Oxford Utd Commentary

The view from the press box

I had an absolutely brilliant time commentating on Oxford United's pre-season friendly versus Mansfield Town for BBC Radio Oxford. A career ambition achieved commentating on a 90 minute match and on the team I support! To top it off, Oxford United won. It was a pleasure to be alongside Jack Shoemark, from The Manor Podcast, who was my summariser and did a top job. Here's the short highlights of the match...

markansell · Mansfield v Oxford 22nd July 2025 Highlights

BBC Copyright

Reporting on Oxford United

I never thought I'd have the chance to report on Oxford United but on Easter Saturday I covered the Chesterfield match at the Kassam Stadium for BBC Radio Derby - albeit from the opposition's perspective. My pre match, half time and full time reports had to be brief. I wonder what you think about me singing during my half time report? Too much? Perhaps, but I think it's important to inject personality into reporting and I feel it fitted the mood of a club celebrating promotion. Here's my pre match, half time and full time reports...
Oxford v Chesterfield by markansell

After the game I went pitch-side tointerview Oxford United's defender Damian Batt on my iPhone. He was voted by the Professional Football's Association as the best right back in League 2. I forgot to stop the recording at the end of the interview so you can hear a bit of small talk afterwards...
Damien Batt interview by markansell
I also interviewed Chesterfield Manager John Sheridan...
John Sheridan interview by markansell

It's been about 4 years since I last reported on football but I really enjoyed it. When I was a student I used to go to a lot of Sheffield United matches at Bramall Lane with my friend Paul and I'd write half and full time reports and read them to my audience - him! Very sad I know but I love the challenge of summing up the action. The aim is to try to capture the essence of the game in an engaging way.

Blast Off

You will have heard that the BBC plans to close 6 Music and the Asian Network, but you may not know that BBC Blast is also going to go. Blast is/was about letting 13 to 19 year olds be creative in writing, film, music, dance, fashion and games. The project gave me one of my first breaks in the industry. I think it's a real shame that it'll soon be no more since it does give young people the chance to express themselves and be given coaching, mainly through the BBC Blast website.

I did a placement with BBC Blast in 2005 as an events coordinator. One of the highlights was taking all my disco equipment to the beach in Great Yarmouth and teaching young people how to DJ with my good friend Matt Willis.

And when I was 19 I was chosen to be the Blast reporter for BBC Oxford, covering youth arts in Oxforshire for the BBC Oxford website.

And this was my profile (which somehow, somewhere, still exists on the internet)!

Mark Ansell Mark lives in Thame, Oxfordshire. He enjoys DJing, footy, and hanging out with friends - find out more about him here!

Over the next two months, Mark will be reporting on local events, bands and art events around Oxfordshire. But before that happens, we decided to ask him a few personal questions! Name: Mark (Thick-Boy, DJ, HB, Ansell) Age: 19. A well-aged member of the Blast reporters! Born and bred: Born in Amsterdam, bred in Thame. The perfect mix! Interesting fact: I pronounce things wrongly! Mayonnaise is pronounced ‘my-onaise’ and margarine is ‘marg-arine’! It’s the Dutch in me! Most embarrassing moment: Twas one day when I went to the library with my Dad. Book in hand, I went to the counter and asked the large lady serving me ‘Are you pregnant or do you just eat too much?’ Actually that’s probably my Dad’s most embarrassing moment! Stuff I like: Most things in life. Firstly my family – couldn’t ask for more. Secondly, I love catching up with friends both young and old. I have a few very close mates dotted around the country who I don’t see enough. They’re very important to me – you know who you are. I really like meeting people. I get on well with pretty much everyone. I love DJing - Everyone going crazy to your mix is a truly amazing feeling. Being at Uni in Sheffield chilling with friends over a continental beer is really cool. I love foreign languages and foreign ladies; it’s where speaking French comes in handy! Lastly, I like Westwood cos he’s gangsta baby boy! Stuff I hate: I hate to hate people…but I hate friends who you thought were your friends but who you realise couldn’t care less about you ie Betrayal. They’re not worth it. Wow that’s a bit deep! Who would you date? I am very fussy. Brunettes tend to catch eye. Now, I know what I'm supposed to say here – a famous person who I’m never gunna get with. What’s the point? I’m good but I’m not gunna get with someone rich and famous! So, a girl I date has to be beautiful in appearance and in personality. And in the long term, someone who I can relax with and trust. Who wouldn't you date? Margaret Thatcher.

