The Sport Thread

[Hatton Cross]

Surprised it doesn't happen more often. 

"we have a problem with the commentator" just before kick off is something to chill the blood of every producer, tv or radio. 

I'm sure for big games like UCL, the BT Sport comms taking over the world feed duties would be the planned (and obvious) choice. You suspect with Jones taking over if Fletch was unable to call the game for whatever reason. 

It's your run of the mill games where back-ups can get thin on the ground the lower down the leagues you go. Clearly Premier League games for Sky/BT would switch to the PLP world feed. Similar for Championship games and the Old Firm in Glasgow (if they have them). 
It's what would happen for a National League or Division 1/2 game where the commentator is stood down 5-10 minutes before or during a game, is the tricky conundrum. 
In that case, I suspect a quick call to a commentator and see if they can 'off tube' from home via their ISDN codex box (or increasingly now through VoIP) would be the emergency fix, and hope the delay with sound to pictures is fairly minor. 

I do speak of experience. In a former existence as live game producer for a short lived digital radio station.
My commentator was involved in a prang and smash on the M1 on the way to cover a game at West Hams old Upton Park ground. Luckily someone back in the studio could present the pre-game waffle, whilst searching of a super-sub commentator - the ex pro summerisor already in place would not have been able to have done it.
Thankfully at the time, ex-Central sports editor Phil Mepham was there as Head of media relations at Aston Villa and stepped in with 5 minutes to spare before kick off.