'Oh I say!' Your favourite commentators & their phrases

"Oh I say!"

The late, great, voice of cricket Richie Benaud once said that the art of commentating was not talking too much.

But when the legendary men behind the microphone turn a phrase fit to grace a great sporting moment, it can transcend the action itself.

So to coincide with BBC Two documentary An Evening With Peter Alliss, BBC Sport asked its audience to recall their best commentary moments via #bestvoiceever and vote on their favourite commentators.

Veteran BBC football commentator John Motson came top, with 30.6% of the poll, while former Australia cricketer Benaud (18.6%) narrowly claimed second place ahead of Formula 1's Murray Walker (18%) in third.

Rugby's Bill McLaren was next on 10.3%, then 'voice of golf' Alliss (8.3%), followed by all-rounders Barry Davies and David Coleman (7.1% and 4.7% respectively) and finally racing's Peter O'Sullevan (2.4%).

Here's a selection of your favourite quotes:

Barry Davies: "And you have to say, where were the Germans? And frankly, who cares?"

Richie Benaud:"That's gone straight into the confectionery stall and out again."

Sid Waddell: "This game's had more twists in it than a rattlesnake with a hernia."

David Coleman:"Ovett, those blue eyes like chips of ice!"

Murray Walker: "Unless I am very much mistaken, I AM VERY MUCH MISTAKEN!"

John Motson:"Oh that tackle was so hard it probably hurt his whole family."

And some of the funniest:

Murray Walker:"There is nothing wrong with the car, except that it's on fire!"

Ted Lowe:"For those of you watching in black and white, the brown ball is directly behind the green."

Does this count?

From Craig Birtwistle on BBC Sport's Facebook page:, external "My favourite John Motson line was actually from a Fifa computer game (I played it so much the lines were memorised) - 'Did you hear a police siren? Because that defending was criminal'."

NB due to rights restrictions there is no footage of Sir Peter O'Sulleven in this edit.

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