The Spirit of the Radio
After MLS Season Pass gutted local broadcasts, New York City FC play-by-play man Glenn Crooks keeps New York City FC fans connected through the radio.
Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart of Rush wrote a song celebrating the magic of the radio. The medium offered an avenue to free your mind and explore endless possibilities.
Begin the day with a friendly voice
A companion, unobtrusive
Plays that song that's so elusive
And the magic music makes your morning mood
Off on your way, hit the open road
There is magic at your fingers
For the spirits ever lingers
Undemanding contact in your happy solitude
But, the song’s real message critiques the commercialization of radio, lambasting executives for prioritizing the bottom line over the quality of the musical experience.
For the words of the profits
Were written on the studio wall
Concert hall
Echoes with the sounds of salesmen
Of salesman, of salesmen, oh
You won’t find a bigger advocate of the radio than Glenn Crooks, the English radio broadcaster for New York City FC. “I’ve been attracted to radio all my life. I think it’s the greatest medium,” said Crooks. He describes radio broadcasts as painting a picture verbally, pointing out one of his favorite quotes from historian Alistair Cook, “I prefer radio to TV because the pictures are better.”
In June 2022, Major League Soccer (MLS) and Apple announced a global partnership for exclusive rights to MLS regular season and playoff matches, resulting in the MLS Season Pass. This decision stripped away local television broadcast rights replacing that coverage with a national broadcast team that rotates commentators each weekend. This change diminishes the week-in and week-out familiarity with the club that local commentary once provided.
For New York City fans missing the hometown commentary of Ian Joy and Joe Tolleson, another option exists. It's one that’s been around since the turn of the 20th century: radio.
The radio? Yes, the radio.
Local commentary to all New York City FC games is available for every match featuring the impeccable Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence, via the TuneIn app, newyorkcityfc.com/radio, or for home games by changing the audio on Apple TV to the local radio broadcast.
From the MLS Season Pass support page, a quick guide on how to listen to sync live local radio to the MLS Season Pass feed
Crooks, who also hosts The Coaching Academy on SiriusXM FC, has called every New York City FC MLS regular season game, except for two, since the club’s inaugural season. Five head coaches, seven home stadiums, and one championship later, few associated with the club have experienced it like Crooks has.
Only Spanish radio commentator and NYCFC Views co-host Roberto Abramowitz, assistant coach Rob Vartughian, kitman Daniel LaRoche, and a handful of front office staff have been with the team since Day 1. “The way Roberto and I put it, we’ve kind of seen it all,” Crooks said.
“[Roberto and I] have been there from the start, we go to training, and we’ve always been on the road except during COVID, which is our great privilege because very few radio teams travel. The fact that the club puts us out there, we appreciate it, and we understand the privilege.”
“If you cover a team and you’re on the road with them and you’re in the hotel,” said Crooks. “You’re always bumping into people, having conversations.”
Glenn Gets His Start
Crooks’ pathway to becoming the voice for the Boys in Blue is an intriguing one. Growing up in Basking Ridge, NJ, Crooks was first introduced to the beautiful game as a teenager by a family friend, Bob Reichenbach. Although that introduction left a lasting impression, Crooks’ true passion remained baseball.
“My next goal was to be the play-by-play announcer for the Yankees,” said Crooks. “So, I went to college for journalism and communications at the University of Georgia to see if one day I could be a sports broadcaster, but specifically be the Yankees broadcaster.”
After completing college, Crooks began a full-time position as the sports director at WMTR/WDHA FM radio, occasionally playing local indoor soccer during his spare time. When a town councilman asked him to coach his son’s club team, the coaching switch began. Crooks’ first real coaching job was starting the girls’ soccer program at Ridge High in Basking Ridge, NJ, his scholastic alma mater.
After ten years there and obtaining coaching badges, Crooks moved to the college ranks managing at St. Peter’s College. His coaching career culminated with fourteen years as the head coach of Rutgers women's soccer team, where he coached USWNT great Carli Lloyd and Canadian international Jonelle Filigno during their collegiate careers. He attributes his current ability to call New York City FC games to the years he spent coaching.
“The players we had [at Rutgers] and the different things you encounter, the adversity, the success, …but without that [experience],” Crooks added, “I don’t think I could have been as good at what I do now because I really understand the game. I see what I’m looking at, I know a lot of the situations that players encounter.”
