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Commentator Woolley Celebrating 20 Years on Mic
Friday, 10th Feb 2023 11:09

BBC Radio Suffolk commentator Brenner Woolley is celebrating 20 years in his role.

Woolley first took the microphone to call a Town game at Bradford City on 1st February 2003 when Joe Royle’s Blues were beaten 2-0 by the Bantams.

In an interview with colleague Graeme Mac on BBC Radio Suffolk's Thursday Night Sports Special, Woolley recalls that first game as well as the highs and lows of his two decades commentating on Town.


Photo: TWTD



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BlueDouglas added 11:36 - Feb 10
Respect to Brenner for lasting 20 years, I'm not a fan of the Radio Suffolk commentary though, always sounds negative.
-7

bugblatter added 11:38 - Feb 10
Always great commentary from Brenner. Those who go on about him sounding more excited when the opposition score are talking rubbish imo.
21

PutneyBlue added 11:45 - Feb 10
I wish iFollow would go back to using Radio Suffolk. Brenner always has a lot more interesting things to say than the current commentator, who just repeats the same cheesy comments for 90 minutes. On one recent game he said "Ipswich get back to winning ways" 7 times in the last 10 minutes of the game, and can't resist calling them the Superblues, which sounds a bit teenage.
I have always found Brenner to be pretty balanced, and the Brenner/Mills combination was always pro-Ipswich. When we played well, he would say "This is good from Ipswich" but until the Gamechanger takeover, he didn't need to say that very often. Not being negative, but being honest.
25

sir_george_burley added 11:49 - Feb 10
That's a fine achievement by Brenner. I find him enjoyable to listen to. He's exceptionally knowledgeable and has an easy manner and a great on-air relationship with Mick Mills (who's a splendid pundit on the Town). I've repeatedly heard/read local journalists praise BW's knowledge, attitude and manner.

As a fan who now lives away from Suffolk, I really miss Brenner and Mick on match days. Perhaps fans who live fairly close to Ipswich don't know about how BBC Radio Suffolk is basically jammed online: you have to subscribe to iFollow and login there to hear the local radio audio commentary. That is not a problem, it's not expensive and it has been the arrangement for years and years. But what's happened this season is that the commentary is no longer the BBC one. So Brenner, with Mick and his other away-game pundits, is impossible now to hear if you live outside the broadcast locality of Radio Suffolk. A real shame - presumably makes more £££ for the club - but a sadness for me ... and perhaps other distant fans.
20

Radlett_blue added 11:55 - Feb 10
Yes, Mick Mills clearly understands the game well & is a good pundit, once you get used to his droning voice.
8

Bazza8564 added 11:59 - Feb 10
20 years is a great run, sadly I find the combination with him and Mills on commentary a tale of "oh no whats gone wrong now". I like him on interview though
-2

PutneyBlue added 12:04 - Feb 10
Is there any way to get Radio Suffolk online? I live in London so whenever I've looked online, I get a message saying it's unavailable during the match.

Great to have Radio Suffolk commentary for the Turf Moor match, though. It meant I could switch off the terrible iFollow one.
6

cookra added 12:05 - Feb 10
20 years is an impressive landmark.

I tend not to listen to the commentary on Radio Suffolk as it always feels like something bad is about to happen. Even when we are doing well the commentary feels very negative
-6

IpswichToon added 12:08 - Feb 10
I've always liked Brenner's commentary. The season that iFollow forced you to listen to the home commentary really put into perspective how good Brenner is. He does a great job of voicing neutral views of the game while also quite obviously being a fan of Town.

