It Started With a Kick Episode 88 : Derek Rae
Derek is a commentator who mainly covers the Bundesliga for ESPN as well as La Liga. He is also the voice of various incarnations of FIFA. Growing up in Aberdeen naturally his first visit to a football stadium was at Pittodrie and he cut his broadcasting teeth at Grampian Hospital radio at the tender age of 15 and made his BBC Radio Scotland debut in 1986 as a late replacement for main commentator, David Francey and has not looked back since.
Unusually for his first match in 1973, he only saw the last thirty minutes as he had been on a putting green next Pittodrie before sneaking into the ground after they opened up the gates to all-comers. He got to see his hero Drew Jarvie score in a 3-1 win for the home side. Dundee United’s goal that day was scored by none other than Andy Gray, a future colleague of Derek’s at Euros 2008. Also playing that day was Aberdeen keeper Bobby Clark, who became Derek’s PE teacher.
After commentating on Kilmarnock vs Dumbarton in 1986, his next match followed quickly and was Wembley for an England Scotland game – quite the step-up. Since then Derek has covered many major tournaments alongside a huge range of club matches. So from a putting green in Aberdeen to some of the biggest stadiums in the world Derek’s journey is a fascinating one.
Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Yww95S
Part 2 – https://bit.ly/3MFYzIc
The Football Mine 