March 06, 2026

The Commentators' View: Let’s go racing, John Hunt…

59 minutes

John Hunt joins John Murray & Ian Dennis to talk about life as a racing commentator. How does he do it? What are the best commentary positions and quirks of the job? And can a flutter affect your game? Plus more unintended pub names and the Great Glossary of Football Commentary, and Mark Chapman’s been listening to the pod! Messages, questions and voicenotes on WhatsApp to 08000 289 369 & emails to [email protected]

00:55 John Hunt fresh from the Winter Olympics,

09:05 FA Cup & Champions League commentaries,

14:45 Mark Chapman in mischievous mood…

20:15 Listening experiences on the radio…

25:15 John Hunt on how to do horse racing commentary,

36:25 Racing commentary positions & using binoculars,

42:00 Can a flutter affect your commentary?

48:00 Unintended pub names,

51:40 Great Glossary of Football Commentary.

5 Live / BBC Sounds commentaries:

Fri 2000 Wolves v Liverpool with Conor McNamara & Clinton Morrison,

Sat 1230 England women v Iceland on Sports Extra with Vicki Sparks & Rachel Brown-Finnis,

Sat 1700 Scotland v Luxembourg via BBC Radio Scotland on Sports Extra 3,

Sat 1745 Wrexham v Chelsea with JOHN MURRAY & Chris Sutton on Sports Extra,

Sat 2000 Newcastle v Man City with IAN DENNIS & Rachel Corsie,

Sun 1200 Fulham v Southampton via BBC Radio London on Sports Extra 2,

Sun 1300 Rangers v Celtic via BBC Radio Scotland on Sports Extra 3,

Sun 1330 Port Vale v Sunderland with John Acres & Andy Reid,

Sun 1630 Leeds v Norwich with Eilidh Barbour & Paul Robinson,

Mon 1930 West Ham v Brentford with Vicki Sparks & Glenn Murray.

Great Glossary of Football Commentary:

DIVISION ONE

Agricultural challenge,

Back of the net,

Back to square one,

Booked,

Bosman,

Bullet header,

Coupon buster,

Cruyff Turn,

Cultured/educated left foot,

Dead-ball specialist,

Draught excluder,

Elastico/flip-flap,

False nine,

Fox in the box,

Giving the goalkeeper the eyes,

Grub hunter,

Head tennis,

Hibs it,

In a good moment,

In behind,

Magic of the FA Cup,

The Maradona,

No-look pass,

Off their line,

Olimpico,

Onion bag,

Panenka,

Park the bus,

Perfect hat-trick,

Put his cap on it,

Rabona,

Roy of the Rovers stuff,

Schmeichel-style,

Scorpion kick,

Spursy,

Stick it in the mixer,

Sweeper keeper,

Target man,

Tiki-taka,

Towering header,

Trivela,

Where the kookaburra sleeps,

Where the owl sleeps,

Where the spiders sleep.

DIVISION TWO

2-0 can be a dangerous score,

Back on the grass,

Ball stays hit,

Beaten all ends up,

Blaze over the bar,

Business end,

Came down with snow on it,

Catching practice,

Camped in the opposition half,

Cauldron atmosphere

Coat is on a shoogly peg,

Come back to haunt them,

Corridor of uncertainty,

Couldn’t sort their feet out,

Easy tap-in,

Daisy-cutter,

First cab off the rank,

Giant-killing,

Good leave,

Good touch for a big man,

Half-turn,

Has that in his locker,

High wide and not very handsome,

Hospital pass,

Howler,

In the dugout,

In the hat,

In their pocket,

Johnny on the spot,

Leading the line,

Leather a shot,

Middle of the park,

Needed no second invitation,

Nice headache to have,

Nutmeg,

On their bike,

One for the cameras,

One for the purists,

Played us off the park,

Points to the spot,

Prawn sandwich brigade,

Purple patch,

Put their laces through it,

Queensbury rules,

Reaches for their pocket,

Rolls Royce,

Root and branch review,

Row Z,

Screamer,

Seats on the plane,

Show across the bows,

Slide-rule pass,

Staving off relegation,

Steal a march,

Straight in the bread basket,

Stramash,

Taking one for the team,

Telegraphed that pass,

Tired legs,

That’s great… (football),

Thunderous strike,

Turns on a sixpence,

Walk it in,

We’ve got a cup tie on our hands.

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