I actually find this season's iFollow commentary to infuriate me. I'm glad that they've stopped referring to Ipswich as 'The Super Blues' every couple of minutes, as much as it has been used for decades - it feels way too generic like we couldn't think of a better name! Thanks to David Sheepshanks, we do have a much better nickname these days!
4

WonnorCickhamm added 12:19 - Feb 10
Brenner is an excellent local radio commentator.
11

Michael101 added 12:22 - Feb 10
I just thought he was ok until a few years ago he was ill and somebody took over it made me change my mind.. can't remember what game it was but it was a Saturday evening game.
2

Westy added 12:37 - Feb 10
Better commentary than most local radio stations but I so wish he wouldn't temp fate so often.
5

MattinLondon added 12:42 - Feb 10
In the photo why is Eric Cantona interviewing KM?
-1

tearsofthetown added 12:53 - Feb 10
Well done Brenner. You`re one of us.
3

NITFC added 13:24 - Feb 10
Really rate Brenner.

I wish we still had a good stadium announcer !!!
1

Orraman added 13:38 - Feb 10
It is only necessary to listen to ifollow once to realise how shockingly poor the commentary is compared to the professionalism of Brenner who has a great knowledge and can make even poor games sound interesting.
I only tune into ifollow when it is showing live pictures of away matches but the occasion is always ruined by the abysmal commentary. As I attend every home game I only listen in to away games so I certainly hope that the ifollow clown commentator is not going to be used on the forthcoming TownTV.
The late Bryan Knights also used to provide an excellent, if at times, over excited commentary
6

mow_the_lawn added 13:43 - Feb 10
I much prefer Brenner's commentary to the current iFollow. Brenner's “negative” style is very truthful and probably very reflective of how most fans generally feel about their team when they make mistakes or aren't playing to their potential.
6

BotesdaleBlue added 14:18 - Feb 10
I think Brenner's commentary is first rate.

He gives excellent background and perpective in both his interviews and commentaries and seems a humble and down to earth man when I've heard to speak to his colleagues on Radio Suffolk. He certainly doesn't try to make things all about him, or try to be to clever, smug, or know-all like some.

I personally think we are very lucky to have him on BBC Radio Suffolk.

Well done for those 20 years, most of which have been miserable for Town unfortunately.
8

blueboy1981 added 14:47 - Feb 10
Anyone who knows a Top Notch Presenter and Pundit know Brenner and Mick Mills to be the Ultimate Professional Combination - we are fortunate to have both.
As usual a few critics, but that reflects on the lack of the critics knowledge, or blatant bias mentality of some Ipswiich followers - sadly !
NOT - Brenner or Mick.
Keep up the Great Work you Guys ! 👏🏻👏🏻
6

timleatham added 14:52 - Feb 10
I echo what many of you have already said. The Ifollow commentary is not a patch on what Brenner / Mills / Mathie provide on Radio Suffolk. I sometimes wonder if they forget we dont have any images and are relying on them describing what is happening! Of course not an issue when the commentary is for a match we can watch. I really enjoyed hearing Brenner and Mathie on the Burnley match via BBC.
4

BlueySwede added 14:56 - Feb 10
I do miss Brenners commentary on IFollow. He has a good radio voice, calm, knowledgeable and a passion for Town without blue tinted spectacles. Please bring Radio Suffolk commentary back. Even the sound quality was better before.
4

d77sgw added 15:06 - Feb 10
The view above seems to be pretty unanimous - every single comment about the comparison with iFollow agrees that it is cr@p compared to Radio Suffolk. What can we do to get the club to switch back to RS?
(One thing I would say in iFollows favour is that Ian Westlake is a insightful co-commentator)
4

TomGarneys added 16:14 - Feb 10
Managed to listen to the Burnley game replay on BBC Sounds with Radio Suffolk, as I live in Merseyside. Is this the future or a mistake?
-1

PhilTWTD added 16:43 - Feb 10
TomGarneys

FA Cup games are available on BBC Sounds, but not league.
0

Terrystowel added 17:34 - Feb 10
Brenner is the best of all local commentators. It's a bit picky of me to wish he'd stop calling the station Radio Suffik instead of Suffolk. Westlake is excellent as a co-commentator despite his tendency towards upspeaking. COYB, 3 PTS Saturday.
1


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