Worst Presenters

[The White Knight]

Well I like Roy (I don't know his surname) at Newcastle.

 

He is Entertaining, Funny and keeps us up to date. What more do we want?

 

Oh!! I know - "The lean Green Racing Machine that is........................................................".

 

Keep up the good work Roy. :approve:

[teddy2706]

A few weeks ago at Owlerton the crowds were in hysterics over something I didn't immediately understand as I am not local.

Apparently a ticket for some Party in the Park at Barnsley was announced as the first prize in the draw.

The crowd around me collapsed in mirth, some wag shouting "Ay, Baarnsleys gorra paark!"

The second prize appeared to be £250 which really brought the house down with comments about booby prizes.

My friend who is from Sheffield had to explain for me.

 

Porky isn't to my taste, but he is miles better than the two monkeys who were car park attendants at Monmore years ago who sent far travelled visiting fans into a corner and then boxed them in with Wolves fans cars.

I won't be rude about George, but I would much rather have Derek Turner in the box at Stoke and no centre green announcer at all.

Graham is great at Buxton, if the speakers break down, he simply opens the windows and shouts to us all at the top of his voice and his constant losing arguments with Mark Northall the Cradley spy is hilarious.

Rob Godfrey is brilliant at the job, partisan, amusing, sarcastic, informative and dry:

"Are we havin' 'em on on two minutes or what ref?"

[SCB]

Porky isn't to my taste, but he is miles better than the two monkeys who were car park attendants at Monmore years ago who sent far travelled visiting fans into a corner and then boxed them in with Wolves fans cars.

Porky is so terrible he's bad. A visit to Wolves wouldn't be the same without him.

[StevePark]

Well I like Roy (I don't know his surname) at Newcastle.

 

He is Entertaining, Funny and keeps us up to date. What more do we want?

 

Oh!! I know - "The lean Green Racing Machine that is........................................................".

 

Keep up the good work Roy. :approve:

 

Roy Clarke (don't forget "Lightening.... )

 

I know I'm probably biased, but I prefered Andrew Dalby.

[Fromafar]

A few weeks ago at Owlerton the crowds were in hysterics over something I didn't immediately understand as I am not local.

Apparently a ticket for some Party in the Park at Barnsley was announced as the first prize in the draw.

The crowd around me collapsed in mirth, some wag shouting "Ay, Baarnsleys gorra paark!"

The second prize appeared to be £250 which really brought the house down with comments about booby prizes.

My friend who is from Sheffield had to explain for me.

 

Porky isn't to my taste, but he is miles better than the two monkeys who were car park attendants at Monmore years ago who sent far travelled visiting fans into a corner and then boxed them in with Wolves fans cars.

I won't be rude about George, but I would much rather have Derek Turner in the box at Stoke and no centre green announcer at all.

Graham is great at Buxton, if the speakers break down, he simply opens the windows and shouts to us all at the top of his voice and his constant losing arguments with Mark Northall the Cradley spy is hilarious.

Rob Godfrey is brilliant at the job, partisan, amusing, sarcastic, informative and dry:

"Are we havin' 'em on on two minutes or what ref?"

Rob Godfrey was very entertaining and a great sense of humour on my last visit.

[Gavan]

We have been hugely spoilt at Foxhall with John Earrey and Kevin Long, 2 of he best there has ever been.

 

Got to be honest nevr heard much of Peter York apart from the British Finals when i was about 14 from 1990-1995 and i used to like the last lap commentarys back then. But then again it was such a big occasion that it isnt now

[Halifaxtiger]

Well I like Roy (I don't know his surname) at Newcastle.

 

He is Entertaining, Funny and keeps us up to date. What more do we want?

 

Oh!! I know - "The lean Green Racing Machine that is........................................................".

 

Keep up the good work Roy. :approve:

 

Just to show it is a matter of personal taste, I think he's absolutely awful. I couldn't believe it when I heard he was doing Redcar too.

