★★★★★ 0/5

FIFA World Cup: Commentary team

Les Murray will be presenting his seventh World Cup for SBS, on the ground in Cape Town, South Africa.

18
Leave a comment

SBS yesterday announced its FIFA World Cup Commentary team.

Les Murray will be presenting his seventh World Cup for the network, on the ground in Cape Town, South Africa, with Chief Football Analyst and former Socceroos midfielder, Craig Foster; Commentator and Reporter, David Basheer; Melbourne Victory skipper and former Socceroo Kevin Muscat, Commentator, Martin Tyler and reporters, Scott McIntyre and Vitor Sobral.

Meanwhile a Sydney presenting team will consist of Paul Dempsey, Mariana Rudan and Michael Tomalaris and Morning News host Thai Neave. They will be joined by Paul Okon, David Zdrilic, Kimon Taliadoros, Francis Awaritefe, Zeljko Kalac, Ned Zelic and Tony Palumbo as expert commentators.

SBS’ Head of Sport Ken Shipp stated: “Australian audience can expect the best World Cup coverage ever, with Mr Football – Les Murray- at the helm and the best expert analyst in the business – former Socceroo Craig Foster joining a team of passionate reporters and presenters on the ground in South Africa and in our Sydney studios. We have every angle, match and highlight covered and we can’t wait for it to start!”

The SBS coverage follows previous World Cup coverage (Italy ’90, USA ’94, France’98, Korea/Japan ’02 and Germany ‘06).

Last week SBS also announced Santo, Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever! to air live each night of the Cup matches.

The event takes place in South Africa from June 11 – July 11.

18 Responses

  2. Why all the negativity? You seem to miss the fact that Paul Dempsey will be riding into town to present with top class professionalism on SBS. That guy is a pro and will make viewing soooo exciting!!!!!

  4. Tony, I think if watched some Brasilian or Argentine league coverage the graphics are not a distraction since they only show up 4 to 5 times a match where there is a delay in preparing for a set piece free kick at goal. the graphics are usually only shown for 2-3 seconds unlike NFL and NASCAR where it’s semi permanent.

    As for the crew, Les is old school and in a way I like his passion although his never been the trainied expert. Watching Lineker and co dissecting EPL matches just gets boring which Foz (aka Thunderbird) kind of replicates. What Foz says is usually right but he struggles to deliver in anything but a sermon style. Kimon on the other hand looks on screen as if he just learnt his home burnt down – way too serious for a bloke pretty much enthusiastic on field in his playing days

  5. Sweet – not too long now until the World Cup begins. It will be alot of sleepless nights ahead. lol. And glad SBS has the rights again. I dont want to see Bruce MacAvaney (on Seven), Eddie Maguire (on Nine) or Brad MacEwan (ten) ruin the world cup!

  7. Good news re Martin Tyler, and Craig Foster is simply excellent.

    @Rob: I don’t want a PowerPoint presentation overlaying and interfering with the action. Drawing lines on the pitch and writing “20m”, with a dotted arrow pointing from the ball to the goal is for people who have trouble understanding anything not written in crayon.

    That sort of catering for the lowest denominator is best left to the NFL and NASCAR.

  8. I’m so pleased the taxpayers of Australia have been able to again pay for Mr Murrays holiday and self indulgence for soccer. I also suspect the rating will be closer to 200 viewers that 2m – most games will be in the dead of night. This should be on One.

  9. Rob – I was referring to Les suggesting at the time it was a SBS world first. Still waiting. And frankly, I reckon Les is the worst sports presenter around. He only has the on-air job because he’s the head the of sports (ie Football) at SBS. Anywhere else, he would have been given the boot (pun intended) years ago. It’s excrutiating watching him trying to find his next question on his clipboard. Simon Hill showed how it’s should be done. Fox Sports’ gain, and we’re stuck with loser Les and smug Foster for the World Cup. And while on the topic – why is Yoda at the front of the presenting team?

  10. tony h – it’s up to fifa and it’s broadcast partners not SBS. would be nice though to have since graphics like in much of the rest of the football world (even NFL for christs sake) around dead ball freekicks and the distance to goal

  11. The mafia strike again (woo hoo) – 3 guys
    Please no SImon Hill, he’s too enthusiastic for football. Not sure how Kimon gets a gig, he’s basic portraying a corpse on screen.

    Considering we;re in Asia, not one included which is a shame for some balance (too much euro centric)

  12. @chrissyboy: I agree, Martin Tyler is the best. When it was announced that Martin will call the World Cup for ESPN in the US and the UK, I thought SBS had lost him.

  14. Im glad SBS have the World Cup, but I think its insane a commerical TV network don’t own the rights. Socceroos matches have a potential to deliver well over 2 million viewers.
    What were they thinking?

  17. Hey Les. What happened to the ground-breaking use of goal-line technology you sprouted before the first game of the world Cup 8 years ago in 2002? It’s never been mentioned since! Did the elastic band break or something?

  18. Are you friggin kidding me. Muscat commentating for the World Cup, what a disgrcae. His commentary is the worst. Can’t stand to see him let alone hear him speak. Bad call SBS

Leave a Reply