Adam Summerton on the art of commentary and his passion for Italian football

You are a prominent football commentator for TNT Sports and Discovery Plus in the UK. Can you share your journey to becoming a commentator?

 

“Originally, I started out doing a course in broadcast journalism. I’d originally planned to be a print writer, really. That was my aim when I was at school—that’s what I wanted to do. Then I had a year out between college and university and worked at a newspaper—not in the writing department, but on reception and in advertising. However, it gave me a chance to see the industry from the inside.

 

“I spoke to a lot of the writers, and to be honest with you, they really put me off pursuing the written side of journalism. At the time, wages weren’t great, and maybe that played a part in why they didn’t recommend it, but it made me rethink things. Still, I wanted to do something with words, as I’d always been good at English in school—terrible at maths, mind you—but good at English.

 

“I wanted to go into sports writing, and I ended up taking a sideways step, thinking, How about the broadcasting side of things? So, I did a three-year broadcast journalism course at university in Nottingham. After completing that, I set out to work in newsrooms, as the plan at the time was to become a news reporter, perhaps a newsreader, and maybe do some sports work on the side.

 

“In my first permanent job, at a small local commercial radio station in Mansfield, I was nudged into doing commentary. It wasn’t something I had asked to do or necessarily wanted to do. Reporting at football matches and doing 30-second updates seemed appealing, but the idea of live commentary felt a bit scary.

 

“However, the station wanted someone on staff to do it because they were paying freelancers, and I think they thought, We’ve got someone on staff, let’s save some money and give him an opportunity.

 

“So, I did it. My first game was Cambridge United versus Mansfield Town. I was nervous going in—I wouldn’t want to hear that commentary back now; it was probably rough—but the game itself was incredible. Mansfield, the team we covered as the local station, won 2–1 away, finishing with nine men. It was chaotic, but I was absolutely hooked by the adrenaline and the buzz of it. Even though I knew the commentary wasn’t great, the experience left me thinking, Wow, I need more of this.”

 

From your first game to the high-profile matches you cover now, do you follow a set preparation routine, or do you adapt your approach?

 

“Preparation evolves over time. I think if you spoke to most commentators, they’d tell you the same. For instance, last season, I started incorporating some additional statistical insights that I found interesting. It’s always evolving—how you prep, how you lay things out, everything.

 

“I’m quite studious with preparation, and it does take a lot of time. I spend hours on my laptop at the kitchen table, so it can feel quite solitary. This is the side of the job people don’t often see—the prep is the hard graft during the week.

 

“Sometimes it’s as simple as learning how to pronounce player names, especially when covering teams from overseas with unfamiliar names. I cross-reference multiple sources to ensure I get them right, which can take hours.

 

“Still, I call this a labour of love. Occasionally, I’ll sit back and think, Wow, I get paid to read about football all day. 15-year-old me would’ve been over the moon knowing this is my job.

 

“The matches are the fun bit—the release. That’s when I can share little nuggets of information I’ve found during the week, and of course, the games themselves are unpredictable and unscripted.”

 

Talking of unpredictability and dramatic football, you regularly cover Serie A football for TNT Sport.

 

Your passion for Serie A really shines through in your commentaries. Where did your love for Italian football begin?

 

“Oh, that’s nice of you to say—thank you! Yeah, I suppose it kind of will because, in a way, Serie A is my bit of fun at the end of the week. Obviously, there are certain games where you know there’s more scrutiny, and you’ve got a much broader audience. But with Serie A, you kind of know you have an audience that knows you, and a lot of them will listen regularly.

 

“It helps that the people I work with, like Tony Dorigo and Don Hutchinson, know the league inside out. I’ve done so many games with them that I’m really relaxed because I know I can throw any question their way, and they’ll have an answer. It’s just quite relaxed.

 

“To answer your question, it goes back to the 90s. I was born in 1980, so I was a teenager when Golazzo started. It was also the time when Sky started broadcasting the Premier League. That was a subscription a lot of families just couldn’t afford. We couldn’t watch the Premier League at home for a while until my mum and dad eventually relented, but that was after a few years. So, for kids like me who couldn’t just sit down and watch the Premier League anymore, we’d come home from playing football on Sunday mornings and put on Italian football.

