Thick FA Cup fog at Moss Lane left BBC Sport commentator Steve Bower unable to see the action during Altrincham’s first-round tie against Notts County on Saturday, a match he described as the most difficult of his 35-year career.
The game, broadcast live on BBC Two, was played in conditions that obscured the pitch from the commentary position opposite the dugouts. Bower said that once play moved beyond the centre circle, he and his team could not identify which team had possession, let alone which player.
“One of the more challenging of my long career, that’s about 35 years now,” Bower said. He noted that a colleague reminded him of a similar fog-affected first-round tie between York and Wigan about three years ago, but he judged Saturday’s conditions to be worse.
Visibility problems from the press box
The difficulties were not limited to television commentary. BBC Radio Nottingham commentator Adam Hassell said he could just about make out the bright white numbers on shirts but struggled to see the far side of the pitch. Former Notts County striker Mark Stallard, also working for BBC Radio Nottingham, said nobody in the press box knew where the ball was, comparing it to a spot-the-ball competition.
Stallard, who played in a Notts County cup side against Wimbledon that was abandoned, said he could not see any of that earlier match either. He later added that the linesman and players on the far side were genuinely invisible, making the radio commentary slightly farcical.
Bower explained that after about the 60th minute, the fog made it impossible to see which team had the ball. With the game going to extra-time, the challenge persisted. He relied on text messages from viewers who told him he sounded fine but that they could not see anything either.
“In the end, you have to roll with it and do the best you can,” Bower said.
A promising tie lost in the mist
For an hour, Bower said, the match had been a good FA Cup tie with everything a cup romance could offer. National League Altrincham led 2-1 against League One Notts County and threatened an upset before Callum Roberts equalised late for the visitors, forcing extra-time. Notts County eventually won on penalties.
But as the fog thickened, the spectacle diminished. Bower noted that tactics, shape, aggression and effort became impossible to describe because they could not be seen. The game changed as players abandoned long diagonal passes in favour of short five- and ten-yard passes, simply because they could not see far enough ahead.
Both managers struggled from the touchline. Notts County boss Martin Paterson, according to Bower, credited Altrincham as the better team in the first half but admitted he could not see the second. Altrincham manager Neil Gibson said his staff tried to get pitchside to assess tactical changes after four substitutions, but could not determine whether the shape had altered.
Bower said the match came very close to being called off. Some players told him they could not see either goal or the corner flags from the centre circle.
Penalties decided by sound and replays
The shootout took place in front of Altrincham fans, and Bower had to rely on the crowd’s reaction before committing to his commentary. He could not see the goalkeeper’s save until the first replay arrived. Notts County fans at the other end, he said, would have seen nothing and had to judge by sound alone.
Altrincham supporters used their phone lights in an attempt to distract the Notts County penalty takers through the fog.
“It will live long in the memory, that’s for sure,” Bower said. “A unique evening all around.”