 

 

Rob Godfrey is brilliant at the job, partisan, amusing, sarcastic, informative and dry:

"Are we havin' 'em on on two minutes or what ref?"

 

Typical Godfrey and one of the reasons why he's so popular.

 

His reaction to a race once when I was there (where a Scunny rider was placed second instead of first) was 'You're having a giraffe'.

 

A quick mention for my old mate Kevin Moore, too. He doesn't do it much now but he was (and still is) one of the most professional in the game.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Halifaxtiger

[The White Knight]

 

Roy Clarke (don't forget "Lightening.... )

 

I know I'm probably biased, but I prefered Andrew Dalby.

Thank you for that Steve. :)

 

I liked Andrew too - but - for pure entertainment I, personally, prefer Roy.

 

Sorry.

 

 

Just to show it is a matter of personal taste, I think he's absolutely awful. I couldn't believe it when I heard he was doing Redcar too.

 

 

Typical Godfrey and one of the reasons why he's so popular.

 

His reaction to a race once when I was there (where a Scunny rider was placed second instead of first) was 'You're having a giraffe'.

 

A quick mention for my old mate Kevin Moore, too. He doesn't do it much now but he was (and still is) one of the most professional in the game.

We must agree to differ HT. At least Roy injects some enthusiasm in to the proceedings. In short - I enjoy his contributions very much.

Edited August 6, 2014 by The White Knight

[Humphrey Appleby]

Got to be honest nevr heard much of Peter York apart from the British Finals when i was about 14 from 1990-1995 and i used to like the last lap commentarys back then.

Possibly just about tolerable 30 years, but never evolved from the 'Smashie and Nicey' style, and he started to forget where he was half the time. Thought it quite funny when he eventually hounded off the centre green at Swindon and had to resort to announcing from the box...

[stratton]

Possibly just about tolerable 30 years, but never evolved from the 'Smashie and Nicey' style, and he started to forget where he was half the time. Thought it quite funny when he eventually hounded off the centre green at Swindon and had to resort to announcing from the box...

Crap commentator end of, up his own a.. loved being centre of attention 30 years behind his sell buy date.

[Tigerish]

So many to choose from some stand outs for me would be the guy at Leicester who announced Jan Graverson's 62.0 second winning time as a new lap record 60.2.

 

Or the guy at Peterborough who gives the riders really cringeworthy nicknames before, during and after races and whips the 'crowd' up to abject apathy.

 

But for me the winner is Shaun Leigh at my team Sheffield, truly, truly shocking. Even worse he presents at my other team Sheffield Wednesday on Saturdays as well.

[Shrimmy]

What's wrong with Shaun Leigh i thought he did a good job at scunny when he was there..ok he's not as good as rob Godfrey for comedy value but sounded really professional.

[topaz325]

Michael Max and Hoggy are good.

[ch958]

Actually most of them are amateurish and embarrassing and another reason why some new visitors to tracks think it's a joke

 

They should just stick to occasional rider or manager interviews

[cowboy cookie returns?]

The bspa presenting UK speedway??

[daveallan81]

Served entirely by the Bet365 streams, here's what I've heard this year:

 

Belle Vue: Nothing. PA doesn't carry to the hot air balloon they film from.

 

Birmingham: Scant consolation but I thought best of the bunch presentation-wise until they shut.

 

Coventry: Guy in the box is fine. Always thought York was a gasbag and I've heard nothing to dissuade me of that opinion. He spoke across the heat results being announced one evening, that's pretty poor.

 

Eastbourne: Only seen a couple from there and the PA is usually drowned out by the tractor racing.

 

King's Lynn: Guy in the box is OK but I would prefer if he stuck to winner-time-2nd-3rd-4th-heat score-prog score-repeat time-done. Centre green chap is a bit one-dimensional and he should be told that when a referee witholds the result because riders are being attended to, it's not an opportunity to invite folk to visit the track shop or grub huts.

 

Leicester: Centre green chap seems prone to missing changes that the guy in the box has to correct. Never been a great fan of announcer inter-play, it invariably sounds amateurish, so maybe back off on that. Unrelated topic, but I can't help thinking their track might be better if they limited the speed of the tractor to under seventy.