Butler School in Oxfordshire! BBC Oxford

I took a trip to to see what it's like to be a Butler. There's a Butler school in Oxfordshire believe it or not, at Ditchley Park, a stately home near Chipping Norton!

It's a far cry from everyday life and as you'll hear, I'm not up to it...

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Bell Ringing!

For the Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Oxford we've been looking into Oxfordshire customs.

I went to Cropredy to look into a custom dating back hundreds of years. And I even had a go at bell ringing!:

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Henley and Thame (not on-Thames) By-Election

I have entered the real world. Where you get paid for working!

I've just started freelancing at BBC Radio Oxford. I'm working as a day reporter for the breakfast programme. It feels good to be part of a team who really care about the programme and are driven by improving it and increasing listenership.

Since being back in my home-town of Thame, one thing is very noticeably different - the amount of political paraphernalia around. Boris has gone to run the big smoke and it's by-election time.

Not only are there huge signs telling you how to vote on each side of the High Street, but each and every Thame (and rest of the Henley constituency) resident has been flooded with leaflets, political magazines presented as lifestyle mags, and posters. I've heard that some people are so fed up with it that they aren't going to vote! But the propaganda keeps coming. Tomorrow we're doing a part of the programme on this issue. This morning my package on first time voters in Thame went out:

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Last Thursday I went round Thame to ask people what they thought about the election and what they want to be improved in the market town (listen out for my Mum!). This went out on the breakfast programme on Friday:

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I'll be going to the count at Thame Leisure Centre on Thursday night - apparently the BBC News Channel (aka News 24) are going to be 'all over it'. I'm sure it'll generate a tale or two worthy of a blog.

BBC Radio Oxford Placement

As part of my course I did a two week placement at BBC Radio Oxford and Derby. I've posted on this blog some of the material that I produced, but here's the rest from BBC Radio Oxford:

The Royal Marines were teaching kids at a school in Farringdon how to make a military curry by using a Bounty bar! The Marine chef was inspirational...

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I went back to my old school in Thame to find out about their Gambia Week....

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I went to the Boat Race to

get the fans' perspective from a pub next to the Thames...

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And I met two unwanted dogs at the Blue Cross in Burford...

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Essays For Sale. BBC Radio Oxford

During my recent work placement with BBC Radio Oxford, I broke a story on Oxford graduates earning up to £30,000 a year writing essays on demand.

This led the breakfast show and bulletins on Radio Oxford and was the top story that day on the Education section of BBC News online.

It was brilliant to get my work at the heart of Radio Oxford's output.

CLICK HERE AND THEN CLICK PLAY to listen to a summary of the coverage on the story.

Headway, BBC Radio Oxford

The most moving interview I have done was with Richard and his mum Jan at a charity which supports people who have suffered head injuries.

Whilst Richard was an animal trainer in the USA, he was attacked by one of his tigers. He suffered severe injuries including a stroke. Thanks to Headway, a charity based in Kennington, his condition has improved.

The Oxford Mail covered the story a few days after my package was played on the breakfast show on Radio Oxford.

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I also did another package on Headway for earlier on in the breakfast show that day:

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Chancellor, You're Barred! BBC Radio Oxford

A pub in rural Oxfordshire joined the campaign to bar the Chancellor Alistair Darling after tax rises on alcohol.

I went to the Plough Inn, in Kennington to speak to the landlord and check out the posters.

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Rude to be on the phone? BBC Radio Oxford

I've just finished a two-week work placement at BBC Radio Oxford. I worked as a broadcast journalist for the breakfast show and learnt absolutely loads about how to successfully cover stories. I'll put my stories on this blog so if you missed it on 95.2FM you can listen to them here!

The first one I covered was on whether it's rude to be on your mobile whilst being served in a shop! What do you think?

I spoke to the people of Oxford : )

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN AND THEN CLICK PLAY