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The Jim Proudfoot Q&A Interview
Exclusive to talkSPORT1089.co.uk

Jim Proudfoot was born in the West Country in 1972, but was brought up in
the Midlands where he managed to avoid gaining any strong allegiances to
the local sides. He returned to the south-west and started his career on local
radio, both as a football reporter and lousy disc-jockey.

Having qualified as a journalist, Jim moved to Teesside where he worked as a
news reporter, covering Tony Blair's rise to leader of the Labour Party. In 1994,
he joined the Capital Radio Group, for whom he commentated on Euro 96 and
the 1998 World Cup. A 4-year stint saw him work in London, then as Sports
Editor on the South Coast, before being promoted to the Chief Commentator on BRMB in Birmingham.

In 1998, Jim joined Century FM in Manchester at their launch, commentating on Manchester United's historic treble winning season. He also started reporting and commentating for Sky Sports, and was taken on as talkSPORT's number 2 commentator the following year. Jim was part of talkSPORT's groundbreaking team covering Euro 2000, and was promoted to senior commentator at the station in time for the 2002 World Cup.

When did you start your career in broadcasting and how long have you been working in radio? What radio stations have you worked for in your career and what were your roles at those stations?
I started work in 1990 at the now defunct Devon Air. From there I moved to TFM on Teesside where I read the news and did a little bit of football, working for John Murray who's now at BBC Radio Five Live, of course. I moved to Capital Radio in London in 1994, was promoted within the group to become Sports editor at South Coast Radio, and then moved to BRMB in Birmingham to become their commentator in 1997. The following season I joined Century FM in Manchester at its launch. I started working for talkSPORT in 1999.

When did you join talkSPORT and which was the first match you commentated on and what were your first impressions of the people you worked with at the station?
The first game I commentated on was CSKA Sofia v Newcastle in September 1999. I knew some of the production staff from earlier in my career, which was how I got involved in the first place. I hit it off with Alvin straight away, it would be hard not to, and people like Jon Driscoll and Dom McGuinness are good friends.

You have been a presenter as well as a commentator whilst working for talkSPORT. Which role do you believe to be the most enjoyable and rewarding and why do you think this?
I enjoy commentating more than anything, and it's because I believe that's where my strength lies. I did enjoy presenting the phone-ins, but I believe that to do the job properly you have to be prepared to say what you think. In my job, with the miles I travel, and the people within football that I deal with, it's easy to make enemies with comments that are mis-construed or taken out of context. Consequently I think that presenting phone-ins and commentating are becoming mutually exclusive. However, the phone-in I presented after England v Germany when Keegan resigned was one of the most enjoyable programmes I have ever been involved in.

You have worked alongside legends from the game such as Ray Houghton, Alvin Martin and Tony Dorigo when commentating on football. How does it feel to work with these people on a day to day basis?
I suppose after a time you get to become blase about it, and certainly I regard those three as decent blokes rather than decent ex-footballers. I think that talkSPORT is lucky to have summarisers of the quality of those that have been used in the past and are used now.

talkSPORT received a lot of comments, both positive and negative, regarding their unofficial commentary of Euro 2000 and World Cup 2002. How did you feel as the station's main commentator for the World Cup to be commentating from a TV on London rather than being at the stadium in Japan?
I make no bones about it, I would rather be at the games. Euro 2000 was a landmark in radio commentary in Britain, and it became this ridiculous hot potato that was getting booted around the courts and the papers while we were holed up in Amsterdam. It will make a good chapter if I decided to bore people with a book.

By 2002 it was much more acceptable, and I think we did the unofficial coverage as wel as anyone could
have done it. It should be remembered why the station went down that avenue: namely, that they felt they were excluded from competing in an open market to buy the rights. Off-tube commentaries and reports are not a new thing, but talkSPORT were castigated in what became a turf war. The bottom line is that fans want to know what the score is and where the ball is on the pitch, and we gave that service.

You seem to be a very passionate man when commentating on football unlike many of your colleagues on BBC Radio Five Live. Are you as passionate about the game as you come across on radio?
Yes. I'm lucky that I'm a genuine football fan, and on rare days off I will go and watch football. I know what it's like to win a play-off as a supporter, and to be denied on the last day, and I think I can relate to the emotion that other supporters are going through while watching the team I'm commentating on. There are very few commentators who passionately support clubs, and if you listen to them on air you can tell who they are.

As a commentator and reporter for you must have covered a great deal of matches in the Premiership and Champions League. What has been the best game you have commentated on for talkSPORT?
Alvin and I always talk about Valencia v Barcelona in the Champions League semi final in 2000. The atmosphere was extraordinary, the game magnificent, the setting senasational. A real privilege.

You are talkSPORT's number one commentator for the station's London commentary matches involving Tottenham, Chelsea and Fulham. What is your routine in preparation for a game on a Saturday?
Friday is my stats day. I seldom take a job on on a Friday so that I can sit at home on the computer and prepare statistics and research. I'll then get to the ground at around two hours before we're on air, make sure the ine works and speak to the producers. Alvin arrives about 1:30pm and we'll discuss what we'll talk about before the game starts. Team news arrives around 2:15pm and it's then a question of copying them onto my notes. All this washed down with copious amounts of coffee, and when we're at Chelsea, gallons of Bovril.

