VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX

Craig Biddlestone

HALF-TIME AS HIS TWO MATES WHO NORMALLY FOLLOW OSSETT UNITED HOME AND AWAY WITH HIM WERE AT MATCHES ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, MY SON LUKE WAS WATCHING FOREST AT WEST HAM AND THOMAS WAS AT ELLAND ROAD, SO WHEN I ASKED JOE IF HE WANTED TO HELP HE JUMPED AT THE CHANCE, SO IT’S A MASSIVE THANKS FROM ME JOE, AND YOU’RE WELCOME BACK ANYTIME.

I WAS BACK ON THE MIC LAST SATURDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME AS CHRIS HAD WORK COMMITMENTS, AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT WAS A STRUGGLE, NOT BECAUSE OF THE RESULT, OR THE FACT THAT I WAS ON MY OWN (FOR THE FIRST HALF ANYWAY), BUT BECAUSE I STATED LOSING MY VOICE!

NOW I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLY A BLESSING IN DISGUISE, AS THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I LIKE TO TALK, BUT WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO DO RADIO COMMENTARY, AND THE STADIUM ANNOUNCEMENTS, LOSING YOUR VOICE ISN’T IDEAL, AND DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO LUBRICATE MY THROAT TOWARDS THE END I SOUNDED MORE LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN SEAN DYCHE AND A

BONNIE TYLER TRIBUTE ACT.

THANKFULLY HELP WAS AVAILABLE IN THE SECOND HALF AS ONE OF OUR YOUNG SUPPORTERS, JOE NAUGHTON CAME AND ASSISTED ME WITH SOME VALUABLE PUNDITRY, I FOUND JOE WALKING AROUND AIMLESSLY AT

CHRIS IS ALSO UNAVAILABLE THIS WEEK, WHICH INEVITABLY WILL MEAN I’LL BE BACK ON THE MIC AGAIN, BUT THANKFULLY LUKE HAS OFFERED TO HELP ME OUT THIS WEEK SO I’M SURE JOE AND THOMAS WILL BE AROUND TO ASSIST AGAIN, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT CAN’T MAKE THE GAME I WILL APOLOGISE IN ADVANCE THOUGH AS WHEN I AM ON MY OWN I DO OFTEN HAVE TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE COMMENTARY TO DO STADIUM ANNOUNCEMENT STUFF, NOT THAT YOU CAN’T HEAR THAT ANYWAY.

SPEAKING OF STADIUM ANNOUNCING, ONE OF OUR SUPPORTERS HAS MENTIONED TO ME ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS RECENTLY THAT HE FINDS IT HILARIOUS WHEN I’M ANNOUNCING GOALS AND SUBS FOR THE OPPOSITION, AS MY VOICE CHANGES DRAMATICALLY FROM ONE OF ENTHUSIASM TO ONE OF AS HE PUT IT “REALLY CAN’T BE BOTHERED”, NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT GO TO GAMES INVOLVING PROFESSIONAL CLUBS YOU WILL FIND THAT I DON’T REALLY DO IT ANY DIFFERENTLY TO THOSE STADIUM ANNOUNCERS, AFTER ALL I’M HERE FOR OSSETT