When Crooks finally decided to call it quits on collegiate coaching, he reached out to WFAN VP of Programming Mark Chernoff, to see if he knew anyone in need of soccer broadcasting. It just so happened that WFAN just signed a radio contract with the Yankees and one stipulation was also broadcasting the first three years of New York City FC. Crooks added, “That’s how [former NYCFC radio host] Tom Kolker and I started it all, we sent Mark a tape, and he hired us.”
Shortly thereafter, Crooks’ dream of calling a game at Yankee Stadium was fulfilled, although the configuration of the field was slightly different.
Color By Shaggy
Crooks takes the reins as the play-by-play commentator on the English broadcast, paired with Lawrence on color commentary. Lawrence had a 20-year career playing in England, including stops at Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Milwall.
“He’s a legend at Milwall. When he goes back there, people still recognize him. He’s a big guy there, Crooks said. “His nickname was Shaggy because, if you look at any old pictures of him, they called him Shaggy.”
Lawrence, the Jack Harrison before Jack Harrison, left England to play college soccer at Hartwick College before returning home to pursue a professional career. Crooks added, “Matt is good because he has that American perspective, but he’s also got the European perspective because he spent so much time there playing.”
Crooks highlights Lawrence’s combination of game understanding, decisive analysis, and world football knowledge as keys to why he’s the ideal broadcasting partner.
“What [Lawrence] sees the first time, and doesn’t need a replay, is pretty remarkable to me,” said Crooks. “He can call things, like [Talles] Magno once, he hit a shot and the way Matt described it, what surface of the foot he used and what he was trying to do. And I watched the play too and I was like ‘how did you see that?’”
“He sees things, any kind of penalty, or into the area off set pieces. Like the Suarez foul on Sands at Miami which made it 1-1 earlier in the year. He had that whole thing, he said it immediately, that that was on Suarez, immediately. Then when you saw the replays a bunch of times, you knew he had it right.”
Calling the Games
Crooks’ preparation for calling each match typically begins a week in advance., He creates detailed charts for both New York City and the upcoming opponent. These charts identify each player and include basic information such as height, weight, and traditional stats, along with any additional insights that he finds interesting.
The charts are carefully studied for easy recall. ”You can’t constantly be looking at the charts,” Crooks said. “90% of the time I’m looking at the field because if you’re not, you could miss something.”
After compiling these charts, Crooks watches full match replays of the upcoming opponent to better understand their playing style, become more familiar with their players, and gain a sense of what to expect during the upcoming match.
In addition to opponent preparation, Crooks attends NYCFC training and sits down with head coach Nick Cushing for about 20 minutes each week. During these meetings, he often gains insight into player management, health statuses, and tactical decisions that are not available to anyone else. That information must remain embargoed until Crooks and Lawrence begin their pregame show roughly 15 minutes before each match.
“Before we start the interview, I ask [Cushing] if he has the [starting] 11 yet. And if he does, he’ll tell me,” said Crooks.
“I’ll reiterate it to him every time, ‘let’s talk about why it's [Alonso] Martinez instead of [Mounsef] Bakrar today. You explain it, but it will not be published until after the lineups are released so there’s no information given away.’ I think that’s probably the most frequent. “I often times see people when they see the lineup go, ‘Where’s Parks?’ or whatever. Well, I know, and by the way, it’s on the pregame show and we’ll explain that to you.”
“If I saw something at training, I’ll ask Nick about it. Sometimes I’ll see an exercise he did and from a coaching standpoint, I’d like to know why he did it, what were you trying to get out of that? From coach to coach. If I see something in terms of a scheme, ‘looks like you’re playing 3 at the back, are you contemplating three at the back?’”
Willets Point – A New Home for Broadcasters
While Crook’s dream growing up was to call games at Yankee Stadium, he was quick to point out that the Yankee Stadium isn’t the easiest venue to call a game.
“I’d much rather do the games on the road because I can see all the players, “Crooks said. Crooks noted the challenges the press box location presents as identifying players in center field while sitting above home plate can be quite difficult.
Crooks is thrilled to finally have his own home to call the games instead of battling the sight lines and distances of various baseball stadiums but he is “happiest mostly for the players and the sporting side of it”.
Invisible airwaves crackle with life
Bright antennas bristle with the energy
Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength
Bearing a gift beyond price, almost free
But, no matter where the games are played, the best place to find local coverage of the boys in blue will still be on the radio. ❧
Image: Walter Dorwin Teague, “Bluebird” Radio