Australian TV used comedians to commentate on the football – and it didn't end well | Outrage over 'disrespectful' coverage

Australian TV used comedians to commentate on the football – and it didn't end well

Outrage over 'disrespectful' coverage

Australian broadcaster ABC’s decision to use comedians to cover the Liverpool vs Sydney football match seems to have backfired badly.

The commentary provided by Steen Raskopoulos, Tegan Higginbotham, Jules Schiller and Aaron Chen was widely criticised by soccer fans.

Their coverage – which included shunning high-tech graphics for a whiteboard and confusion over who was playing– was described as embarrassing and shambolic

Chen bore the brunt of most of the criticism for his sideline contribution.

At half-time, Chen spoke about possession of the ball. He then asked one fan in the crowd about his favourite ‘possession’. As the man struggled to understand, Chen pulled the microphoneback to himself and exclaimed awkwardly: ‘I’ve been possessed with the spirit of football.’

He asked another fan: ‘Who would win in a game of UFC, Liverpool FC or Sydney FC?’ before cutting off his answer.

Then the comic ripped off his Sydney FC shirt off to show an American football T-shirt underneath, yelling: ‘Oh no. We did it again. I ruined everybody's life.’

Former Australian footballer Robbie Slater blasted ABC2's coverage, tweeting: ‘Who thought this was a good idea FFA! This is unforgivable and I and every supporter of our game would like an answer! This is what happens when people who have none or little knowledge of football make decisions!

‘I am embarrassed by the coverage of #LIVSYD tonight! After all the hard work put into the game in this country!" Slater tweeted.

‘I am so angry that they would do this to the game ! Whoever at FFA [Football Federation Australia] made this decision in my opinion should hang their head in sham’

​Australia’s A-League, which is run by the FFA, tweeted that they too were ‘disappointed with some aspects of the ABC's broadcast… Pre-game, half-time & post-game coverage wasn't to standard expected by @FFA & football fans. We've made that point to ABC management.’

Ben O’Neill, who plays for the Newcastle Jets, posted: "@ABC2 absolutely disrespecting our sport. I pray that this isn’t being broadcast anywhere else in the world.’

Chen apologised sarcastically when he appeared on Australian radio show Will and MJ, even mispronouncing the sport’s name.

‘I’m actually a big fan of snoccer ,’ he said. ‘I was there in 2008 when Australia qualified for the 2009 World Cup against Uzbekistan.’ Of course, there was no World Cup in 2009

And online he said drolly: ‘Please, if anyone wants to do anything dangerous to themselves because of the coverage last night, I'm so sorry. If you need to call me please message me on Facebook and I'll give you my number immediately — that's the poem.’

On his radio show, Schiller said he had just been trying to do the best he could to promote the game ‘with little resources’ but felt the angry responses were ‘a little unfair’.

He also blamed technical issues saying: ‘It’s like trying to land a plane in the dark without your instruments. You’re just massaging the joystick and you’re just hoping for the best.’

But he defended some of the coverage saying Chen was ‘engaging with exactly the sort of audience’ that football needs to widen its relatively niche appeal in Australia.

The ABC admitted they made mistakes. In a statement, they said: ‘The ABC was proud to broadcast the Liverpool FC versus Sydney FC last night at short notice, making it available to all Australians. While the game coverage and commentary was excellent, our decision to create a different offering for the pre-game, half-time and post-game coverage, was not supported by all football fans and we will consider this feedback for any future sporting events.’

The shambolic broadcast may have damaged the state-owned ABC’s chances of landing free-to-air rights to future soccer matches.

Published: 26 May 2017

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