The best soccer announcers, EVER?

[bigdan]

For me without doubt Martin Tyler, Andy Gray, Ian dark and Paul Breen-Turner (who I miss so much doing the Real Madrid games)!

[7spencer7]

Derek Rae and Paul Breen Turner.

Comedy answer: Max Bretos

[Rev Hart]

I have quite a few:

Norberto Longo(R.I.P)
Andres Cantor
Bruno Vain
Sammy Sadovnik
Raul Orvananos
Andy Gray
John Motson
Emilio Fernando Alonso
Martin Tyler

[Hendrixforpope]

Ray Hudson :cool:

[danielmak]

I would say that Toby Charles and Tony Tirado had the greatest impact on those of us old(er) timers on the board, although I remember Tirado less from direct experiences and more from seeing DVDs and remembering some of those games. Charles and Soccer Made in Germany was regular viewing in my house when I was a kid.

Recently, I would have to say that Derek Rae is the most knowledgeable and calls and excellent game. I also really like Steve Banyard and Adrien Healy. The guys who were calling Serie A for Gol TV about 3 or 4 years ago were very good. (Eurosport was handling the feed from 2002-2005. If you saw any English language commentary games of African Cup of Nations 2008 then you probably heard Dave Farrar who used to be one of the Serie A announcers. I can't remember the other guy's name who was used regularly on the Gol feeds. Paddy Agnew was doing color commentary and was very good but not so hot as a lead announcer.) Then there was Mike Hill, who was the lead CL announcer before Derek Rae took over. I will say this about ESPN, they know how to hire top quality announcers for European football. It's just the WC that suffers. Beyond that most of the announcers are about equal in my opinion. I don't speak enough Spanish to be able to rate the announcers on the Spanish-speaking stations. And I speak no French, German, Russian, or Dutch so I can't speak to those announcers. Take care.

[Big Soccer Member]

I have quite a few:
John Motson

I hate that man, absolutely terrible for the past 5 years of so. He almost ruined Euro 2008 for me.

[Warren Van Orden]

I have quite a few:

Norberto Longo(R.I.P)
Andres Cantor
Bruno Vain
Sammy Sadovnik
Raul Orvananos
Andy Gray
John Motson
Emilio Fernando Alonso
Martin Tyler
Jorge Ramos?

[thedude79bc]

Im watching the Mexican Apertura Championship and Cantor is on. I honestly can't stand him anymore. Don't really know why I liked him when I was a kid. Right now, I think the American announcers are pretty bad. The only thing they have going for them is whats her fouts? For spanish speaking, the best announcers out there IMO are on T.V Azteca and Televisa. Don't know their names, but when I look up videos on youtube I make sure their from these 2 tations to hear them.

[corolla]

I would watch 48 straight hours of pub team matches if Andy Gray called them. The man is awesome. He gets so into the matchse and he made Euro 2008 all the more enjoyable for me.

[bigdan]

I would watch 48 straight hours of pub team matches if Andy Gray called them. The man is awesome. He gets so into the matchse and he made Euro 2008 all the more enjoyable for me.

I agree 100%, Gray is top class, I think he is scottish...or is it Irish? Ive more or less worked out where different world feeds come from, it seems that many of the English games are from Sky TV in the UK and the Spanish games comes from an outfit called Mediapro in Barcelona who have recently obvously cut costs and replaced the brilliant Paul Breen-Turner and co with a few kids from the local school:mad:!!

[Barcasox]

Adrian Healey keeps things interesting, and he's very knowledgeable too.

[Kryptonite]

Maybe not one of the best EVER, but during the weekend of MLS Cup 2007, I saw MLS Cup 1997 rebroadcast on ESPN Classic. Bob Ley was commentating on the game. It was during that coverage that I realized why many US/MLS fans used to gush over him.

Maybe not one of the best ever, but at least he's one of the best with an American voice. We went from him to Jack Edwards and Ty Keough to Julie Foudy to Alexi Lalas to just about everyone else.

[Silva 5]

I'm not sure who he's partnered with, but my favorite commentator is Ian Darke. He adds a lot of depth and shine to the match and that's something I really appreciate.

[Naui_Ocelotl]

Christian Martinoli and Luis García of TV Azteca are a good commentary pairing. None of the US based commentators are any good doing Mexican league matches or of anywhere else for that matter, unfortunately.

[delo_pata]

I would say that Toby Charles and Tony Tirado had the greatest impact on those of us old(er) timers on the board, although I remember Tirado less from direct experiences and more from seeing DVDs and remembering some of those games. Charles and Soccer Made in Germany was regular viewing in my house when I was a kid.

Yup. And for some of us, Mario Machado, too. Used to do the old English First Div matches here in the the US in the 70s. That said, Toby was the one with the real magic.

[Alberto]

Marv Albert was interviewed, perhaps by Charlie Rose as to who he felt were currently the best announcers and the first guy he mentioned was Toby Charles. That was back in the day, the late 1970's when Soccer made in Germany was a staple of Saturday afternoon's on PBS.

[Alberto]

Yup. And for some of us, Mario Machado, too. Used to do the old English First Div matches here in the the US in the 70s. That said, Toby was the one with the real magic.

Mario was very good. Not only did he host the Star Soccer program on PBS, but he also announced a number of World Cup games on closed circuit TV.

[TOTC]

Bjørge Lillelien (just kidding)