Bernie Slaven do you miss him on the radio?

I don’t really, no.

People call Maddo but he is passionate and I believe he calls it as he sees it. He’s not as negative as Slaven but he tries to see the bigger picture. Drury is hardly a Rose Tinted spectacles kind of commentator either. Him and Slaven wouldn’t work.

I was very surprised Slaven wasn’t at the Ali Memorial night at the Riverside earlier in the year.

I subsequently heard some of the reasons why from somebody who was close to the event.

Obviously, I’ve only heard one side of the story and I wouldn’t like to divulge on here as it would be unfair, but none of it surprised me.
 
I really like Neil Maddison as a commentator, even though he's definitely rose tinted at times.

I've got nothing against Bernie Slaven, and I didn't listen when he was commentating, but his Gazette columns and social media posts make it very clear that he's a "realist".
Which is usually just a very pessimistic person, who is often proven right* because there are very few winners in football.

I prefer the positivity, even if it's sometimes misplaced.
 
I loved Bernie as a player. Frustratingly offside when he didn't need to be but that hovering on the edgeness always meant he was in with a shout of scoring.

As a pundit he never seemed to know enough about the wider game - I always assumed ex-players had some insider knowledge going on but that never seemed to happen.

In contrast, Higgy was outstanding. He explained positions and formations and knew what was being attempted and why it wasn't (or occasionally was) working.

Bernie seemed to have a real downer on Juninho when Juninho was helping to take us to our first major trophy. I dunno the why's and wherefore's but it always came across as bitterness about things that e.g. Juninho had no power over (Premier League and the influx of money etc.)

Maddo is appalling though (as a pundit). Bernie had his opinion and gave it. Maddo just talks and talks and never really says anything of substance. Talking for the sake of talking. Compared to Higgy it's almost like some random fan of football rather than someone that cares about Boro (possibly due to an attempt at impartiality but why bother - who else is listening other than Boro fans?).

I watched Maddo play and hear him talk about what players should be doing and the two don't match up. It's a lack of self-awareness in what he says that Bernie never had 'cos he did his job on the pitch.

Again, nothing against either of them as people but Higgy was streets ahead as a pundit, in my opinion/
 
festa5 said:
His footballing knowledge was actually pretty poor.
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100% correct. Wish I could remember exactly the player but think it was a Legends show when we’d just signed Mendieta, and Bernie was saying something like “This guy Mendieta or whoever coming in, I’ve not seen him so who knows.”

Mendieta had finished 8th in the Ballon D’Or, won UEFA midfielder of the year, played for Barcelona and been a £50m transfer.

Bernie was very much the old school, old boy’s club pundit who just turned up and gave his opinions like a bloke in the pub. No research whatsoever. It was jaw-dropping sometimes how little interest he had in the wider game considering it was his job to go on the radio every day and broadcast with authority about it. Thankfully G Neville has embarrassed these types out of the game.

To give him his credit he was a fun character who had great chemistry with Ali and they made a special partnership. But the whinging pessimism dressed up as ‘I just speak my mind, I’m a realist’ and the ignorance…. Can see why he appealed to a certain element of our fanbase.
 
Remember Bernie coming down to an MSS do in the West End of London to promote his book. Great evening but then reflected on who was assisting him that evening. None other than Me Mark Page.
 
Don't know if he still does it but he used to do the rounds in the hospitality rooms and I just found him so negative even when times were going well in Karanka days and early Wilder period. Like said above it appeals to a certain type of fan as he is seen as no nonsense and straight talking but it just drains the life out of me.
 
Made me smile this thread.

I remember my mother used to listen to Bernie on the match commentary whilst me and my Dad were at the Riverside and she hung on his every word, she believed Bernie far more than anything we said about the game!
 
Scrote said:
I loved Bernie as a player. Frustratingly offside when he didn't need to be but that hovering on the edgeness always meant he was in with a shout of scoring.

As a pundit he never seemed to know enough about the wider game - I always assumed ex-players had some insider knowledge going on but that never seemed to happen.

In contrast, Higgy was outstanding. He explained positions and formations and knew what was being attempted and why it wasn't (or occasionally was) working.

Bernie seemed to have a real downer on Juninho when Juninho was helping to take us to our first major trophy. I dunno the why's and wherefore's but it always came across as bitterness about things that e.g. Juninho had no power over (Premier League and the influx of money etc.)

Maddo is appalling though (as a pundit). Bernie had his opinion and gave it. Maddo just talks and talks and never really says anything of substance. Talking for the sake of talking. Compared to Higgy it's almost like some random fan of football rather than someone that cares about Boro (possibly due to an attempt at impartiality but why bother - who else is listening other than Boro fans?).

I watched Maddo play and hear him talk about what players should be doing and the two don't match up. It's a lack of self-awareness in what he says that Bernie never had 'cos he did his job on the pitch.

Again, nothing against either of them as people but Higgy was streets ahead as a pundit, in my opinion/
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Higgy was excellent, but the best ever for me was Paul Kerr. Slaven and Brownlee were an amazing double act, and I think commentators and pundits are marmite for people listening. I look at how it started and am thankful for where we are now 😂 https://medium.com/@byassociationfc/the-art-of-football-commentary-f69b12d22180
 
I used to enjoy the 3 legends programme he used to do back in the day. I liked his co-commentary time with Ali, they complimented each other, Ali with his superbly rose tinted outlook coupled with Bernie’s dour Scotsman approach. They were a good foil for one another, Bernie had the perfect face for radio.

Maddo I like too, because of his accidental mixing up of words, metaphors and mispronunciations. He is a bit overly positive, always trying to present the rosiest outlook, but i can forgive him that due to his partner in crime. I have a dislike for Drury with him, as it takes an age to work out what is actually happening unless the opposition score where he seems to revel, conversely, when its a Boro goal you hear Maddo in the background celebrating before Drury makes it clear eventually. Drury comes across to me as a patronising witling with a degree of self importance thrown in.

Higgy was the best co-commentator for me, witty, knowledgeable, tactically aware, described what he saw. He was personable, his voice sat well and you felt the tension in tight away games.
 
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