PUBLISHED ON 1 JUNE, 2012
Should you get fed up with watching Gary Lineker or Adrian Chiles on your TV screens constantly, there are plenty of other ways for fans to keep updated on this summer’s European Football Championships in Poland and Ukraine.
Live text commentaries, Twitter & Facebook updates and podcasts are some of the more digitalised concepts around today but radio is the best alternative output.
Fans will be spoiled by the summer of sport ahead and for Euro 2012, three radio stations offer the most comprehensive, detailed and extensive approach to the beautiful game.
BBC Radio 5 Live leads the way
BBC Radio 5 Live will lead the way with commentary on all 31 matches in the finals, either on the main station or its digital sister service, 5 Live Sports Extra.
Like the TV output, there is a mixture of teams that will either be heading out to Poland and Ukraine, or staying at the modernised new home of the BBC, which is MediaCityUK in Salford.
Mark Chapman and Colin Murray will present from Manchester and will be joined by Robbie Savage and FC Twente boss Steve McClaren.
In Eastern Europe, Mark Pougatch leads the presentation team with coverage from Warsaw of the opening ceremony and the first game between Poland and Greece, also live on BBC Television.
There is a strong line-up of commentators with chief football correspondent Mike Ingham and Alan Green the main men behind the mic on the radio.
They will be supported by John Murray & Darren Fletcher with summarisers including former England manager Graham Taylor, ex-players Danny Mills and Chris Waddle and to keep the Irish flavour, current footballer Kevin Kilbane.
Kilbane will double up and report alongside Conor McNamara in Gdansk, where the Republic of Ireland will be based for the finals. Ingham and Ian Dennis will bring regular updates from England’s home for the tournament, which is Krakow.
Alan Green will also have live editions of the popular football phone-in 606 after every single England game at Euro 2012.
TalkSport brings in the big names
Commercial radio station TalkSport has brought in the big names to front its coverage of this summer’s exhibition of football.
Former Nottingham Forest & Liverpool striker Stan Collymore, along with Sony Radio Academy winners and ex-Sky Sports anchors Richard Keys and Andy Gray will be part of their team. Like 5 Live, TalkSport will be covering all 31 games live from the finals.
Collymore will commentate on every England match and Gray on all Republic of Ireland games. Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson joins the commentary team, led by John Roder and its chief and experienced man behind the mic, Sam Matterface.
Adrian Durham and Mark Saggers will alternate with Keys in presenting the live games, all from Poland and the Ukraine.
Ian Abrahams will be amongst the fans enjoying the experience outside the host stadiums.
Also joining the team will be the winner of the Coca Cola Fan Reporter competition on an internship which was fronted by TalkSport and Coca Cola recently.
By becoming a dedicated 24-hour sports broadcast station recently, TalkSport will still have the regular programmes in its schedule, like Hawksbee & Jacobs and the Alan Brazil sports breakfast show.
TalkSport is available on AM and DAB digital radio.
Absolute brings live football to FM
FM listeners in London won’t miss out either after Absolute Radio recently confirmed a deal to be an official rights holder for radio coverage.
Unlike its counterparts, Absolute will only broadcast ten live games on radio but this will include all England and Republic of Ireland matches from the group stage, plus the final in Kiev on July 1.
The commentary team will be led by Jim Proudfoot, who has fronted Masters Football on Sky Television and was part of TalkSport’s team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
One of Arsenal’s all-time leading goalscorers, Ian Wright will present a daily show from London during the tournament. Ian Wright’s Rock 'n' Roll Football will allow callers to get in touch with Wrighty and his regular Saturday partner, comedian Ian Stone. There will also be celebrity guests and live music on this show.
Another Arsenal legend, Perry Groves, will join Russ Williams every night from 7pm to cover the evening matches.
Euro 2012 starts one of sports biggest ever summers and this carnival of football is bound to get many fans excited throughout the next four weeks.
The radio will do everything possible to capture the tense and dramatic atmosphere that we will experience and with three UK stations fronting live and detailed coverage of a major football competition for the first time, there is plenty of choice should it just be a bit too nerve-racking to watch on TV.
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