Nick Alliker

[enfieldblue]

either my ears are leading me astray is nick no longer doing our matches. Think I've missed him last 2 or 3 matches???

 

[mattitouk]

He's taken a long holiday (since mid September) to travel long haul abroad and celebrate his 50th birthday. He will be back soon. Although i don't know when exactly.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

The sooner he's back, the better. Not looking forward to Stuart Smith commentating on Saturday...

 

[Keith Keithson]

The sooner he's back, the better. Not looking forward to Stuart Smith commentating on Saturday...

Agreed, Smith isn't the best. Never thought I'd say it but bring back Nick Alliker!

 

[wiggy]

Agreed, Smith isn't the best. Never thought I'd say it but bring back Nick Alliker!

Alliker is by far the best local radio out there......Stuart Smith is a joke, doesn't get there names right and also slaughters his pet hates on the pitch even if they are pulling up trees. Glen Speller is a decent commentator and excellent anchorman. Alliker and Paul Clarke other clubs could only dream about!

 

[AndyT]

Yep, I concur.

Smith hated Nile Ranger and made a point of going out of his way to mention it. At least we haven't got Babbage any more, I suppose.

The radio is bogged down though with the need to keep going off at a tangent throughout the match, making it a difficult listen for me.

 

[Bromley Blue]

I’ve said this before but I like Nick Alliker (however you spell it) because he’s a true Southend fan. You imagine he’s got the Southend United duvet set in his bedroom and posters of Barrington Belgrave and Ian Selley on his walls. There’s genuine excitement in his voice whenever we score and I enjoy his commentary because of that.

However if he wasn’t a Southend fan I’d hate his commentary. He is extremely predictable. Every match he says very similar phrases and just swaps out clubs and players.

2 or 3 times a game he’ll describe Ben Coker as “the ex-Histon man”, etc and it does grate on me a bit tbh.

Glenn Speller and Paul Clarke are the best combination in terms of actual ability as commentators. So occasionally we get the 3 of them covering our game and that’s when I enjoy it most.

 

[Brett Angle]

I'm still hoping that Alliker likes where he is visiting so much he decides to make it a permanent arrangement. Look I've nothing against him personally but fan or not he is a TERRIBLE commentator. Speller is streets ahead and that is saying something because he is no better than average. Btw the best radio commentators are always neutral (not fans) because they take the emotion out of it and report on what is happening and not what they hope is happening. Alliker does that all the time. You count how many throw-ins and corner he calls in favour of Blues - that the referee ultimately gives (rightly and blatantly) against Blues. I used to watch and listened at the same time. I counted 13 clear instances in one game from him. We are not well served in this county when it comes to football commentators and I think anyone who thinks we are either doesn't get out much or must be related to them!

 

[Dubai]

My problem is with Paul Clarke, the worlds most negative person who talks like he has managed Forest Green and got them to win the World Cup...
Always know what’s best and it’s always so obvious and simple.

****es me off.

 

[RHB]

My problem is with Paul Clarke, the worlds most negative person who talks like he has managed Forest Green and got them to win the World Cup...
Always know what’s best and it’s always so obvious and simple.

****es me off.

That's a shame Dubai. I think he talks a lot of sense and I always enjoy his comments, and Pennyfather's for that matter.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

They're all terrible . They're journalists, not commentators and there's a difference.

iFollow has helped because you can now get the footage for midweek games but they don't describe the action when there isn't a visual. They just have a chat about the journey, the quality of the pies or what colour the goalkeeper is wearing.

 

[mfurok]

My problem is with Paul Clarke, the worlds most negative person who talks like he has managed Forest Green and got them to win the World Cup...
Always know what’s best and it’s always so obvious and simple.

****es me off.

Having read a number of your other posts this opinion comes as no surprise.

 

[RobM]

To be fair, there are only a certain number if phrases available. I'm sure if you or I were commentating, we'd be the same. Like I say....

 

[AndyT]

The problem with most radio commentators nowadays is that they forget they are our eyes for the afternoon.

Their job is simply to translate what they see, but they spend too much time translating what they think.

 

[mattitouk]

The problem with most radio commentators nowadays is that they forget they are our eyes for the afternoon.

Their job is simply to translate what they see, but they spend too much time translating what they think.

Agreed..., but talking about the "half - time warm sausage rolls" coming 5 minutes earlier than expected, isn't exactly hardcore football journalism.

 

[1966 and all that]

Agreed..., but talking about the "half - time warm sausage rolls" coming 5 minutes earlier than expected, isn't exactly hardcore football journalism.

 

[Maidstone Shrimper]

It's very easy to be critical but it's not an easy skill to do a radio commentary. Even the "top pro's" on 5 live are far from perfect. I think we are lucky with what we get from BBC Essex for Southend's games, especially when you consider this is local radio on a low budget that simultaneously provides commentaries for us and Col U on two different frequencies plus another online. We certainly fare better than those creatures from the north of the county listening to Mr Kelly and having heard bits of BBC Kent's efforts at serving Gillingham supporters we are very fortunate. Nik Alliker and Glen Speller are both fine. Yes they're biased in their commentaries and Nik does get over-excited at times but they are critical when Southend are giving the ball away, misplacing passes, missing sitters and not appearing to put in a good shift ….. never surely! Stuart Smith is standing in for Nik while he's on hols … there are far worse but he does seem to think he's an expert on tactics and football skills. I wonder how Paul Clarke feels working alongside him. Paul is the perfect local expert …. knowledgeable, realistic of what you can expect in this league and best of all he has a good sense of humour. I admit to moments of frustration when the commentators seem to forget about describing what's happening on the field and are talking about players' previous teams, the sun setting over the far stand but I too drift off when watching the mighty Shrimpers from time to time. Whatever, it's a thousand times better than following the game on Live Text.

 

[AndyT]

Some fair points, but I actually think it is an easier skill to commentate on the game, rather than the need to provide a list of stats, scores from non-Essex matches and opinions on whether so and so is having a good game or not.

As a listener, we just need the action described to us. We don't need the rest.

Clarky can fill us in with anything else, when there's a break in play.

 

[NZamba Legend]

In 2016 I actually won BBC young commentator of the year (even though I am 45 and lied on the entry form). Commentary is not as hard as the professionals make it sound and phrases like "ex-Histon man" are good technique and actually quite difficult to say in the heat of the moment. For instance in the tapes that I sent in to BBC where I talked rapidly and incoherenly over spliced mid-90s Southend VHS compilations I would often talk about "super Sada N'Diaye the ex-Troyes goal ace" and "that's Mike Marsh who was once the the toast of the Bosphorus under Graeme Souness' resurgent Galatasaray". Jermain Jenas and Mark Chapman who were the judges really loved my speed-induced sub-James Ellroy vibe.

 

[OldBlueLady]

At least we haven't got the one up the A12 who asks McGreal the same question worded in about half a dozen ways every week and is so far up the manager's arse as to have disappeared!