A day in the life of the Albion BBC Radio Sussex Commentary Team

Sunday November 13th 2022. The World Cup where so many Brighton players would showcase their talents in front of a worldwide audience of billions was yet to start. The sun was beaming down on the Amex Stadium. It was too warm even to wear a jacket. And I found myself joining the BBC Radio Sussex Commentary team as the Albion took on Aston Villa in their final Premier League game before the winter break.

It was listening to Brighton playing an away game on BBC Radio Sussex that the idea came to me. How many of us appreciate the effort that goes into bringing commentary and coverage over the airwaves to Albion fans comes ran, shine, sleet and on occasions, snow?

At this summer’s Albion Fans’ Forum, I approached host Mr Johnny Cantor. He very kindly helped publicise my book The Seagulls Best Ever Season on the Albion Unlimited podcast, and so I asked him if he and his co-commentator Mr Warren Aspinall would mind if I became a fly-on-the-wall watching, understanding and getting the inside line on what goes on in their commentary position at the Amex?

Johnny agreed and so too did head of communications at Brighton, Mr Paul Camilin. It was decided that I would join BBC Radio Sussex for the Villa game; a choice I was very happy with as maybe the now-new Prince of Wales would be there?

He is an avid Villa fan as we all know. Unfortunately, I did not spot him but that does that mean he was not present, incognito.

If William were at the Amex, he would have left a happy man afterwards. Villa won 2-1, a blow to Roberto De Zerbi and Brighton as they had been on a good run beforehand.

Sixth place going into the Villa game became seventh after, still a great position to be in ahead of the six week break.

Joining Jonny and Warren was not my first experience of sports commentary. Many of my early years were spent in the golf business and I was a regular visitor to trade exhibitions, working for both Golf Illustrated and Golf Monthly magazines.

One exhibition was a trade fair in Edinburgh on a cold January. Mr Renton Laidlaw, the then-ITV golf commentator, had a competition running.

To win the prize, you had to commentate on the famous Seve Ballesteros playing an approach shot to a green at Wentworth.

I knew Wentworth having played the course before and so commentating on it was for me, as the meerkats say, simples. And first prize was mine.

Johnny and Warren have a far more difficult job to do when it comes to commentating on the Albion. There is no warm commentary box. They sit out in the open at every game, often in not-the-best conditions.

Commentary teams from BBC local radio have no engineers or technicians with them; they do everything themselves.

There is a lengthy setup requiring an early arrival to make sure all the equipment is working. It then all must be packed away afterwards, followed by the long drive home if the game has taken place up north. Matchday for Johnny and Warren is more time-consuming than you would ever realise.

Johnny is no stranger to it. He is a hugely experienced broadcaster both on radio and television who has covered sports, news and entertainment.

His voice and commentaries are familiar to thousands of people in Sussex and nationally having been heard on BBC programmes such as Football Focus and Late Kick Off and BBC Radio 5 Live Monday Night Club.

Johnny has presented from some of the most famous sporting venues in the world. Wembley, Lords, Wimbledon, Epsom Racecourse and even the golf course which won my commentary prize all those years ago, Wentworth.

He is a regular host of award ceremonies and fans’ forums, lectures at universities, does voiceovers for commercials including Radio Times magazine and has even worked as a researcher for the investigative show Inside Out on football finances.

To watch and learn from Johnny is to watch and learn from a broadcaster who has done it all. On the day of the Villa game, I arrived at the Amex before 11am.

After hearing some musicians playing Sussex by the Sea near the fish and chip stand in the sunshine and smelling a waft of burger and chips, everything seemed set for a great afternoon.

I met up with Johnny at the Amex press centre and after observing the two minute silence for Remembrance Sunday in honour of all those who made the ultimate sacrifice, it was down to business. Warren would join us shortly but there was no Mr Adrian Harmes as he was on holiday in Egypt.

With three hours until kick off, the press centre was already a hive of activity. Broadcasters and journalists from local, national and international media were all at their desks and working away.

There had been a significant increase in interest surrounding Brighton since De Zerbi had been appointed, whilst Villa were also attracting attention as Unai Emery took charge of his first away game. This was reflected by every desk being full.

Many had been at the Amex since the early hours and would remain in place long after the stadium had emptied, working through the afternoon and beyond to reach their deadlines. With commuting to and from the stadium, those working in the media face a very long day,

From the press centre refreshment area came the scent of chicken curry. There was the regular sound of fizzy drinks bottles being opened and consumed.

The Albion’s hospitality team do an important job of making sure the media are fed and watered before kick off. With those tight deadlines to meet, broadcasters and journalists often face a lengthy wait to eat again after the final whistle.

