Danny Baker - an appreciation

The football phone in has long been dominated by incoherent cretins murdering the English language while repeating verbatim, as if they are original thoughts, what they heard on the previous night’s Match of the Day. A situation that generally gets worse once they start taking calls. Regardless of whether you try Radio 5 or TalkSport, there is almost no respite from the almost constant ‘JT’, ‘Stevie G’ or ‘Wazza’ Big Four-inspired chat employed by the likes of the execrable DJ Spoony, Alan Green or Tim Lovejoy*, who can never hide their disappointment - or end a conversation quickly enough - when having to discuss ownership issues at Lincoln. And let us not even rake over the memory of David Mellor’s 606, with records chosen by his teenage son for added credibility.

It should be said that the standard is not uniformally bad. Gabriele Marcotti is well informed and more than prepared to challenge some of the arse gravy eminating from callers' mouths, while even Stan Collymore's reluctance to accept the clichés so easily spouted by his peers mark him out as occasionally worth a listen. Nevertheless, there is only man who is required listening: Danny Baker. The original host of 606 was also by far its best, someone who shied away from the mundanity of people phoning in to complain about today's referee in favour of asking for stories about any number of oddball topics such as the most dangerous surface played on, ways of getting into the game or (as in the example below) odd items of football clothing. Through his time with Radio 5, Radio 2, Virgin, BBC London, his various podcasts and Talk Radio he has produced hugely entertaining shows in a natural and eloquent style unmatched across the airwaves. I look back with particular fondness at his time at Talk Radio in the late 90's when, together with the superb Danny Kelly, he made often long journeys home from the match fly by.

He is now doing the Saturday morning show on Radio 5 and I'd catch him while you can, as the only other constant through his radio career has been his ability to drop himself in trouble and get fired.



*of whom no mention should be made without referencing one of the most glorious character assassinations in living history - When Saturday Comes' review of his musings on football:
Lovejoy