Today is Matchday for our crew this time in Delhi and all the rigging crew would have been down at the stadium since yesterday making sure all the equipment is in order and ready to go. At the last game here there was a ban on using any generators because of the smog issues, which all our equipment usually relies on, and had to connect with the local electrical supply!
I am usually at breakfast on a Matchday by 9am, and the quality of breakfast varies from hotel to hotel and could be anything from a dosa to tomatoes on toast, pancakes or muesli and fruit. Coffee could be a great or a bad choice and fruit juice could be brilliant and varied with mango juice, orange juice, sweet lime, or watermelon! In Pune and Guwahati they will make up your own juices for you. I am usually joined at breakfast by my fellow commentator either John Helm or Andy Paschialidis which gives us a chance to chat through whatever is in the morning papers or go over last night's ISL game. At around 11am I like to slip into the gym for a couple of hours and get a bit of a sweat on. For the vast majority of the time here in India you are sitting down, either on the plane, at the airport or at the stadium or hotel, so it is good to have a jog and a swim when possible. The 'Talent', as we are referred to on call sheets, that being the commentators and presenter/reporter, usually leave the hotel for the stadium at around 3.15pm/3.30pm, with lunch provided at the stadium with the rest of the production crew. Kick off is always at 7pm and the teams arrive at the stadium 2 hours prior to kick off. Our journey from the hotel to the stadium by car is usually pretty eventful, driving over here is an art of fighting for every inch available on the road and basically doing what you want, going where you want and making sure that everybody knows what you are doing. Whether that means going down the motorway or slip road against the flow of traffic or overtaking on a blind bend on the crest of a hill, it is just normal over here. Once safely at the ground we check in with the director, Dave Horridge, for any last minute news, have a bit of lunch, then I go and settle into the commentary position. Sometimes I come down to have a chat with either a manager or some of the players as you get to know quite a lot of them. Last time I ventured onto pitchside in Goa, whilst waiting for John Helm to interview Bernard Mendy of Chennaiyin FC, I got blasted by the pitch sprinkler which completely soaked me, not only that but all the Atletico de Kolkata players were just walking past at the same time and had a right good laugh at my expense. Anyway after pitch side interviews I am usually back up in the stand behind the monitors in the commentary position at least 90 minutes prior to kick off. The final team sheets come through about an hour before the game and this is the first time that we get to see the line ups and can then try to sort out what formations the teams might play. At 7pm the game starts and we are there for the next 2 hours until after the game finishes and we have announced the daily award winners, then making our way onto the pitch for a quick 2 minute interview between the two commentators chatting about the game or the league in situation in general. Once the interview are done then it is back to hotel, a quick couple of beers and bed because the following day we check out, which could be pretty early sometimes, and move on to the airport and a flight to the next venue. We then usually check into the hotel, have something to eat, sleep and then repeat the above for another Matchday.
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AuthorRussell Osman is a former England & Ipswich Footballer, 4 Handicap Golfer and Father of 3. Archives
April 2018
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