Warren and Johnny know only too well from their experience at away games the importance of sustenance. Many of the people in the press centre will have faced long journeys to the Amex. A good meal on arrival is a welcome sight after hours on the road.

Johnny explained that the BBC would have three teams at the match. His counterparts from BBC West Midlands were providing coverage for Villa fans back in Birmingham and BBC Radio 5 Live were also present with the game selected as the day’s afternoon commentary on the station.

Right on cue, in walked Glenn Murray. The former Brighton striker has made a name for himself as a pundit since retiring, although to me he remains the Albion’s second-highest ever goal scorer and an absolute hero.

To be so close to Murray, well, it was hard to concentrate on what Johnny was saying for a minute. The spell was broken when Johnny took me outside to the BBC Sussex commentary position.

It is in a prime spot right behind the dugouts, so prime that it became the centre of attention during one of the greatest afternoons in Albion history.

Permission given courtesy of Paul Hazelwood of Photo Shelter

When Brighton beat Wigan Athletic to secure promotion to the Premier League on Monday 17th April 2017, the players celebrated from where Johnny and Warren sit.

Cue Johnny being caught in one of the best photos of the day, looking up from just behind Anthony Knockaert as Knockaert and Bruno sung to fans who had invaded the pitch.

Despite everything going on around him, Johnny was still broadcasting away in the thick of it all to keep those at home up-to-date with the celebrations.

Johnny untangles his wires to setup the commentary position. Picture by Tony Noble

Whilst Johnny untangled his wires and setup the commentary position for Warren and himself, the BBC West Midlands team did likewise one spot along.

Johnny whipped out the box of tricks which brings his voice and that of Warren to us. It is all run through an ISDN line provided by the Albion.

The BBC COOBE is run via an ISDN line provided by the Albion. Picture by Tony Noble

ISDN lines have been around for years, they even kept my telex machine running many moons ago. Some broadcasters have switched to Hi-Speed Broadband and Wifi but not all. For BBC Radio Sussex, ISDN remains the way in which they connect with us.

As Johnny was sorting out the technical side of things, Warren remained inside. He was busy making notes and going over any information that may be needed during the broadcast, as well as practicing singing “What did Della wear boys, What did Della wear?”

Not many people can say they have been serenaded by a former Brighton striker performing a 1950s classic. My day with the BBC Sussex team was already proving better than expected.

Warren went back to his notes once he had finished performing. The level of detail and preparation put in by both Johnny and Warren is amazing.

It even went down to the name of the Salvation Army buglers who would be playing the Last Post on the pitch before the game.

Johnny ready to commentate – complete with colour coded notes. Picture by Tony Noble

Although there was not enough room for me to remain with Johnny and Warren during the game, I was lucky enough to sit with Johnny whilst he gave the 1pm announcement of the teams live on air.

With headphones on, I became even more excited than when Warren had been singing for me. To think that there were tens of thousands of people across Sussex and beyond finding out that Adam Webster and Kaoru Mitoma were ill and that Levi Colwill was making his Premier League debut highlighted what an important role BBC Sussex plays for Albion fans.

How many of us would miss the service if it were taken away? Imagine no more Johnny, Warren and Adrian bringing us live commentaries of every Brighton match. No more interviews with De Zerbi or the players. No more Albion Unlimited.

The reason I mention this is because many broadcasters currently working in BBC local radio face the possibility of losing their jobs in the new year.

According to reports in the media, nobody is safe. The Hull Daily Mail revealed in November that their region faced major cuts to jobs and local programming.

The Manchester Evening News followed up by reporting presenters have been told to reapply for their jobs amid plans to slash staff.

Industry website Radio Today said every local BBC reporter had been told they face the risk of redundancy.

The loss to Albion fans and radio listeners in Sussex would be massive if Johnny, Warren, Adrian and the rest of their colleagues were to be taken off air.

It could also lead to no more matchday commentary via the official Brighton website, as that too is supplied by BBC Radio Sussex.

It has never been more important to support local radio than now by listening in. Brighton fans need to leave the BBC in no doubt that we do not want them to remove the first-rate coverage of the Seagulls we are treated too when these decisions set to be in the Spring get made.

BBC Radio Sussex provide Brighton coverage that we don’t get anywhere else. Thanks to Johnny and Warren allowing me to join them, I saw first hand the hard work, commitment and dedication they put into the job.

We cannot let that disappear, because without Johnny, who would keep us up-to-date on games from Manchester City to Forest Green Rovers or tell us “It’s the stuff of champions, it’s the stuff of dreams”?

And without Warren, who would talk about putting the ball in the onion bag or sing over the airwaves “What did Della wear boys, What did Della wear?”

Long live BBC Radio Sussex.

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony