Minge's gloriously over-the-top response to Norway's unlikely victory over Ron Greenwood's side marked the high watermark of football commentary as social commentary. Passionate, uninhibited and a bit weird, football fans everywhere from Scotland to Argentina knew exactly what he was saying: that there is no pleasure as sweet as beating England at their own game.

2 'Suddenly Ali looks very tired indeed, in fact Ali, at times now, looks as though he can barely lift his arms up... Oh he's got him with a right hand! He's got him! Oh you can't believe it. And I don't think Foreman's going to get up. He's trying to beat the count. And he's out! OH MY GOD he's won the title back at 32! Muhammad Ali!'
Said by Harry Carpenter
When Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in Oct 1974

When Ali's rope-a-dope tactic exploded into life in the eighth round few people could believe their eyes, least of all it seemed Harry Carpenter. Just as he suspected Ali was teetering on the verge of defeat, a thunderous right hand did the unthinkable. Shouting to be heard above the din in Zaire, Carpenter's is one of the few pieces of sports commentary that does justice to the moment being described.

3 'He didn't quite manage to get his leg over...'
Said by Jonathan Agnew
When England v W Indies, 1991

After an attempted hook Ian Botham spun and became unbalanced as he tried to step over his wickets to avoid standing on them - but in narrowly failing to do so Beefy brushed the leg-stump with his inner thigh and was out. Agnew's gag, while sat alongside Brian Johnston in the radio booth, was the cause of much juvenile sniggering. 'Do stop it Aggers!' Johnston was heard to splutter in the background while struggling to stifle his laughter. Reduced to tears the pair were barely able to talk for several minutes. Not everyone was amused though and they were, in true schoolboy fashion, banned from commentating together again.

4 'And Desert Orchid's beginning to get up as they race towards the line. There's a tremendous cheer from the crowd as Desert Orchid's gonna win it. DESERT ORCHID has won the Gold Cup. Yahoo is second. Charter Party is third. Simon Sherwood punches the air. Dessie's done it...'
Said by Peter O'Sullevan
When Cheltenham Gold Cup, 1989

Not usually one to get too carried away, even O'Sullevan lost his cool amid the drama of Desert Orchid's Gold Cup win. Heavy ground and Cheltenham's stamina-sapping hill had never suited Dessie, yet as the grey improbably started to edge his way in front O'Sullevan sensed victory and with the rest of the crowd stood to roar the people's favourite home.

5 'It is only twelve inches high... It is solid gold... And it undeniably means England are the champions of the world.'
Said by Kenneth Wolstenholme
When England were crowned world champions, 1966

Not the 'they think it's all over... it is now' line you might expect from that match, but surely superior to the one that has become a tired cliche. Wolstenholme once told The Observer's Will Buckley that he was much prouder of this line than the more famous one because it was replayed at Bobby Moore's memorial service in 1993. Which is good enough for us.

6 'The big Cuban opened his legs and showed his class'
Said by David Coleman
When Montreal Olympics, 1976

The man who gave his name to a commentary cock-up (the Colemanball) could sometimes be so bad he was good. Like here, for instance. As Cuban Alberto Juantorena - nicknamed 'El Caballo' (the horse) for his muscular appearance and nine-foot stride - powered to 400m and 800m gold medals in Montreal, Coleman began his fine foot-in-mouth tradition with this observation.

7 'And Damon Hill exits the chicane and wins the Japanese Grand Prix... and I've got to stop, because I've got a lump in my throat'
Said by Murray Walker
When At the Japanese Grand Prix in 1996 as Damon Hill become world champion

Rather than select one from his vast array of Murrayisms ('The car in front is absolutely unique, except for the one behind which is identical'; 'Mansell can see him in his earphone', etc) this was the moment when Walker's favourite driver, Damon Hill, became world champion. 'It was the most emotional moment of my broadcasting life' he said later. 'I felt everything welling up and thought "Christ, I'm going to burst into tears". In my heart of hearts, I was worried that Damon wasn't going to get the job done.'

8 'He's a poor lad'
Said by Eddie Wareing
When After Don Fox's woeful miss in the 1968 rugby league Challenge Cup final

The most dramatic miss in rugby league history, but where others might have banged on endlessly, this was all Wareing said about Fox's woeful kick in the dying seconds. Somehow it fitted the moment, as if Wareing did not want to intrude on Fox's obvious grief. As the Wakefield Trinity player sank to his knees, hands on head, he'd just handed Leeds the cup. Wareing's reaction has now become almost as famous as the miss itself.

9 'Oh I say'
Said by Dan Maskell
When Every Wimbledon for 43 years.

Maskell was a commentator of few words whose golden rule was that 'a second's silence is worth a minute's talk'. In addition to the lovely 'Oh I say' he also favoured 'quite extraordinary' and 'a peach of a shot' as his other stock phrases. Not one for risking the unpronounceable, though, Maskell famously always referred to Martina Navratilova as simply 'Martina'.

10 'It's up for grabs now...'
Said by Brian Moore
When Just as Michael Thomas was about to score Arsenal's second at Anfield and steal the title from Liverpool in 1989

Moore at his brilliant best. 'In my commentating life I've churned out a few repeatable lines,' he later wrote, 'but this one, even a decade later, Arsenal fans are happy to use as a form of greeting. I was in a taxi driving round Piccadilly when the driver suddenly and joyfully started repeating the last full minute of my commentary on that night. He knew it word for word.'

Justifying the selection...

This month's 10 was selected by OSM writer Lee Honeyball. Here he justifies his choice:

A great piece of sports commentary must contain several elements. It has to be dramatic, passionate, funny where possible, but above all it must have something that makes it memorable enough to stay in public consciousness for years afterwards.

In his over-the-top exaltations following Norway's 2-1 over England in 1981, Bjorn Minge almost impossibly managed to fulfil all of the above criteria in one go - so the mighty Norwegian had to be No 1.

Great sporting moments aren't necessarily always accompanied by great bits of commentary. Indeed it is rare for the two to combine. When they do though, as with Harry Carpenter's impeccable calling of the Rumble in the Jungle, it can turn a great sporting moment into a golden one. For his faultless commentary Carpenter had to placed at No 2.

The remaining selections, from Botham nearly getting his leg over against the West Indies to Brian Moore's 'it's up for grabs' all contain varying degrees of one or more of the outlined criteria and have been placed in terms of the resonance that they have today.

This isn't a list about gaffes either - which means there's no room for any Big Ronisms or Kevin Keegan howlers, although as the standard bearer in that department David Coleman's assertion about Alberto Juantorena had to be permitted.

Near misses include former snooker commentator Jack Karnehm's whispered 'Good luck mate' to Cliff Thorburn as the Canadian got down to pot the black in the first televised 147, and John Motson screaming 'Radford again... oh, what a goal! Radford the scorer, Ronnie Radford! And the crowd are invading the pitch...' during Hereford's win against Newcastle in the FA Cup third round giant-killing of 1972.

Now you have your say...

Have we left out your favourite bit of commentary? We thought so. Write and tell us what it is and explain why. If you are feeling really energetic you could even give us a full 10 along, with a justification for your selection in no more than 50 words. A selection of your 10s will be published next month, with each letter or email printed winning its writer a free sports book.

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10 Greatest Commentaries, OSM, 119 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3ER
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