30 years of Praise and Grumble

[Sothall_Blade]

"It’s three decades this month since the irrepressible Bob Jackson invented the football phone-in. Oh what forces those velvet tones unleashed that day.Little did Radio Sheffield listeners realise in November 1986 when they first heard the new ‘Grumble’ section of Bob’s Saturday teatime sports show - the ‘Praise’ bit came a few weeks later when a Wednesdayite called to eulogise a 5-0 Owls victory - that a new era was dawning. The genie was out of the bottle and we’ve been chirping and chuntering ever since."

Read more at: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk...-us-praising-and-grumbling-just-yet-1-8223783

I think I was listening when this first started on Radio Sheffield. I certainly remember him saying they would start calling it "Praise or Grumble" as "Grumble" was too negative. I very much doubt that it was the first ever football phone-in though. The first local one maybe?

 

[BushBlade]

More parochial nonsense.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Butler

 

[Sean Thornton]

It always feels like I been listening 30 years when Rawmarsh Mick McBrewer phones in.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Jackson's tried to claim it..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/articles/2007/10/19/first_football_phone_in.shtml

Butler's seems to have been years before in the late 1970's but was a Friday Night pre-match phone in:-

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-football-pundit-tony-butler-191095

 

[Kenilworth]

I've called it Grumble and Grumble for years

 

[Treeton Blade]

Was Brian the Blade was on the first show saying McEwan had to go?

 

[bladesadviser]

Jackson's tried to claim it..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/articles/2007/10/19/first_football_phone_in.shtml

Butler's seems to have been years before in the late 1970's but was a Friday Night pre-match phone in:-

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-football-pundit-tony-butler-191095

Jasper Carrott used to talk about Tony Butler's phone ins during his stand up routines and that must have been late seventies

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Rarely listen to it these days but my favourite moment was when Colin was managing Palace and rang up after they beat the pigs. "Next up we have a call from Neil in London..."

 

[HighfieldBlade]

I taped Praise or Grumble on the day we beat Leicester to get promoted.

 

[grafikhaus]

Around 1985 on Merseyside was a hilarious footie phone-in loosely based around a fruit machine. It was called 'Hold yer plums' and was hilarious. If P & G was the first, it's a pity it hasn't progressed in 30 years.

 

[Trafford]

I remember Bob Jackson refereeing one of our Sunday League game. I hadn't got a clue who he was until he told me off for poor etiquette (I was late going in to see him before the game) - his voice was unmistakeable. Great bloke, treated the players as adults, even when they didn't behave like them.

 

[wardonia_blade]

My only problem with it is that it covers 5 teams in whom I have no interest whatsoever.

 

[Grecian2000]

Around 1985 on Merseyside was a hilarious footie phone-in loosely based around a fruit machine. It was called 'Hold yer plums' and was hilarious. If P & G was the first, it's a pity it hasn't progressed in 30 years.

A bit like 606 Graf.
Started by Danny Baker (and the other Danny I whose name I can't quite remember) and essential after game listening with general chat about worst goalkeeping kits or seeing Matt Le Tiss down the bingo. Used to try and listen every show.
Now? Full of dullard premier league supporters whingeing on about the manager, the players, the ref blah blah fucking blah. Absolutely unlistenable and not worth a shite anymore. Straight for the off button when it comes on.

PS. Kelly, Danny Kelly.

 

[Bath Blade]

A bit like 606 Graf.
Started by Danny Baker (and the other Danny I whose name I can't quite remember) and essential after game listening with general chat about worst goalkeeping kits or seeing Matt Le Tiss down the bingo. Used to try and listen every show.
Now? Full of dullard premier league supporters whingeing on about the manager, the players, the ref blah blah fucking blah. Absolutely unlistenable and not worth a shite anymore. Straight for the off button when it comes on.

PS. Kelly, Danny Kelly.

I agree word for word with that. It used to be fun, I even remember one evening where every other caller was a certain hitch-hiking United fan touting on the radio for lifts from each service station on the M1.

