Martin Tyler's Letter From The Gantry No 32

From The Joy Of Football podcast No 36 written on December 2nd 2024, recounting a commentator's typically busy week

Martin broadcasting in Neil’s Kingston kitchen

Since we were last in the Kingston Kitchen I have had a busy time. Three commentaries in three different competitions. All the games with moments to remember. Lots of The Joy Of Football.

I started at St James’ Park – Newcastle at home to West Ham, my first chance on Tyneside to appreciate the much clearer numbers on the back of those famous black and white shirts this season. More importantly for all the spectators to enjoy much easier identification. If you have been with us from the start on The Joy Of Football you know it has been something of a personal crusade. Just Brentford now!!!

It turned out to be a memorable night for those not in the stripes but in Hammers’ equally renowned claret and blue, starting with Tomas Šouček heading them in front. It was West Ham’s first goal from a corner in the Premier League this season and the first Eddie Howe’s team had conceded in such fashion.. It turned out to be a good omen.

Aaron Wan Bissaka wrapped up a well-deserved win on the eve of his 27^th birthday with his first goal for his new club on the ground when he had netted his first for Manchester United. Much was made of the extra couple of days afforded after an international break to those involved in a Monday night fixture. In truth Newcastle looked anything but rested. It was as if they had all been on their travels, as of course they had with those not called up for their countries away at a training camp in Saudi Arabia.

Two days later my assignment was Celtic against Club Brugge in the Champions League with Brendan Rodgers and his players relishing the chance to reach 10 points after five games and build on a roaring success over RB Leipzig on Matchday 4. That they only picked up one point was in the end down to an agonising own goal from one of the leaders in their group, Cameron Carter Vickers. The USA international lost his bearings with another key figure, Kasper Schmeichel, and passed the ball back towards the corner of his own net with sufficient power to defeat the goalkeeper’s scrambling attempt to keep it out.

The Belgians you might remember had benefitted in their previous European fixture from Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings unaccountably picking up the ball in his own penalty box and conceding the spot kick which was the only goal of the game. Two extraordinary strokes of good fortune – prompting the comment Lucky Bruggers.

My third and most recent assignment was in the second round of the FA Cup with both Solihull Moors of the National League and League Two Bromley trying to reach round three for the first time in their histories. And it was also a rematch of the Wembley promotion Play-Off Final back in May when via a penalty shoot-out Bromley became an EFL club for the very first time.

There was no revenge. The ebullient Bromley boss, Andy Woodman, chalked up another outstanding achievement and left the ground hoping the third round draw would not pair his team with Preston North End whose goalkeeper is his son Freddie.

One appealing factor about the game was to see the influence of two players who had experienced higher levels of football. John Bostock had a fine game in the Moors midfield-yes the same John Bostock who played in Crystal Palace’s first team as a 15 year old and was sold to Spurs when he was 16. He is 32 now.

For Bromley there was a cameo from Carl Jenkinson, previously of Arsenal and West Ham – and on one occasion England. Brought on to help protect Bromley’s lead he made one great defensive header at the far post to get that job done.

As a commentator you go where you are sent and I learned a long time ago not to look at eventful games elsewhere with a ‘Wish I had been there’ attitude. But my friends and colleagues have had some amazing recent stories. Bournemouth’s Brazilian striker Evanilson being fouled for three separate penalties, two by Wolves keeper Jose Sá. All three converted by Justin Kluivert – the kind of hat-trick so rare that it hadn’t happened in the top flight of English football since 1957.

There was a first career hat-trick for Brentford’s Kevin Schade. Now we broadcasters are given pre-season videos of all the players saying their names correctly. The season before this Kevin looked into the camera and called himself Kevin Shade. Either feeling that he should anglicise his name, or maybe be a little mischievous. It could be a Brentford thing. Regular defender Kristoffer Ayer – renamed himself as Age-r this time around — a request that no commentator has taken seriously.

As for Schade he put other strikers in the shade against Leicester.

One final statistic did ring a bell with me. West Ham 2 Arsenal 5 – seven goals all in the first-half. I was commentating on one of the few previous occasions it happened in the Premier League – a pulsating first-half at Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers 3 Leeds United 4. 1997.

All those seven goals in the opening 33 minutes. It was my birthday and I couldn’t have had a better present. The Joy of Commentating on Football!!

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