Conor McNamara

And when I was there, what was then called Radio Ireland started off, you know, the first sort of independent radio station.

And I'd heard that they were going to do a sports program.

So in my student hall of residence, I made a cassette.

That's how long ago this is.

A cassette recording of me pretending to do a match report.

And I'm very glad that that cassette has been lost in the midst of time because I would seriously cringe if I had to listen to it now.

But I sent that in and I would guess I was probably like 19.

I was in university.

I guess they thought I was a bit older than I was sort of mid-20s, late 20s.

But I ended up getting the gig and I used to go to the biggest, you know, the Highbury and Anfield and Eldon Road and Old Trafford every weekend for them doing reports.

John Giles was their other sort of reporter.

Actually, he didn't even work as a pundit.

He kind of worked as a reporter for them.

But that was like doing a little bit of a PhD in football reporting for me, and it got me in the door.

And then by total fluke, they didn't have the rights to commentary of games, but the end of the first season, they got the rights to do the FA Cup final.

But they didn't have a commentator.

And I'd obviously done okay in the reports, and they asked me to do it.

And of course, you're going to say yes, but I'd never commentated on anything.

And then suddenly, there I was, sitting in Wembley Stadium, commentating on the FA Cup final.

And of course, once you do it once...