Ally McCoist and Jon Champion steal the show on night of drab Newcastle vs Liverpool draw

© Provided by The i Management’s loss is commentary’s game in the form of Ally McCoist (Photo: Getty)

The action on the pitch wasn’t much to write home about but viewers of Amazon Prime’s coverage of Newcastle vs Liverpool were enraptured by the commentary of Ally McCoist and his old pal Jon Champion.

The pair aren’t regulars on Premier League coverage in England although BT and Sky Sports might well be mulling an offer of employment following their popularity over this festive period.

“Ally McCoist isn’t just good at co-commentating, he’s M&S co-commentating,” wrote one viewer on Twitter, where McCoist was trending above Newcastle, Liverpool, Brexit, and even Covid-19.

With the teams playing out a drab 0-0 draw, the high point of the night came with an intricate discussion of their half-time snack line-up, prepared by McCoist’s wife.

“If there was some way of getting Ally McCoist to read the news or provide a soundtrack to everyday life… well, what a wonderful, absolutely magnificent and quite incredibly remarkable upbeat world this would be,” wrote journalist George Caulkin.

Bruce Millington added: “Discovering Jon Champion and Ally McCoist are commentating on a game you want to watch is one of life’s little victories, like realising the seat next to you on a flight is empty.”

It’s not the first time the pair have gained a cult following, with this newspaper describing them as the “dream team” of the last World Cup in Russia where they covered matches for ITV.

With no particular affiliation to either club (although he did play for Newcastle’s rivals Sunderland) and a genuine, boyish enthusiasm for the game, McCoist makes for a refreshing change from the usual cast of old pros.

As Adam Hurrey wrote for i during Russia 2018: “McCoist’s sex appeal may have been weathered by the two decades since he hung up his boots, plus a thankless three years as manager of an imploding Rangers, but few if any co-commentators boast such a glint in their voice. Some attempt to lay big-game gravitas on with a spade, while McCoist just skips through his observations with glorious abandon.”

“Said it before but I’ll say it again, Ally McCoist is an absolute joyful listen on co-comms,” wrote Jack Reeve. “You can tell he’s having a brilliant time whilst providing really lovely snippets.”

i‘s James Gray said: “If Sky, or BT, or both, dont give Ally McCoist some co-comms work on the back of what he’s done with Amazon, they are missing a trick in my opinion. Been brilliant again this evening on Newcastle vs Liverpool.”

With two of Amazon’s matches being postponed this week until some point later in the season, let’s hope it won’t be too long until we hear McCoist and Champion again.