I must show you some grudging respect for at least learning a little Austrian history. Most Brits are blissfully that Austria was once a major continental power. 'Empress Maria Teresa? - Never heard of her', 'Metternich?' - 'Who he?'.
My personal tip for Austria would be to take any opportunity in your spare time to visit the major public museums and galleries. Austria is a treasure trove of art. If you get to Vienna and do not visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum, I will lose all respect for you. It must be one the top 5 galleries in the world, and by an accident of history (called The Hapsburgs) houses the world's finest collection of Flemish art, especially works of Pieter Bruegel).
Looking forward to tomorrow's game, and rooting for Germany because I am currently taking a German language course at my local Goethe Institut.
Servus! (As i think they say in Austria).
PS. Enjoy the beer. From memory, the local brews in Salzburg were especially good.
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Erratum: In my previous comment, I should have written 'Most Brits are blissfully UNAWARE that...'
Apologies - but it is very late...
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I'm feeling so Polish today it's unbelievable.
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I dare say most Brits, and others, are UNBLISSFULLY aware that Austria has played a starring role in the two World Wars of the last century. It has had its share of provocative politicians over the years, not only Maria and Metternich (the odious H. Kissinger's role model) but also Archduke Ferdinand and that Adolph chap. And more recently, of course, the outspoken Georg Haider. But why dwell on the darker side of Austrian culture just now. They gave us all Mozart didn't they?! For that alone, we'll be forever in their debt. And alot of other great composers,too. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like their footballers are quite the geniuses in their own right that their musicians have been. Oh well, you can't have everything, I guess. Anyhow that was a clever bit of work in the blog to put that photo of the soaring ski jumper under the phraes "my feet haven't touched the ground".
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Interesting blog, my eldest son Ash (10) has the same problem as Graham and has been in plaster for 6 of the 8 weeks the doctors prescribed for him. He's a bit of a Watford fan with his cousins and he's had to miss all his teams (Christchurch youth fc) football tournaments too! He said to tell Graham "Get well soon".
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