1.Early. I usually like to get to a ground 2-3 hours before kick off to set up the equipment and (away from home) get the lie of the land. Sometimes they won't let you in but nevertheless - its better than getting somewhere late and having to clamber over your fellow reporters!!
Rob's commentary notes are part of his thorough pre-match preparation
2. Be Prepared. For obvious reasons I was never in the Girl Guides - but their motto is spot on. You have to do your homework on the teams and the occasion before a game. You might not use 95 per cent of your prep - but you waste none of it.
3.Wrap up. Me and my colleagues are certainly not fashion icons - but who cares? Most football is played in the winter, scarf, thermals and gloves are essential. I reckon a flat cap is a ''must'' too. Remember - you can't talk when you are cold!
Rob Phillips interviews Wales Manager Chris Coleman
4. Top partner. Like football, commentary is a team game. As the few who saw me play for Pontypridd YMCA in the days of black and white tv, I was no footballer. But on Radio Wales commentaries I am lucky enough to sit next some ex-internationals who have seen and done most of it. You describe, they explain.
5.Stopwatch. You can't always rely on (or see) the stadium clock. But people always want to know how long is left - particularly if it's a nail biter. Scoreline and time regularly are the basics.
6. A drink. (Soft, of course). Ok, your summariser can give you a break but you are talking for around 90 minutes, sometimes shouting. The throat needs to be lubricated - often.
7. Throat sweets. Its a hazard of the occupation, a croaky throat. The day after most commentaries I can do a decent karaoke version of Lee Marvin's ''Wandering Star.'' Put it this way, my local chemist does a roaring trade in the throat lozenges.
8.Thick skin. Its a cluttered market, there are loads of commentators around. Some will like (hopefully) your style, others won't. Expect feedback - good or bad. A sense of humour helps, but you have to accept feedback in good heart.
9.No shame. Sometimes you have to get excited about a team when all the fans around are sneering or scowling. Sometimes they don't like it. But you have to plough on. Mind you, there's no accounting for some. I was at Kidderminster a few years ago and a home fan told me to keep the noise down!!
10. Be grateful. Sometimes being a commentator can be THE best job in the world. I get paid to watch football, travel to see my country in action and get to speak to some to the sport's biggest names. And I'll feel like the luckiest guy in the world if I can shout Wales to the Euro 2016 finals!
Kidderminster Cottage Pie - essential sustenance for those cold winter games!
PS I know what you are thinking. What about the food? Fair enough. Some of the food at Premier League grounds is cordon bleu stuff. But really, there's nothing quite like a football ground pie. My favourite? After 30 odd years of market research I can say it has to be the cottage pie sold at Kidderminster Harriers (with brown sauce, of course!!). Its a thing of beauty and a meal in itself.
So an appetite for food on the go is an absolute necessity for a football commentator. Its hungry work shouting for 90 minutes!
