INTERVIEW: Your passion can go overboard, but Scottish football is very, very special, says Ian Crocker

Ian Crocker can get too close to the action, like when the ball flew near him and co-commentator Andy Walker at Hamilton

Ian Crocker has been covering Scottish football for 22 years, and thought he’d seen it all.

But when he settles into his seat in the TV gantry at Pittodrie in just under a fortnight, he will be in uncharted territory.

Sky have chosen Rangers’ visit to Aberdeen to kick-start the first weekend of their new five-year deal with the SPFL – and Crocker can’t wait.

The 55-year-old from Dorset told The Sunday Post: “The new season can’t start quickly enough. I love Scottish football and I’ve missed it these past four months.

“For it all to get underway at Pittodrie is brilliant.

“Outside of an Old Firm fixture, Aberdeen v Rangers is probably the best game for atmosphere.

“Sure, there won’t be any fans inside the stadium for this one – but there will still be a real edge to it.

“Rangers know what is at stake this season, and they need to be right on it.

“I like Steven Gerrard. He interviews well, and speaks sense on the game.

“However, he will have been frustrated with the lack of domestic success in the past couple of years, particularly last season.

“There was an opportunity for Rangers to really do something. They really could have pushed Celtic all the way.

“But they couldn’t keep up the required levels of consistency after the winter break.

“Rangers fell away at the same time as Celtic went on an impressive run of form.

“Scott Brown drove his team on. It showed they know what is required to get the job done.

“They’ll have that mentality again in the new season, for sure.

“We can’t look into the future, of course, but it would be great for the neutrals if this season went right down to the wire.

“How good would it be to have both halves of the Old Firm going for the title on the last day of the campaign?

“The last time we had that in Scottish football was in 2011 when Walter Smith’s Rangers won the title on the last day at Kilmarnock.

“Since then, Celtic have lifted every title to win nine-in-a-row.

“Will they make it to 10, or can Rangers stop them?

“It’s fascinating stuff. It is a season not to be missed!

“I hope it’s tight, and we get a proper title race.”

That’s not happened in England this year, with rampant Liverpool clinching the Premier League title with seven games to spare.

They did so after the game emerged from lockdown, and Crocker – who has been back commentating behind closed doors – admits it’s been a weird experience

“It’s all been bit bizarre,” he said.

“I was at St James’ Park for Newcastle United’s games against Sheffield United and West Ham. I always thought that the stadium would have a great atmosphere no matter what, but it just wasn’t the same minus 50,000 Geordies.

“In fact, arriving at the hotel in the city centre on the Saturday night before the Sunday game, the city was deserted.

“I had a short walk from my car to the hotel and only bumped into two policemen.

“The public followed the guidelines, and no fans turned up outside the stadium on the day of the game.

“Again, it all just added to the strange times we are going through.

“But it’s all necessary. As we have found out in recent months, there are things more important than football.

“So, when I get to Pittodrie on August 1, I’ll know it’s going to be weird doing commentary in an empty stadium.

“But I’ll still be as enthusiastic as ever. The homework will still be done and I’ll prepare as normal.”

There’s always passion in the air when Rangers visit Pittodrie, and sometimes a pie, like the one (above) aimed at James Tavernier last December

Rangers and Aberdeen clash last December

The start of the new season will consign 2019-20 to the history books, and Crocker revealed he was less than satisfied with how it all ended.

He said: “There may not have been any football going on in Scotland, but nobody was short of a headline or a talking point.

“What has gone on in the past four months must have been a dream for journalists.

“I don’t want to get involved in the politics of it all. It was, however, unfortunate to see teams being relegated before all the fixtures were fulfilled.

“But voting had to take place and decisions needed to be made.

“As things stand, Dundee United are now back in the Premiership, and I’m glad about that.

“I like their television gantry. It has the perfect view. In fact, it’s one of my favourite gantries in football.

“It’s always interesting to see how the promoted team gets on. Micky Mellon is now in charge and I know him from down south.

“They will probably feel they’ll be able to hold their own.

“Lawrence Shankland is taking a step up a division, but he has scored for Scotland. So I’ve a feeling he will relish this opportunity.

“As a commentator, you want to see gifted footballers on the pitch.

“Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard is a composed finisher, and very rarely seems to get flustered when he has a chance to score a goal.

“Alfredo Morelos at Rangers is another talented striker, but also possesses another side to him.

“When he is focused and on form, however, he is lethal.

“I hope the three of them, and every other talented footballer, stays in Scotland. The game needs them.

“We want to see Scott Brown and Jermain Defoe and Sam Cosgrove and Ali McCann and Chris Long, and the likes.

“We will get to see them all in action in the opening month.

“The way the fixtures are scheduled is great for Sky Sports, and I look forward to getting around the country once again.

“After Aberdeen-Rangers on the Saturday, we are at Celtic’s game with Hamilton Accies on the Sunday for the unfurling of the League flag, then it’s up to Dingwall on the Monday night for Ross County against Motherwell.

“It is a total privilege for me to have the job that I do.

“Scotland is a proper footballing country, and I love the passion.

“Sure, it can go overboard sometimes, we all know that. But on the whole, it is very, very special.

“It’s great to be a part of it, and I hope we are all working together to bring the best product and entertainment level possible.”