Barry Davies v John Motson

[stressederic]

On Second Thoughts: Barry Davies

Although John Motson usually got the best gigs, Barry Davies was the better commentator

Rob SmythSeptember 3, 2008 12:04 PM

The either/or question might seem like the preserve of the inane pub bore, but it is used with disconcerting frequency and can insidiously shape perceptions. Blur or Oasis? Pepsi or Coke? PCs or Macs? Jez or Mark? The Sopranos or The Wire? Spit or Bob Carolgees? And, for those who have ever watched football on the BBC, particularly in the mid-1990s, John Motson or Barry Davies?

 

For a while, even the BBC suits couldn't make up their mind: after more than a decade of having Motson as the undisputed No1, they gave Davies his first World Cup final in 1994, and then gave him two FA Cup finals in 1995-96, before normal service was resumed.

 

Davies, then, was destined to spend almost all of a hugely distinguished career in the shadows. Yet the suspicion remains that, of the post-Coleman brigade of football commentators, he might just have been the best of the lot. He was certainly infinitely superior to the current, barely distinguishable shower. For me, hearing him in action again at the Olympics came behind only Usain Bolt in the list of highlights. Yet at the same time some will have reached for the mute button.

 

Davies was always something of a Marmite figure, a man whose "woefully judgmental sermonising", to quote one internet forum commentator, and unashamedly middle-class nature made him unlistenable to the archetypal football fan. Yet Davies's background has nothing to do with anything. He "felt" football as acutely as anyone, and many found his sporadic crankiness an integral part of his overall charm, like an endearing, eccentric uncle predisposed to unprompted expressions of contempt for modern society from behind an impenetrable fug of pipe smoke.

 

This is not to criticise Motson, who for most of his career was a superb broadcaster. But Davies simply had more going for him. Davies wore baldness with a roguish majesty; Motson wore a sheepskin. Davies had a wonderfully expressive, almost operatic voice; Motson spoke like someone whose mouth had been invaded by Chewits. Davies focused on detail, narrative and character; Motson often commentated by numbers in more than one sense. Davies was chic; Motson a geek. Davies, like Richie Benaud, spoke little and often; Motson spoke lots and often. Davies, you imagined, had a dictionary by his side; Motson probably had a Rothmans.

 

Davies, like all the best commentators, also had unique flourishes. Coleman's "one-nil" became his trademark, yet for some reason Davies's equally catchy and succinct "so-and-sooooo... scores!" never really caught on. Nor did his oft-used "lovely goal!" (goal C on this video, for example), which had the effect of making you feel that just you and Bazza had witnessed something of almost unprecedented aesthetic appeal.

 

He also affectingly referred to games as "contests", to tournaments as "competitions", and to a "penalty competition" rather than the unnecessarily dramatic "penalty shoot-out". This was the thing with Davies: he cared enormously about language, and he was free of the hype and guff that marks almost all of today's coverage. He wouldn't have lasted five syllables, never mind five minutes, on Sky. Davies rarely got overexcited, so when he did you knew it was the real thing: "And Leeds will go mad... and they've every right to go mad!" (right at the end of this video) or his finest hour: "Interesting... very interesting... Look at his face! Just look at his face!".

 

Not that Davies was without flaws. Big deal. Sometimes his brain would move faster than his tongue, as during solo goals by Diego Maradona in 1986 (when "he doesn't need them" became "he dudnedem") and Ryan Giggs in 1992 (when "beautiful" and "brilliant" morphed into the Bernard Matthews-style "broodiful"). He had a shocker in the 1995 FA Cup final, at the worst possible time, and many found that his schoolmasterly reprimands to errant players were not to their taste. Others found them hilarious. How could you not, for example, laugh at this heartfelt reprimand to Terry Fenwick, beginning as it does with a simple 'Ach!'.

 

There was also a perception that Davies could be a cold fish, too detached to fully engage the viewer. Yet that doesn't really stand up to the fact that two of his signature commentaries came during matches between England and Germany: "And where were the Germans? And quite frankly, who cares?" during the Olympic hockey final of 1988, and the simple, and simply perfect, "OH NO!" when Gareth Southgate's penalty was saved at Euro 96.

 

Davies's decency also shone through in and out of the gantry. In interviews, he was humble and rarely took himself seriously. This sounds obvious but is anything but when dealing with media figures. He wasn't quite a Dan Ashcroft among Nathan Barleys, but he was still emphatically one of the good guys.

 

He was also, effortlessly and by some distance, the coolest commentator of his generation. He made baldness more than okay. And whereas Motson appeared in Flushed Away, Davies appeared on Big Train. Surely not even Motson's greatest fans would offer that up as an either/or.

 

Guardian

 

I always much prefered Barry Davies personally, even before Motson went senile.

 

Worth going to the link of that article as well as there are some good videos embedded in it.

[Rimbeux]

Davies by a distance

Edited September 3, 2008 by Rimbeux

[Gunga Din]

Davies was always better, Sinstad was better, infact, they were all better than Motson. Jimmy Magee on RTE was the king of commentators though

[hagi_complex]

Jimmy Magee on RTE was the king of commentators though

 

Different class............DIFFERENT CLASS!

 

Always preferred Davies to Motson as well.

[D.Boon]

Davies was miles better. Even back when Motson wasn't an acute embarrassment.

[ManxRed]

Always preferred Davies, moreso after he commentated on the World Stare-Out Finals.

[Stevie H]

"look at the dutch supporters behind that goal. . . .they look. . . .just like. . . .a, a giant jar of marmalade".

 

- barry davies, euro '96.

 

i still love that.

