Mark Sidebottom

[Square Ball]

Just watched the game again....poor oul Sidey had an absolute mare yesterday... He even admitted himself he was having a bad day...Brannigan and Garvey look nothing like each other and he insisted and kept insisting that it was Garvey who smacked yer man in the face out on the sideline beside the dugouts!!

Yeah, he was all over the place all day.

he was, here, there, everywhere 

[BennyCake]

I like Sidebottom as a commentator. He's a nice bloke as well. Met him a few years ago at an awards night, and he was very down to earth, talked away to everyone. Unlike his higher-than-thou media colleagues (won't mention any names).

[DownFanatic]

Canavan and McCartan came into picture at the end of the game and Sidebottom revealed that they both had one All Ireland Senior medal each.

[nrico2006]

He sounds alot like Tony Baloney, spouts like him too. Actually looks like him aswell.

He had a nice way of describing Quigley when he came on yesterday something along the lines of 'you wouldn't let him on your kids trampoline'.

[year til sunday]

mark sidebottom is a gawd-awful commentator aided and abetted by his clueless sidekick McHugh, it's going to be another long excruciating summer if those two are left on the mic never-mind the football..!!

[OnTheLine]

Normally I find Sidebottom only a low-level annoyance, but in yesterday's commentary he was virtually unlistenable. It's not just the factual inaccuracies, when I knew he'd lost it completely was when he started telling us that Fermanagh would have won if Down's second goal had been (rightly) disallowed. This so-called analysis seemed to totally embarrass McHugh but he continued to spout it and didn't seem to realise that it's his job to commentate on the facts and Martin's to provide the analysis. With his continual slagging-off of the referee he reminded me of no less a pr*ck than Alan Green trying to be controversial and thinking the occasion is all about him.

The man may be a notional club mate of mine, but he totally betrayed his non-football background yesterday. As licence-payers we deserve better than that garbage.

[trileacman]

Normally I find Sidebottom only a low-level annoyance, but in yesterday's commentary he was virtually unlistenable. It's not just the factual inaccuracies, when I knew he'd lost it completely was when he started telling us that Fermanagh would have won if Down's second goal had been (rightly) disallowed. This so-called analysis seemed to totally embarrass McHugh but he continued to spout it and didn't seem to realise that it's his job to commentate on the facts and Martin's to provide the analysis. With his continual slagging-off of the referee he reminded me of no less a pr*ck than Alan Green trying to be controversial and thinking the occasion is all about him.

The man may be a notional club mate of mine, but he totally betrayed his non-football background yesterday. As licence-payers we deserve better than that garbage.

+1

Is it too much to ask for commentators to just commentate on the match without trying to be funny, witty or controversial? Stop trying to show how pally you are with the players or how knowledgeable you are about Gaa, just f**king tell us who scored, who was sent off, who's the top scorer, who's having a mare and most of all who is on the ball and who is receiving it accurately.

[Tony Baloney]

He sounds alot like Tony Baloney, spouts like him too. Actually looks like him aswell.

He had a nice way of describing Quigley when he came on yesterday something along the lines of 'you wouldn't let him on your kids trampoline'.

Incorrect on all 3 counts nrico. He has developed a much more cultured accent than would expected from a Glensman. I haven't totally mastered that yet. Secondly, very few people spout like him. Thirdly, as you well know I'm one handsome mutherfucker.

[AQMP]

I think yesterday's performance by Sidebottom was the worst commentary on any sporting event I've ever heard.  Were he a player he'd be dropped from the panel.

[Glensman]

I think yesterday's performance by Sidebottom was the worst commentary on any sporting event I've ever heard.  Were he a player he'd be dropped from the panel.

+1

Nice guy he may be but it was dire.

Mark - spend 30mins on each of the Tyrone and Armagh websites this week learning the players' names. It's the least you can do for licence paying punters.

[Seany]

These are very unfair and cutting comments about good, decent people trying to do a job. In any case it's alll down to interpretation of what a commentator is for. Lay off Mark.

[Oak Leafer]

Good call on Jimmy Smyth

I actually think Adrian McGuckin would be perfect foil for him.

[DuffleKing]

These are very unfair and cutting comments about good, decent people trying to do a job. In any case it's alll down to interpretation of what a commentator is for. Lay off Mark.

Harsh comments a out a professional journalist getting paid to do a job. You can argue the players shouldn't get some slack because they are amateurs but that on Sunday from an experienced and last year competent commentator wasn't acceptable

[thewobbler]

These are very unfair and cutting comments about good, decent people trying to do a job. In any case it's alll down to interpretation of what a commentator is for. Lay off Mark.

Gaelic Games are first and foremost a sport. Sidey commentates as though they are light entertainment. His job is to describe the action and anything that's relevant to it. Until he can get a handle on this, then he deserves untold abuse, or should be removed from post. If I wanted light entertainment of watch May McFettridge, Hole in the Wall Gang, or some other middle of the road innoffensive rubbish that BBC NI serves up. But we're not asking for a lot to have our games treated as a sport.

[Arthur_Friend]

These are very unfair and cutting comments about good, decent people trying to do a job. In any case it's alll down to interpretation of what a commentator is for. Lay off Mark.

Harsh comments a out a professional journalist getting paid to do a job. You can argue the players shouldn't get some slack because they are amateurs but that on Sunday from an experienced and last year competent commentator wasn't acceptable

If I was a football fan I'd be more concerned about the quality of the dross on the pitch. Unwatchable shite.