Ian Crocker reveals what it's like to commentate on an Old Firm match

“I worked out recently that the last one was the 50th Old Firm game I had commentated on so it’s a fixture I know well by now. They still stick out as special occasions and I get a real buzz in the build-up to each one and then at the match itself.

“I spend Friday working on all my notes although, ironically, this is the one match where you don’t always get a chance to use them as it tends to be played at 100 mph and there’s barely chance to draw breath never mind fit in anything else.

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“Then on the day of the game I always wake up early, about half 6. For a lunchtime kick-off like today I’ll get to the ground around 9am as I like to sit and look around the empty stadium for five minutes, knowing it’s going to be absolutely mental a few hours later. I’ll then hover around the tunnel hoping to pick up team news. Some managers give it you quite early, some don’t. Some will give it to you on the phone – Walter Smith was good for that when he was at Rangers – but normally you just get the steer an hour or so before kick-off.

“I’ll then get settled in my seat on the commentary gantry about 45 minutes before and make some last-minute adjustments to my notes. I then like to do nothing for the last 30 minutes before kick-off, just taking in the atmosphere while listening to the build-up in our studio.

“In advance you have a few lines in your head you would like to use in commentary but more often than not a goal doesn’t happen as you think it might or a player might not do as you expected. So more often than not it’s just ad-libbing with whatever comes to mind. Especially in an Old Firm game where you usually have no idea what is coming next.

“I always say that I’m one of the few neutrals on these occasions as I genuinely like covering both teams. Coming from Dorset on the south coast of England, following my local team Weymouth and then West Ham when I moved to London, I’ve never had a Scottish team. But as I’ve been commentating on Scottish football for nearly 20 years now people always think you favour one side or other but I’m genuinely happy sitting on the fence and letting everyone else worry about the result!

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“I’ve done a few crackers over the years. The one in 1999 when it all kicked off was memorable even though it overstepped the mark. I remember looking at co-commentator Davie Provan when we came off air and we were both staring at each other open-mouthed.

“My favourite two were the 6-2 game back in 2000 when Celtic were three up after 11 minutes, and then the Scottish Cup final in 2002 when Peter Lovenkrands scored in the last minute to give Rangers to win. I remember saying as Neil McCann’s cross came in, “is there going to be a twist in the tail?” and Lovenkrands scored so it’s always nice when a line like that comes off. You’re trying to capture the moment the best you can and it’s humbling when folk come up to you later on and say they enjoyed your commentary.

“You get so wrapped up in a match and concentrating on what is going on you definitely feel tired afterwards, especially one as frantic as the Old Firm game. But they give you such a buzz. I don’t like re-watching old commentaries as I don’t like the sound of my own voice but I’ll sometimes go back over a few incidents and make sure I called it right at the time.

“With social media, people aren’t slow to tell you if you haven’t. It’s generally just good banter although sometimes fans take it a bit too far. But if the abuse comes in 50/50 from both sides then I know then that I must be doing something right!”