 

[Ancient blade]

I especially liked the bits when not much was happening in a game and so Robert Jackson would play a stirring march.

After a minute or so he would break into it and say, for example, " It's working. Keith Edwards has just scored for Sheffield

United."

 

[coaxingstar71]

My Dad calls it "Moan and Groan".

Stopped listening years ago as I realised it was full of dullards who knew nothing about the game and had nothing interesting to say. I'll give an example of a typical phone-in conversation...

Presenter : And now we have Gary on the line. So Gary, is it a praise or a grumble.

Gary (in slow mono-syllabic Sheffield accent) : Itsa praaiiiizzze

Presenter : And who do you want to praise then Gary?

Gary : Sheffyul Wensdaaaay

Presenter : And why do you want to praise them Gary.

Gary : Cos they rayt brilliant like.

Presenter : And what is it about them that's so brilliant?

Gary : (long pause)......... er dunno, they just aaarrrrrrreee.

Presenter : Ok, thanks very much Gary, and the next caller is........

Me : <click>.........................

 

[The Crab]

Or does it just feel like 30 years when you've listened to 5 minutes of Brian the Blade?

 

[Bladepicker]

Note in that article the Telegraph manages to turn a 6 nil home win for us into a negative which is quite some achievement even for the comically amateur pig rag group of papers.

 

[Grappler]

<Caller> Hiya Rob

<Andy Giddings> It's Andy, praise or grumble?

<Caller> got to be a praise for Sheffield Wednesday

<Andy Giddings> go on....

<Caller> well......Forestieri....brilliant player, we need to hang on to him

<Andy Giddings> he played well again today didn't he?

<Caller> oh he did indeed Rob, played out of his skin

<Andy Giddings> It's Andy...so you have been today then?

<Caller> well, no, but I have listened to most of it on your show this afternoon

<Andy Giddings> We haven't covered that game, do you mean when we go around the grounds for a quick update?

<Caller> er........

<Andy Giddings> next up we have Brian.......

 

[Boxer Blade]

It used to be radio hallam before Sheffield had it, not saying it was called praise and grumble but going home after matches is was basically the same as Sheffield today. I remember somebody ringing in one Saturday after a game when a caller ringing from a car said I have somebody here called Sean bean and he would like a word, he wasnt overly famous but we all new who he was, the presenter? he had no fucking idea! bet he did after the call.

 

[Bladesway]

My Dad calls it "Moan and Groan".

Stopped listening years ago as I realised it was full of dullards who knew nothing about the game and had nothing interesting to say. I'll give an example of a typical phone-in conversation...

Presenter : And now we have Gary on the line. So Gary, is it a praise or a grumble.

Gary (in slow mono-syllabic Sheffield accent) : Itsa praaiiiizzze

Presenter : And who do you want to praise then Gary?

Gary : Sheffyul Wensdaaaay

Presenter : And why do you want to praise them Gary.

Gary : Cos they rayt brilliant like.

Presenter : And what is it about them that's so brilliant?

Gary : (long pause)......... er dunno, they just aaarrrrrrreee.

Presenter : Ok, thanks very much Gary, and the next caller is........

Me : <click>.........................

Oh fuck someone ring the stroke line again, we got another one.

 

[RossoDeltic]

We used to text in after games with various Paul Calf quotes, such as "it was as good as a mk4 Cortina with alloys from Halfords", "what kind of performance was that? It was like mixing Pop Tarts with Caviar". I got a call on a train from a mate listening at home after I had sent the Pop Tarts and Caviar quote following a draw at Home Park in around 2008.

 

[cahill]

Used to enjoy it, some classic calls e.g. " I've just been darn dere and dey wer crap" < presenter> " where's that " ?

< caller> raised voice " da knows darn dere " < presenter > " where ?" " DARN DERE " and so on

 

[cahill]

Or " dat Pleat, shud guh "

 

[Muttley]

Before it became P&G, Bob Jackson had a show on Friday evening around 5 o'clock previewing the weekend games and having people call in. I called in just the once, to congratulate Tony Kenworthy on his player of the year award.

