Watching the Match
The inside story of football on television
Brian barwick
Andre Deutsch books
We all know the modern world is relatively young. Whilst we can believe life has been on this earth in some form over millennia it is only since electrification and the industrial revolution that things have moved with great pace. Of course television has been in place show by moving images over the past 100 years but hard to believe that it is only 70 years since the first game was televised, with no commentary.
Three tv cameras were placed around the ground and football in London became a more regular event, annual FA Cup showdowns and international games. A far cry from 20 cameras at a non league game.
Reading this brought me back to the 1975 European cup semi final. It r informed why so many Irish people of a certain age are Leeds United fans as they attempted to get to a European Cup Final. Our way of following Leeds progress as kids was in our bedroom standing around an old radio trying to tune in to BBC and hear how the game was progressing as the sound waves in and out. No live coverage back then.
Match of the Day was a staple in our house after the communal Saturday bath. How times have changed but how quickly can our memories fade? I still have the memories for sure, and the big match on Sunday afternoon. The names mentioned here are of commentators I grew up with. People who gave me the details of teams and events that I was mopping up.
For me punk rock took over eventually but this book is a commentary of my youth and a perfect hark back to days and games gone by as we spent the whole day watching the build up to he FA Cup final. Transfers weren’t just the entity of clubs with players and managers as it seems like executives have moved around the broadcasters with as much impunity as those they were filming.
A good read into the background of the images that appear on tv screens accompanying the words we hear.