 

Lakeside: The guy in the box reminds me of Yogi Bear. Hey Booboo, it's a tactictacle ride. Can't think of the roving mic guy so he must be OK. Better than the nightmare that was Dave Lanning and his looney tunes back in the day.

 

Poole: Can't hear PA from current position. Did get a clear listen once early in the season, seemed fine to me but can't say much more than that.

 

Swindon: Guy in the box is the best in the EL for me. Did he commentate for Screensport at one time? Centre green guy goes about his job fine.

 

Wolverhampton: Box man ok. Not keen on the centre fellow, the words 'acquired taste' spring to mind.

 

If I needed announcers for a meeting, I'd be phoning the Birmingham guys with the Swindon boys in reserve.

 

Some great names from the past mentioned. John Earrey was excellent. I have a video with Rob McCaffery commentating on a 4TT and it's a lesson in advanced mathematics. If he didn't mention it, you didn't need to know it - good commentating. I heard so much of Dick Barrie I kind of phased him out in the end. But...you fair missed him when he wasn't there and he's still working after what, 45 years? Must be doing something right. Mike Bennett became omnipresent, he was ok by and large, good professional.

 

It worries me slightly that the track I thought had the best presentation went down the pan. Whatever problems they had, it wasn't in that department. Can we draw any conclusions from this? Is presentation largely irrelevant to the new or casual supporter? Or is it hopelessly dated and I'm too old to see it? I must say that viewing it solely from the standpoint of somebody new seeking a family night out, it looked and sounded OK to me.

 

For a laugh I used to state 'speedway announcers were killing the sport'. Usually when someone made a mistake (tippex, quickly now!) or blabbed on too long. Yet here we are twenty-odd years later and things aren't looking too rosy. Perhaps I was right, perhaps tracks should just employ a DJ and build a modern big screen to relay all the information. And by modern I mean one that actually looks like a giant telly, not one that's been pinched from the set of the Gemini Man. Has the sport been ignoring it's biggest problem when it's been staring them right in the, eh...ears?

 

Just think, the DJ can get a bit of a groove going or whatever you funky cats do nowadays, probably involves your thang or something similar. The screen can spew out all the info you need. Jazz up the track lights a bit for between heats. Lasers and smoke and stuff. Nice. Every other motor sport bawls it's head off, maybe we should go mellow. The laid-back motor sport. Yeh, get some Floyd on, kick out Monster, bring in Tetley, big cushions and mood lighting. I'm there...

[Trees]

Matt Black at Lynn is awful, very one dimensional, hasn't got into the sport at all, disappoints me greatly that the Lynn promotion think he's OK! Just like they think the programme is OK etc :-(

[Halifaxtiger]

Served entirely by the Bet365 streams, here's what I've heard this year:

 

Belle Vue: Nothing. PA doesn't carry to the hot air balloon they film from.

 

Birmingham: Scant consolation but I thought best of the bunch presentation-wise until they shut.

 

Coventry: Guy in the box is fine. Always thought York was a gasbag and I've heard nothing to dissuade me of that opinion. He spoke across the heat results being announced one evening, that's pretty poor.

 

Eastbourne: Only seen a couple from there and the PA is usually drowned out by the tractor racing.

 

King's Lynn: Guy in the box is OK but I would prefer if he stuck to winner-time-2nd-3rd-4th-heat score-prog score-repeat time-done. Centre green chap is a bit one-dimensional and he should be told that when a referee witholds the result because riders are being attended to, it's not an opportunity to invite folk to visit the track shop or grub huts.

 

Leicester: Centre green chap seems prone to missing changes that the guy in the box has to correct. Never been a great fan of announcer inter-play, it invariably sounds amateurish, so maybe back off on that. Unrelated topic, but I can't help thinking their track might be better if they limited the speed of the tractor to under seventy.

