Across three turbulent decades at Nottingham Forest, one voice has remained constant: BBC commentator Colin Fray. For Forest fans, he’s been a companion through the chaos - narrating from the end of the Clough years to the lows of League One, then back again; to the highs of the Premier League and now Forest’s long-awaited return to European football. We spoke to him about his journey behind the mic…
How did it all begin? What first drew you to commentary?
It all started in an attic on a crackly radio listening to BBC World Service when I was living in Norway as a youngster. The only place you could get reception was to go right up into the loft and extend the aerial. The voice of a commentator called Peter Jones was what hooked me in.
Then you entered a competition, which led to your big break…
Yes, in late 1989 I saw an advert for the Amateur Commentator of the Year competition. So I got a tape recorder, stuck on Forest winning the Littlewoods Cup, turned the sound down and did ten minutes of my own commentary. I sent it in and won. One of the prizes was five minutes on Radio 5 commentating on Arsenal v Palace. That was my very first bit of radio commentary. Then Radio Nottingham invited me in and after doing a non-league match or two Martin Fisher asked me if I wanted to commentate on Forest v Chelsea that Saturday. It was an incredible eighteen months or so!
How do you feel your style has evolved over the years?
In those early commentaries, I can very much still hear elements of the guy I was trying to be; Peter Jones. But I think with time you relax and become your own person. The last time Forest were in Europe was in 1995-96 and I was three or four years in. Listening back I can hear me not quite being where I am now, but equally not quite being where I was when I started. It was probably six or seven years in, it just became ‘me’. I was a bit more relaxed and a bit more at home by then.
For many fans you are the way they experience the club. How conscious are you of capturing not just the action, but the emotion of being a Forest supporter?
Yeah, very much so. When people ask for advice one thing I tell them is to not get too daunted by thinking about all the people listening. You just have to imagine that you’re talking to one person. However, even now when those big occasions come round the butterflies are fluttering away in my stomach because you know those are the games that people are going to remember and you need to be on your A game.
How do you prepare for a match in terms of research?
Nothing too revolutionary. I do lots of internet-based research on the opposition, but I always know plenty about Forest’s players. I’ll look at their age and their history, how many goals they’ve got this season and their height. Often I'll do stats on how much the opposition squad has been assembled for in terms of finance and things like that. The BBC also has somebody who produces a lot of notes and sends them to us, so we do get a little bit of help. But mostly, it’s just time where I’m sat in front of a computer screen. I don’t know what I did before the internet!
Talk to me about the dichotomy of working alongside co-commentators with experience of playing the game…
My job is to literally describe what’s happening and in as much detail as I possibly can and the summariser's job is to tell us why. We have very defined roles and you wouldn’t want Hodgy (Steve Hodge) starting to commentate, and you wouldn’t want me starting to say where a footballer might be going wrong. Hodgy can do that; he’s been there. He’s been to the World Cup Quarter Finals and played in Europe and the top flight and has the insight. I always think that you can judge a really good summariser, and I’ve been privileged to work with several, if they call something before it happens.
What’s changed most about the job since you started?
In terms of the radio commentary, not a lot. It’s just the kind of kit we use. When I first started, I was splicing tape with sticking tape and razor blades to create bulletins on a weekend morning. But obviously that’s all done digitally now. What has changed dramatically over the years is social media. I’m not on it personally, but our team basically maintains a 24-hour service for BBC Nottingham. That’s the biggest change.
How has the club changed since 1991? Including your relationship with it…
It was probably more personal before; you felt closer to the club when they were not in the Premier League. Once they’re in, it is genuinely a different world. I’ve waited while players finish Zoom calls with journalists in Portugal or Brazil. You didn’t get that in League One! Last season, the club’s own media team sometimes couldn’t find a room to do interviews because of the demand from national and international broadcasters.
Between the final Clough years and the 2022 promotion, Forest endured arguably the toughest period in their modern history. What was it like being behind the mic through those decades?
Yes, it was tough at times! It’s far easier to talk on the radio in glowing terms about a club that’s on the up than another 1-0 home defeat at the bottom of the Championship. There were some very low moments, and we had to cling to any little glimmer of success. There were definitely times where I thought ‘the Championship is alright, there’s nothing wrong with this, just keep going in the Championship every year!’ It’s only when you get back into the Premier League, that you realise what you’ve been missing for so long!
What does it mean to you to be covering Forest back in Europe again?
It’ll be great! Back in the 90s I had some wonderful times in the UEFA Cup; not always great matches, but great moments. I’m looking forward to creating more memories, thirty years on. It’s an adventure for me, like it is for the fans. From a professional point of view, it’ll be busy with games on Thursday nights, Sundays as well as County and Mansfield on Saturdays! But it’s just great to see Forest back on the international footballing map.
What would constitute a successful season in your eyes?
I don't want to sound pessimistic, but honestly, if they can just be mid-table, maybe top half, and more established as a Premier League side, I think that'd be alright. It sounds a bit defeatist because they were 7th last season, but you've got to be realistic. Manchester United, Tottenham and Man City are not going to be as bad again.
Do you have a “dream call” left on your bucket list?
Well, winning a European competition would be nice. Winning a cup competition at Wembley, whether that be League Cup or FA Cup, that would also be still on there. Success in Europe, yeah, a European final would be great to call. And then, of course, there's the day that Forest wins the Premier League…
Follow Forest and Colin Fray on BBC Nottingham this season on 103.8FM and on their social media.
bbc.co.uk/nottingham
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