Have TV commentators always been so biased to the "big" teams?

[Snibbo]

Just watching Spurs v watford on Oz tv and typical commentaries such as "if spurs win and I hope they do", and the usual creaming themselves about the spurs big names.

The same sort of thing  or worse with British commentators I've heard.

I'm sure it wasn't like that in the days of Kenneth wolstenholme and Barry Davies,  or am I wrong?

Also interesting to see our old boy Okaka looking like a handful, though a slow one.

[RaySmith]

I think in the past there was less of  gap between teams - in wealth, playing talent, status etc - than now. Teams were more evenly matched, and  football had little publicity outside the sports' pages.If you wanted to see a game you mostly had to go to match, and this was  quite cheap.

If Fulham played Chelsea or United, say, there wasn't seen as being that great a gulf between them. But with Sky and the huge fortunes it provides, teams  like Man U,  City, L/poo, Chelsea and Arsenal are global attractions, and thus they have power, and no-one wants to upset them.

[grandad]

Kenneth Wolstenholme hated Fulham & especially Johnny Haynes, especially when he became Captain of England.

[Logicalman]

Good post. I never gave it much thought until around 7 years ago or so, when Darke started his love affair with Liverpool, and they could do no wrong.
What made this worse was when he got teamed up with McManaman on ESPN for the Prem League. The bias became unpalatable, with repeated references to Maccas playing career highlights and if Liverpool lost they were unlucky or the ref was biased towards them, though if they won it was solely down to their own superiority.

Since that pairing was broken up other similar pairings have come to the forefront to take up their mantle for the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and, more recently, Spuds.  Graeme Le Saux & Lee Dixon teaming up with Arlo White, and unfortunately they have also commenced going down memory lane all too often.

[Woolly Mammoth]

They are far worse now than ever before. But there has always been a favoured response to the so called big clubs with their plastic fans and Trophy Hunters.

[bog]

Kenneth Wolstenholme hated Fulham & especially Johnny Haynes, especially when he became Captain of England.

Yes he did! I remember of Sportsnight he said that Johnny Haynes should be dropped for the Russia game. He wasn't and then scored three. On the next Sportsnight old Kenny boy was sat with sack cloth and ashes on his head for repenting!

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[Snibbo]

Kenneth Wolstenholme hated Fulham & especially Johnny Haynes, especially when he became Captain of England.

Yes he did! I remember of Sportsnight he said that Johnny Haynes should be dropped for the Russia game. He wasn't and then scored three. On the next Sportsnight old Kenny boy was sat with sack cloth and ashes on his head for repenting!

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I don't remember that,  but not doubting your superior memory.

Why was  Wolstenholme anti Fulham?  Any reason or just big team prejudice?

[Lighthouse]

When I was growing up and Liverpool made it into the First Division. There was a love in with the club and the supporters. The best supporters, the best club, the best manager etc etc. That went on forever when it was pretty widely known that the fans had a poor reputation away from Liverpool and only Man United were worse.


Chelsea, Liverpool etc have always had this love affair with radio and tv. Fulham mind you were always widely supported by tv writers and actor luvvies. We always had a mention somewhere outside of sport.