From Stoke to the Arctic Circle: John Murray has been behind the microphone for three decades with the BBC

Even after covering matches across Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Europe, each season still manages to offer something new for Murray.

And in January, he found himself surrounded by “snow-capped mountains” on a historic night inside the Arctic Circle, as Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt stunned Manchester City in the Champions League.

Murray considers it one of the most surreal nights of his career, likening the landscape to Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film Local Hero, which was set in Scotland.

“I could see rooftops covered in snow right out of the ground,” he says. “It was an unusual place.”

“As I said at the time on the radio, it was like the movie Local Hero. I was thinking, how are we here for a Champions League match?

“And not only that, it helps to get a game that is a real event. For them, beating Manchester City, Champions League winners just a few years ago, in the way they did, is part of the package.”

“When you get the description of the match, plus the setup as well. There weren’t many better examples than that.”

But Murray was very close to home as he faced what he described as the most “challenging” 90 minutes of his radio career.

In January 2021, Marine hosted eighth-tier club Tottenham in the third round of the FA Cup.

Ongoing coronavirus restrictions have seen matches played behind closed doors, with broadcasters, journalists and a small number of media staff spread out around the ground to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

For the first time, Murray was forced to commentate from behind the goal instead of his usual position along the touchline.

“I was really uncomfortable about it because he wasn’t feeling well,” he admits.

“Usually I was side by side, with teams playing left to right, right to left. I was stuck there with one team coming at you and the other team going away from you.

“It’s not an experience I would want to repeat again.”