 

Lakeside: The guy in the box reminds me of Yogi Bear. Hey Booboo, it's a tactictacle ride. Can't think of the roving mic guy so he must be OK. Better than the nightmare that was Dave Lanning and his looney tunes back in the day.

 

Poole: Can't hear PA from current position. Did get a clear listen once early in the season, seemed fine to me but can't say much more than that.

 

Swindon: Guy in the box is the best in the EL for me. Did he commentate for Screensport at one time? Centre green guy goes about his job fine.

 

Wolverhampton: Box man ok. Not keen on the centre fellow, the words 'acquired taste' spring to mind.

 

If I needed announcers for a meeting, I'd be phoning the Birmingham guys with the Swindon boys in reserve.

 

Some great names from the past mentioned. John Earrey was excellent. I have a video with Rob McCaffery commentating on a 4TT and it's a lesson in advanced mathematics. If he didn't mention it, you didn't need to know it - good commentating. I heard so much of Dick Barrie I kind of phased him out in the end. But...you fair missed him when he wasn't there and he's still working after what, 45 years? Must be doing something right. Mike Bennett became omnipresent, he was ok by and large, good professional.

 

It worries me slightly that the track I thought had the best presentation went down the pan. Whatever problems they had, it wasn't in that department. Can we draw any conclusions from this? Is presentation largely irrelevant to the new or casual supporter? Or is it hopelessly dated and I'm too old to see it? I must say that viewing it solely from the standpoint of somebody new seeking a family night out, it looked and sounded OK to me.

 

For a laugh I used to state 'speedway announcers were killing the sport'. Usually when someone made a mistake (tippex, quickly now!) or blabbed on too long. Yet here we are twenty-odd years later and things aren't looking too rosy. Perhaps I was right, perhaps tracks should just employ a DJ and build a modern big screen to relay all the information. And by modern I mean one that actually looks like a giant telly, not one that's been pinched from the set of the Gemini Man. Has the sport been ignoring it's biggest problem when it's been staring them right in the, eh...ears?

 

Just think, the DJ can get a bit of a groove going or whatever you funky cats do nowadays, probably involves your thang or something similar. The screen can spew out all the info you need. Jazz up the track lights a bit for between heats. Lasers and smoke and stuff. Nice. Every other motor sport bawls it's head off, maybe we should go mellow. The laid-back motor sport. Yeh, get some Floyd on, kick out Monster, bring in Tetley, big cushions and mood lighting. I'm there...

 

Interesting stuff

 

I think its fair to say that presentation isn't just about the man with the mic - be he in the box or on the centre green - its more than that. I'm certainly not one to comment on the latter and its clear that presenters are very much a matter of individual taste, but I can give an opinion on those who currently do the job and what I would expect.

 

I think the first and most important thing is to know the sport. Those who are the best are all long term fans who would attend as paying customers anyway, and they can recognise riders even with their helmets on and know how to pronounce 'Protasiewicz' or 'Kolodziej'. The aforementioned Shaun Leigh of Sheffield once continued to state that Tom Young was Gary Irving despite the fact that Irving was about a foot taller and that's just embarrassing and smacks of someone who takes his pay, does his job and has absolutely nothing else to do with speedway. In contrast, I have seen Buxton's Graham Tagg all over the place (from Berwick to Wolverhampton) so he's clearly a dyed in the wool fan.

 

The second thing is don't give the impression that the crowd is there for your benefit rather than the other way around and that you are the main attraction. I doubt if any are like that, but they come across that way. Coventry's Peter York and ex King's Lynn presenter Mike Bennett are the worst examples of such behaviour.

 

Thirdly, remember that most fans are adults and treat them that way. That's why I don't like Newcastle/Redcar's Roy Clarke. There's only so much 'LIGHTning Ludvig LINDgren' one can stomach before he comes across as a compere of the magic roundabout.

 

Fourthly - remember we are in the 20th century. I don't mind Dick Barrie (in contrast to every other Berwick fan I have met) and while 'Wheels Cha Cha' is not a bad piece of intro music for a speedway team the remainder of his music and patter seems to be from the 1980's.

