Charlton match commentaries

I know we don't pay much for this online service, but how much longer are we going to have to put up with Emma Jones?

I was quite surprised to learn from her biography on BBC Radio London that she is regularly involved in sports commentary:

'Emma became a journalist when she realised she wasn't clever enough to be a doctor, or stupid enough to risk a life as an actress.

Started as a news journalist, but found that she was always being asked to do pieces that were sport related like Glenn Hoddle leaving the England job, so finally admitted defeat and became a sports reporter full time.

She regularly presents on BBC London 94.9 as well as reporting on some of the capital's biggest games.'

I have a number of problems with her commentary:

1. She speaks rather slowly and often seems to be behind the game.
2. She sometimes seems to have difficulty accurately describing what is happening on the pitch.
3. She starts chatting away on matters not related to the action so we do not know what is going on. Did we need to know that she got from Peterborough station to London Road by looking for the floodlights?
4. She uses curious phrases like 'the field of play' to describe the pitch. Admittedly, she only used it once on Saturday, but she used it five times at the Peterborough game.
5. Sometimes I wonder how much in depth knowledge of the game she has. She has some strange ideas like thinking that once a penalty has been taken, there should be no follow through.

No doubt she is a good radio journalist, but I don't think she is suitable for the job she is doing. She may be much better at doing studio interviews and commentary.

Unfortunately it looks as if we are stuck with her because the consumer is powerless in these situations. And surprisingly quite a few Charlton fans seem keen to defend her.

I have no objection to women working in sports journalism on football: Gaby Logan would be an example of someone who does this well. As it is, a lot of Charlton fans are reduced to listening to the away commentary although apparently at the Luton game this was some bloke shouting down a cell phone.