 

[Deadbat]

A bit like 606 Graf.
Started by Danny Baker (and the other Danny I whose name I can't quite remember) and essential after game listening with general chat about worst goalkeeping kits or seeing Matt Le Tiss down the bingo. Used to try and listen every show.
Now? Full of dullard premier league supporters whingeing on about the manager, the players, the ref blah blah fucking blah. Absolutely unlistenable and not worth a shite anymore. Straight for the off button when it comes on.

PS. Kelly, Danny Kelly.

I dip in and out of Football Heaven and Praise or Grumble but not same since Bob Jackson and lattelry even though they got criticsed Paul wallker and Seth Bennett. Not as keen on the new guys. It seems to be same callers, that Rawmarsh Mick, the Pitsmoor Owl, Brian the Blade etc. It is obvious they are called up every evening and the station probably has them on commision! (my wife once did a feature on her new book on Radio Sheffield and a few months later for no reason Paulette Edwards rung her to talk about wheely bins asking if she would go on the show!)

As for Baker and Kelly. Some of the funniest things I have ever heard. Football related-ish but on various guises on 606, TalkSport, podcasts. Those two were brilliant. Danny Baker's Saturday morning show is very good but only has some football content but still very funny but probably not same since excellent Lyndsey Hypgrave left to concentrate on c5 and BT.

Anyway have a listen to some of these if you have a spare bit of time; are from a while ago but some are brilliant

http://www.internettreehouse.co.uk/footie.htm

Would recommend these couple of short clips definitely

http://www.internettreehouse.co.uk/audio/bowtie.mp3
http://www.internettreehouse.co.uk/audio/ted.mp3

 

[Pinchy]

It used to be radio hallam before Sheffield had it, not saying it was called praise and grumble but going home after matches is was basically the same as Sheffield today. I remember somebody ringing in one Saturday after a game when a caller ringing from a car said I have somebody here called Sean bean and he would like a word, he wasnt overly famous but we all new who he was, the presenter? he had no fucking idea! bet he did after the call.

RS had it first. Hallam tried to copy it with the more hip title (or so the fucking idiotic hacks thought) of "Rate 'em or Slate 'em". I know, I know, but it's true...

Bob Jackson, by the way, is a lifelong Blade, as is his son Richard.

 

[JohnDenver]

RS had it first. Hallam tried to copy it with the more hip title (or so the fucking idiotic hacks thought) of "Rate 'em or Slate 'em". I know, I know, but it's true...

Bob Jackson, by the way, is a lifelong Blade, as is his son Richard.

I thought his real sporting love was crown green bowls. I'm told he chairs some local organisation.

 

[spongebobblade]

Remember working at Bob Jacksons house up Totley in the early 90s and after the usual football talk I told him I'd be listening to his show Saturday afternoon (no full live commentary then) as I was working and so couldn't get to watch the Blades at Forest. He promised to give me and my mate a mention after a United goal and sure enough he did. Even better when we won 5-2 though I was gutted to miss it

 

[frank drebin]

My Dad calls it "Moan and Groan".

Stopped listening years ago as I realised it was full of dullards who knew nothing about the game and had nothing interesting to say. I'll give an example of a typical phone-in conversation...

Presenter : And now we have Gary on the line. So Gary, is it a praise or a grumble.

Gary (in slow mono-syllabic Sheffield accent) : Itsa praaiiiizzze

Presenter : And who do you want to praise then Gary?

Gary : Sheffyul Wensdaaaay

Presenter : And why do you want to praise them Gary.

Gary : Cos they rayt brilliant like.

Presenter : And what is it about them that's so brilliant?

Gary : (long pause)......... er dunno, they just aaarrrrrrreee.

Presenter : Ok, thanks very much Gary, and the next caller is........

Me : <click>.........................

Made me lol that