EFL BBC Live Radio Commentary

[tonyw]

I don't. I want it to be partisan.

Does it matter to you that local radio reporting be 'independent' when it comes to football?

The problem with Rosie isn't that he's partisan - of course you want the RadOx team to be 100% behind the yellows (the gap in the level of excitement between Jerome and Nathan calling an Oxford goal vs. an oppo goal is both hilarious and appropriate).

The problem with Rosie is that he's supposed to be analyzing the match but he refuses to say anything negative at any point about any Oxford player or manager no matter how bad we or they might be playing. Which basically renders him utterly pointless as a summarizer - and frankly actually winds me up on occasions; if we're getting lumped 3-0 at home by a mediocre Rovers side, I want to listen to a commentary team laying into them, not talking about how everything's going to turn out alright if we just get behind the lads!

But Jerome and Nathan are both brilliant, and anyone trying to get rid of Nick can **** right off!
He mostly only does home games, and they really only let him talk a couple of times each half. For us distant exiles, those dulcet unmistakably Oxfordshire tones are a poignant biweekly reminder of home. He's a local treasure and should have a job for life......just don't ever, you know, ask him to describe the play or announce any lineups or substitutions.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Yes RadOx does provide fantastic coverage of our games - and long may it continue. 'When I were a lad' back in the 70s, the coverage was much different - typically a music show on a Saturday afternoon with live updates from a reporter at the game roughly every 15 minutes from 3pm.

Back in the 1970’s BBC Radio Oxford had Peter Edmondson and then Garry Richardson anchoring the Saturday afternoon sports programme.
As you say you would get live two minute reports every 15 mins with Nick Harris reporting on Oxford Utd games, Headley Feast for Oxford City and coverage was also given to Swindon Town via Roland Arblaster and Brian Roach for Reading FC. The Radio Oxford Swindon Town and Reading coverage ceased in the early 80’s.

Radio Oxford then had a 6pm show called ‘Talking Sport’ a round up of all the days results with a focus mainly on Oxford Utd’s match with a couple of post match interviews and if you missed it on the Saturday evening you could then relive it as the show was repeated on a Sunday morning. One of my earliest memories was Nick Harris reporting on a U‘s 3-2 home victory over Exeter City in September 1978. He still sounds the same 45 years on!