May 2025 - Pure Play-Off Drama
- Warren Muggleton
- May 29
- 3 min read
So, it's fair to say that the last month has been the best of my commentary career so far!
Three games, high stakes, a rollercoaster of emotions, all ending with Southend United booking a trip to Wembley Stadium for the National League play-off final against Oldham Athletic on 1st June.
I was there for every minute behind the mic - and I can't believe I'm saying that I have a seat booked at the home of English football!
May has been a real zenith in my career, covering these games for BBC Essex Sport.
It started on Bank Holiday Monday, with the Blues travelling north-east to Gateshead.
Sitting in the play-offs going into a game for the first time this season, the task was simple - avoid loss. When confirmed, this was the full-time scene...
The game itself was by no means a classic, with speculative shots and crosses without targets. I had to rely a lot on my research, describing the scene and working with my summariser.
But it was all about building up to this moment and capturing the significance of the celebrations, using the steam-train allegory to parallel the consortium's takeover and emphasise how the Blues have gradually built momentum to charge towards the play-offs.
The only blemish - the atmosphere mic could have been higher. The Gateshead International Stadium used to host Diamond League athletics, so we were based in a glass box far from the away fans. It made it difficult to fully capture their reaction, so it all sounds more quiet than it should be.
But that would all change soon...
10 days later, it was off to Rochdale for the play-off eliminator.
I will let this seven-goal extra-time thriller do the talking for itself!
This was one of the most pulsating games I've ever covered, with a barrage of chances for both sides and twists of momentum.
We were perfectly positioned at the Crown Oil Arena, so I was able to describe a scene nestled in the South Pennines with clarity.
While the action moved fast, I was really pleased with my composure to stay controlled and the tonal variety - mentioned in my last blog.
I was also to note actions off the pitch. The Blues CEO has told me how he loved hearing me say 'and the consortium are going bananas!'.
How could you top a night like that?!
Just under a week later, the Blues found themselves one game away from a trip to Wembley and a chance to return to the English Football League after four years.
Southend's equaliser is the new lead clip on my Reels, which you can see in the link.
This is the first time I have commentated a game of this significance, so I knew it was important to keep my pace relaxed and geography clear.
I think this was achieved while using crescendos and my research to signify the biggest moments of Southend's season.
I've never shouted like this in a game before - lucky I had my golden syrup! It wasn't out of control but it brought across the significance of the night.
In fact, here's me in action!
The biggest thing I've taken from these May commentaries is confidence. I go into every commentary thinking it's the biggest of my career so far but it has been particularly true this month.
Thank you to everyone who has been listening and taken the time to praise the coverage too - it's been a privilege to bring these moments to life for BBC Essex Sport listeners.
It puts me in a great place to go to Wembley Stadium in June for - you guessed it - the biggest commentary of my career!
WHAT DID YOU THINK TO THESE CLIPS? GIVE ME YOUR FEEDBACK IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
While May brought huge moments following Southend, it also brought variety at either end of the month.
In the first week of May, I covered three games in three different ways across six days.
I started with social media updates in Billericay Town's Isthmian Premier play-off semi-final loss to Dover Athletic, preparing some brief notes.
Then, I went to Bury Town for Brightlingsea Regent's shot at Isthmian North play-off glory. I provided updates for BBC Essex Sport, preparing the level notes I used to before the New Year.
And it finished on Bank Holiday Monday with the trip to Gateshead.
It was really fun to show my versatility of broadcasting across six days.
During the last Bank Holiday Weekend of May, I took up the mic at the Bournemouth 7s.
I've commentated over the tannoy in 2022 and 2024, so it was great fun to use a different tone and work with the crowd to bring some fun and major moments during the rugby competition.
Last updated: 29th May 2025
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