Football TV Commentators in Australia

SBS commentator David Basheer is calling the Beckham game on Channel 10 on Tuesday.

Anyone who heard him call Celtic v Milan recently, or even the amazingly exciting Matildas World Cup campaign, would surely have been left underwhelmed by the occasion and the sense of history and excitement in the game.

And don't you hate commentators who don't have the football knowledge, the history of the game, the passion and the nuances.


So excluding the outstanding Simon Hill does Australia have a TV commentator, another one, who can represent the game with authority, and quality.

A match commentator, as opposed to an expert who sits alongside, needs natural passion, wit, and enthusiasm.

It is a skill that needs to be developed. In Australia our talent pool is near empty. There are so few games that are called. So few opportunities for local talent to develop.

And football fans are used to listening to games from all over the world. They know quality when they want.

Good luck on Tuesday David. But where will our next outstanding Aussie commentators come from?

Is there anyone out there who you've heard?