Football commentary can be a real joy

Some moments in football history are so momentous that they bring out the best in the football commentator. One of the most momentous of these moments took place in the year 1954 when West Germany met the invincible Hungary team. The German equivalent of England’s Kenneth Wolstenholme uttered the famous words “Call me mad! Call me crazy!” when West Germany beat the much fancied Hungary team in that most memorable of all World Cup Finals.

Then there was another eloquent piece of football commentary that left listeners enthralled. Even though the event was not as momentous as winning a World Cup Final game, the FA Cup final match between Liverpool and Newcastle United in the year 1974 had the wonderful English commentator David Coleman exulting, “Keegan’s second -………… and Newcastle were undressed!”

It is moments such as these that will have you following the beautiful game with a single minded devotion. Whether it is a World Cup Final or an FA Cup final, moments of great importance happen and have to be captured for prosperity. If it were not for eloquent football commentators our lives would remain drab, mundane and without any fizz.

When it comes to letting go, the Latin Americans seem to be in a class of their own and when a goal is scored the commentator seems to lose all sense of proportion as the familiar scream ‘Gooooooooooooooooooooooooal’ echoes in the mind, reminding one that something very special indeed has taken place.