One commentator we will not be looking forward to hearing cover Chelsea games is a former player. Craig Burley hates Chelsea but as a former player broadcasters love to assign him to Chelsea games.
It is natural for commentators, particularly those that are former players to have a certain element of bias.
Gary Neville is never going to get over-excited over a Liverpool goal, and likewise Jamie Carragher probably dies a little inside every time Manchester United win a game. Fans expect commentators to try to be neutral or at least acknowledge their bias.
One commentator who can’t hide his bias is Craig Burley.
The problem is Craig Burley seems to hate Chelsea
He never says this out loud, instead, there is a passive-aggressive comment here, or a negative opinion there meaning that every time he takes up the mic, there’s a collective sigh from Chelsea fans who have grown weary of his antics.
The sad thing as a player he was actually quite popular with fans during his time at the club, but his constant negativity has soured fans’ opinions of him.
Craig Burley Has Never Forgiven Chelsea For The 1997 FA Cup Final
Craig Burley played in the 1994 FA Cup Final for Chelsea, as we were crushed by Manchester United.
He was with Chelsea during the 1996/1997 season when Chelsea again reached the final. This time however he was controversially dropped for reasons believed to be linked to his refusal to sign a new contract.and Burley took it badly. Despite Chelsea going on to win the trophy, Burley has not forgotten.
In his own words, he described being dropped as being “smashed by a hammer”
It appears he has never forgiven Chelsea since. Burley was subsequently sold to Celtic before heading into punditry after retiring in 2004.
This now seeps into his commentary, despite him arguably making a living from being an ex-Chelsea player.
Craig Burley Unlikely To Change
It seems unlikely that Burley is going to change his view on the club, so when he is commentating, we will have to just keep ignoring him as much as possible.