 

“There’s a whole generation of us who did that. It was like opening a window to a different footballing world. In some ways, it was similar, but in others, it was completely different—the press coverage of the clubs, the way supporters brought banners, how the stadiums looked, even the players’ haircuts. It was all just so different from what we were used to, and I was mesmerised, really.

 

“Even the style of football was different. At the time, Italian football was slower, more defensive, with far fewer goals than now. It’s amazing that the stereotype of it being slow still persists for some people, even though the league has changed a lot.

 

“So, my love comes from being a child of the 90s, growing up with Gazzetta and all the things that went with it. When BT Sport launched in 2013, I was lucky to start with them from the beginning. Back then, we had all the top European leagues except La Liga. Covering Serie A again in my early to mid-30s made me rediscover that love for it.”

 

In terms of covering games in Italy, what are your favorite stadiums to commentate from? 

You mentioned how different stadia in Italy is and I guess San Siro sums up that difference as it is utterly iconic in its own way?

 

“Yeah, you’ve nailed it because it has to be the San Siro. Some things in life you imagine to be incredible, and when you finally experience them, they might not live up to expectations. But my first game at the San Siro as a commentator was every bit as amazing as I hoped.

 

“It’s iconic, like you said, though it’s crumbling a bit inside and desperately needs repairs. Last season, I remember walking into the press entrance, and a guy was fixing the lift. He kept saying, “One minute, one minute.” We just took the stairs! It’s falling apart in the back, but those four towers and the overall look—it’s special.

 

“The atmosphere is unmatched. I did two games there last season, and the roar when there’s a goal or big moment is incredible. My first game, ironically, was a 0-0 draw—Milan vs. Newcastle—but two hours before kickoff, I was already up in the commentary position. I just took five minutes, sat there, and soaked it all in. I didn’t talk to anyone; I just sat there and thought, “This is living the dream.”

 

“Then, of course, I had to get into work mode and do the job, but that five minutes of just being a fan, taking it all in, was unforgettable.”

 

From Italian football and the glory of the San Siro to the National League in England—you’ve covered National League football for several years, including the Wrexham-Notts County title race. What did you enjoy about covering that race and the league as a whole?

 

“The National League is a part of my career I look back on with a huge amount of fondness and pride. I was part of a team that evolved over the years but consistently gave that league the love, care, attention, and respect it deserved. We never saw it as a stepping stone or a lesser assignment.

 

“The great thing about the National League is that people don’t necessarily watch it to be dazzled by ability—that’s what the Premier League or Champions League is for. Instead, it’s about the human stories. You see players who’ve fallen down the levels due to injuries, illness, or even personal circumstances. For example, there was one player who dropped down to care for his mum. Those stories made it special.

 

“The 2022-23 season, in particular, was one of the most memorable of my career. Wrexham, with their Hollywood owners, went head-to-head with Notts County, who had fewer resources but incredible determination. The Wrexham 3-2 Notts County game was one of the best I’ve ever covered. Ben Foster’s last-minute penalty save effectively secured the title for Wrexham—it was a Hollywood script in itself.

 

“Then, there were the playoffs. Notts County nearly didn’t make it, coming back from 2-0 down in the semi-finals and winning on penalties in the final. The redemption arc of Cedwyn Scott, whose penalty was saved by Foster, scoring the winning penalty at Wembley—it was spine-tingling.

 

“The whole country bought into it. The viewing figures for some of those games rivalled Premier League numbers, and even people at my kids’ football games were asking me about Wrexham and Notts County. It was such a special season.”

 

Finally, given the depth of your career, what advice would you give to aspiring commentators wanting to break into the industry?

 

“Determination and resilience are key. It’s a competitive industry, and breaking in is tough, especially if, like me, you start without connections or a leg up. My first job was broadcasting from a caravan in a supermarket car park!

 

“You need self-belief because you’ll face a lot of rejection. But when someone gives you a chance, prove them right. Be obsessive about improving your craft—watch your work back, analyse it, and learn from it.

 

“Be open to advice but also trust your instincts. Early on, a co-commentator told me I was doing it wrong, but I believed in my approach and stood my ground. That confidence earned me respect.

 

“Finally, don’t limit yourself to just commentary. Learn other skills like presenting, journalism, or writing. Spotting narratives is crucial for commentary, and my journalism background helps me pick up on stories quickly. It all adds up to making you a more complete broadcaster.”

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 Featured image: Adam Summerton