Which team do you believe are more exciting to cover on talkSPORT's London opt-out Football First Premiership Live commentary matches: Tottenham, Chelsea or Fulham?
There's no doubt that Chelsea are the big story of this season, whatever happens. If they win the title it's their first for 50 years, if they lose it'll be perceived as a waste of �100m. And there's still that sense of not knowing quite what's going to happen with them. But the other two are good to cover as well. I could think of plenty of clubs in the Premiership I'd rather do less than those three.

At the moment, in addition to talkSPORT, you commentate on Beach Football and The Masters for Sky Sports. Would you like to cover more important matches for Sky Sports or is this out of your control?
Obviously I'd like to be the number one commentator wherever I work, but there are 100 other commentators saying the same thing. The Masters has become a nice niche for me, I was lucky to be in the right place when Sky first started covering that before it took off. I probably get a bigger audience on that than anything else I do. I'm also lucky enough to be part of their Champions League coverage and I have commentated on two live Nationwide games this season. Sky is the best place to be, they're so overwhelmed with talent, I'm happy to bide my time, hopefully hone my talents, and then who knows in the fullness of time?

You are a passionate commentator on talkSPORT. Did you originally model your style of commentary on anyone from when you listened to Saturday afteroon coverage on the radio as a youngster?
There have always been stylistic comparisons between me and Jonathan Pearce. I was 21 when I started working for him at Capital, and that was the house style: you fitted in or you left. The late Peter Jones on BBC Radio 2 (as was) was the voice of football in my youth, I wish I'd been lucky enough to meet him.

Did you have any other role models when you were younger?
An awfully corny thing to say, but my father. We're completely different in outlook on life even though we look like twins, but there could be no better role model for me.

As massive Torquay fan you are a big follower of the club despite working mainly in London. Do you feel confident that the club could sneak into the Division Three Play-Off's this season?
We should do. We're definitely one of the best 5 or 6 in the division, but are hampered by a small squad, small crowds and the newly-introduced salary capping is a nightmare. We should have been there last year, but lost too many leads: that's been improved upon this season and I'm confident that we'll reach at least the play-offs. With a lot of luck, we could go up automatically.

Do you think that Leroy Rosenior is the right man to take Torquay United forward?
As I'm sitting here now Leroy's been linked with the Brighton job, and I think it's only a matter of time before he gets head-hunted. He's done a fantastic job, and really put the pride back into being a Torquay fan: the quality of football is superb. It should be remembered that he's inherited our best 2 players (Alex Russell and David Graham) from the previous 2 managers, but I think he's the best boss we've had for a generation.

You must have been distraught about Exeter�s relegation from the Football League into the Conference last season. Did you pop open any champagne to celebrate?
Distraught sums it up perfectly! A lot of Torquay fans wanted them to stay up. I didn't. But I must admit, and it pains me to say this, I did feel a tinge of sadness for them when it actually happened. I lived in Exeter for 3 years, and obviously I still look out for their results, and I would genuinely like them to come back up.

Do you get down to Plainmoor to see many games during a typical season or do other commitments hinder this, such as working for talkSPORT every Saturday afternoon and in the week?
Last year I saw about 10-11 games but this season so far it's just the one. I should make it to the FA Cup 1st Round tie. That 's one of the very few down sides of my job, that whenever they're playing I'm working.

How do you think England will get on at Euro 2004 and will Sven Goran Eriksson be in charge?
England have proved that in the big games they can do a job. Turkey was a testament to that, when I thought they'd get battered they produced one of their best performances for a long time. The draw will be important, we're palpably not the best side in Europe, but not many will want to play us. A bit of luck and the last 4's very achievable. As for Sven, I think he will be in charge in Portugal, but not this time next year.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema and what did you think of it?
I'm ashamed to say I can't remember. I'm just not a film buff. It might have been Die Another Day, which was pretty much what I was expecting it to be!

Have you got any books to recommend (sporting or otherwise)?
I live on the Hampshire / Wiltshire border, quite near Salisbury, and I've just re-read Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which was written about his pupils at one of the local schools to here. I'd studied it at school, but even 15 years on it's still a real good page-turner. In terms of sporting books, you can't look too far past Steve Claridge and Tony Cascarino's autobiographies.

What was the last CD you bought?
I have a passion for chillout music, and have a large collection of that. The last one I bought was yet another compilation of that (The Blue Bar).

Eastenders or Coronation Street?
My Dad used to live in Manchester and Bolton, so I was raised on a diet of Corrie from long before Deirdre was knocking off Mike Baldwin. Now though it's East Enders, the humour's gone out of Corrie. It has to be said, with the shifts I work, I don't catch either very often any more.

It's Friday night, you want a take-away. What do you go for?
Purbani Curry house on Stockbridge high Street: the best Curry in Hampshire!

Thanks to Jim Proudfoot for the chance to interview him. You can hear Jim every week on talkSPORT when he commentates on Chelsea, Tottenham and Fulham games in the London region on 1089am.

The Jim Proudfoot Q&A Interview
Football First Premiership Live
October 2003