[Cobs]

the one i remember for Davies - WC 86 - even as an England fan when you know you've been cheated by the first goal 2nd Maradona goal '.....you have to say that's magnificent......' - nutshelled it !

[pipnasty]

the one i remember for Davies - WC 86 - even as an England fan when you know you've been cheated by the first goal 2nd Maradona goal '.....you have to say that's magnificent......' - nutshelled it !

 

 

Yeah, that's one of the ones that I remember too.

 

Also, the article talks about the way he used to berate players during a match and I remember him having a right go at the England players when it was 0-0 with Poland. Something like 'Oh dear oh dear. England cannot afford to keep making crass errors like that if they are to win this match.'

 

Davies was great.

[Gunga Din]

it all started going down hill when they put co commentators in. they all seemed to want to be part of some comedy double act.

Edited September 4, 2008 by Gunga Din

[Ostrich Man]

did they take that idea for co-commentators from the radio? cant remember who did that first....but anyway can work quite well when its on the radio and its a good pairing.....but when its alan green and mark lawrenson...jesus...it just cant get any worse.

[Guest Pedro]

Davies every time.

 

I remember his commentary when Fowler scored in the UEFA Cup Final vs Alaves. Something along the lines of "Ohhhh..that's Boys Own stuff.."

Brilliant.

 

But maybe it's just the way I can't stand the way Motson says "Roooooooooney!"

[Stevie H]

don't know but it's a good quiz question. who was the first 'co-commentator'? i'd imagine it was done on radio first. jimmy armfield maybe?

[Gunga Din]

did they take that idea for co-commentators from the radio? cant remember who did that first....but anyway can work quite well when its on the radio and its a good pairing.....but when its alan green and mark lawrenson...jesus...it just cant get any worse.

 

 

i suppose it depends who the co commentator is, but the radio is usually beter. Armfield is the king of co commentators, Pleat and graham Taylor are both excellent and Stan Collymore is quite good. its c**** like Lawrenson and Andy Gray that just spoil it. infact, all skys co commentators are s****. GAry Birtles is probably the best they use, butthey dont use him often enough

[Stevie H]

Davies every time.

 

I remember his commentary when Fowler scored in the UEFA Cup Final vs Alaves. Something along the lines of "Ohhhh..that's Boys Own stuff.."

Brilliant.

 

But maybe it's just the way I can't stand the way Motson says "Roooooooooney!"

motson = playstation style self parody. over-excited at all the wrong moments. 'beckham territory' is my most loathed of his moronic cliches.

[Stevie H]

i suppose it depends who the co commentator is, but the radio is usually beter. Armfield is the king of co commentators, Pleat and graham Taylor are both excellent and Stan Collymore is quite good. its c**** like Lawrenson and Andy Gray that just spoil it. infact, all skys co commentators are s****. GAry Birtles is probably the best they use, butthey dont use him often enough

i think andy townsend is the worst. he can't even get a f***ing job at sky he's that bad.

[Bailo]

Is is true Davies was quietly let go from the Beeb when he referred to Korean players as "all looking the same" in the 2002 World Cup? I've heard that so many times from different people I think it's entered folklore, but I can't believe there wasn't more fuss.

[Guest Pedro]

Is is true Davies was quietly let go from the Beeb when he referred to Korean players as "all looking the same" in the 2002 World Cup? I've heard that so many times from different people I think it's entered folklore, but I can't believe there wasn't more fuss.

 

 

Heard that too, but nt sure if he was let go by the Beeb....wasn't he commentating for the Beeb at the recent Olympics? (But granted, I don't think he did any football)

[Ostrich Man]

But maybe it's just the way I can't stand the way Motson says "Roooooooooney!"

is it only when he does it with rooney that it annoys you? cause if you actually listened to him youd notice he does that with every f***ing player who takes a pop be it Gerrrrarrrrd or laaaamppparrrd etc etc

[ManxRed]

Yes, but that's when they take a long shot. He does it for Rooney when he's taking a f*cking throw in.

[Knox_Harrington]

Gary Birtles is remarkably inane.

 

And he's headered it on and he's tapped it in there.

 

Yes, Gary. I know. I'm watching the replay.

 

But he probably is the best of the Sky lot. Kamara was surprisingly OK actually doing that though.

 

And Davies was miles better than Motson. His being on the Olympics was brilliant.

[Cunny]

I think Davie Provan is the best of Sky's co-commentators.

[Ostrich Man]

Yes, but that's when they take a long shot. He does it for Rooney when he's taking a f*cking throw in.

no its not, its when he takes a punt, same with all players motson commetates on, its just you havent noticed until rooney cause youre all so bitter bout him.

[Woodsyla]

no its not, its when he takes a punt, same with all players motson commetates on, its just you havent noticed until rooney cause youre all so bitter bout him.

I agree normally on this sort of thing but Motosn goes f***ing beserk every time the ball lands at the lads feet. The classic was a recent game when there was a cross from the left and then commentry went

 

'XXXXX on the left hand side, crosses the ball in to ROOOOOOONEEEEEYYYYYYYYY'

 

Perfectly acceptable if Rooney had burst the net you'd add, the thing is Rooney didn't even touch the ball, he made a run the cross came in and the defender stepped in front and cleared the ball.

 

He does do it with Gerrard as well to a lesser degree though granted. normally it's when Gerrard shapes to shoot, he's screaming before the ball leaves the guys foot. Davies in comparison would be saying 'Interesting, interesting, oh dear'

Edited September 4, 2008 by Woodsyla

[jimmylibel]

don't know but it's a good quiz question. who was the first 'co-commentator'? i'd imagine it was done on radio first. jimmy armfield maybe?

 

I believe they copied the US TV style and imported it from there.