 

Fifthly, don't try to be funny if you're not. Most announcers are just professional - people like King's Lynn/Peterborough's Edwin Overland, Workington's John Walsh or Eastbourne's Kevin Coombes are among the best - but occasionally some drift into territory for which they aren't qualified.

 

Sixthly, be a good interviewer. Like Peterborough/Rye House's Craig Saul, for instance (not like Charlie Webster).

 

My dream team would be Plymouth's Graham Hambly (even though he must be well into his 70's) and Ipswich/Mildenhall's Kevin Long, the latter beating Scunthorpe's Rob Godfrey by a short head.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Halifaxtiger

[StevePark]

 

Interesting stuff

 

I think its fair to say that presentation isn't just about the man with the mic - be he in the box or on the centre green - its more than that. I'm certainly not one to comment on the latter and its clear that presenters are very much a matter of individual taste, but I can give an opinion on those who currently do the job and what I would expect.

 

I think the first and most important thing is to know the sport. Those who are the best are all long term fans who would attend as paying customers anyway, and they can recognise riders even with their helmets on and know how to pronounce 'Protasiewicz' or 'Kolodziej'. The aforementioned Shaun Leigh of Sheffield once continued to state that Tom Young was Gary Irving despite the fact that Irving was about a foot taller and that's just embarrassing and smacks of someone who takes his pay, does his job and has absolutely nothing else to do with speedway. In contrast, I have seen Buxton's Graham Tagg all over the place (from Berwick to Wolverhampton) so he's clearly a dyed in the wool fan.

 

The second thing is don't give the impression that the crowd is there for your benefit rather than the other way around and that you are the main attraction. I doubt if any are like that, but they come across that way. Coventry's Peter York and ex King's Lynn presenter Mike Bennett are the worst examples of such behaviour.

 

Thirdly, remember that most fans are adults and treat them that way. That's why I don't like Newcastle/Redcar's Roy Clarke. There's only so much 'LIGHTning Ludvig LINDgren' one can stomach before he comes across as a compere of the magic roundabout.

 

Fourthly - remember we are in the 20th century. I don't mind Dick Barrie (in contrast to every other Berwick fan I have met) and while 'Wheels Cha Cha' is not a bad piece of intro music for a speedway team the remainder of his music and patter seems to be from the 1980's.

 

Fifthly, don't try to be funny if you're not. Most announcers are just professional - people like King's Lynn/Peterborough's Edwin Overland, Workington's John Walsh or Eastbourne's Kevin Coombes are among the best - but occasionally some drift into territory for which they aren't qualified.

 

Sixthly, be a good interviewer. Like Peterborough/Rye House's Craig Saul, for instance (not like Charlie Webster).

 

My dream team would be Plymouth's Graham Hambly (even though he must be well into his 70's) and Ipswich/Mildenhall's Kevin Long, the latter beating Scunthorpe's Rob Godfrey by a short head.

 

You might be, but the rest of us are in the 21st Century!

[BuckTaylor64]

Thanks - you're quite right - one of the many mistakes I made and I did the same on the commentaries. Happy the presentation and commentary days are well behind me now but what I did was honest and well-intentioned and based on a love of the sport, not money. I did my bit to try to help.

 

To me the best were Ted Sear and John Earrey. I never had the privilege of meeting John but I worked with Ted and he was a true pleasure to meet. John was fluent, informative and entertaining - a marvellous presenter.

 

By contrast, the most arrogant and unpleasant individual I ever had the bad luck to meet on the announcing side was Peter York. Even after all these years he seems to pay scant attention to getting names right and I really object to his attempt to commentate over the final lap of races which I would never do over a p.a.

In my own defence, every voice or writing job I performed was because someone asked me to. I never put myself forward once. Thankfully eventually they stopped asking.

Good reply! Sign of a professional! Can take well intended constructive criticism.

Darren Fletcher is a great commentator! I'd love to see him getting involved with sky coverage.