Somer Valley FM sports commentator, Ian Nockolds, made his international debut on Monday night, covering Yeovil Town's friendly match against Latvia. Ian's return to Huish Park marked a key milestone in the community broadcaster's footballing journey, a ground he first visited in May 2010 to cover Welton Rovers' Somerset Cup win.

commentated on. It was also the first live game Somer Valley FM had ever covered. Welton were playing Bridgwater in the final and I felt we had to be there, even if we didn't have a clue what we were doing! I don't remember much about the game, other than the fact that Welton won on penalties and I lost count of the score! I covered the game with Matt Clifford, from the police control room, as we couldn't get any internet

access in the press box. Pete Helmore worked miracles to get us on air and keep us on air. It was a real landmark for our radio station."

Earlier this season, Ian travelled back to Huish Park when Radstock Town were the visitors. "I think Adrian

Hopper (Yeovil Town Press Officer) thought I was winding him up when I asked if it was OK for Somer Valley FM to cover the game."

Championship side, Yeovil Town, have endured a difficult start to their league season and Glovers' Manager, Gary Johnson, used the county cup game as an opportunity for many of his First Team players to get a confidence-boosting win. Ian said: "The Yeovil game was an incredible experience for me, my first opportunity to commentate on professional players at a

professional club. The listener figures we had that night, as well as the feedback on

Twitter, was incredible.

"The Yeovil press team had been so welcoming on the night that I started keeping an eye out for Yeovil's results. I saw the Latvia game advertised on Facebook and wondered whether there was any media interest. My email must have come at just the right time, because within minutes, Adrian called me to ask whether I was interested in covering the match."

International sides playing Football League opposition is something of a rarity.

However, Latvia and Yeovil share a common connection in the form of current Glovers' Manager, Gary Johnson, who managed the international side between 1999 and 2001. As well as providing a much needed workout for both teams, the friendly also

represented an opportunity to further cement the good relations that exist between the club and the Baltic nation.

Ian was joined in the

commentary box by Andrejs Štolcers, a former Latvian

international and Yeovil Town player. The match finished 1–0 to Latvia, thanks to a 75th minute goal from Valerijs Sabala. The win arrested a torrid run of form for the visitors, who, following a 3–0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Friday, have managed only one win in their last eleven games. The Glovers currently find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Championship. Having failed to score in either of their last two league games, their failure to score against Latvia, rather than the loss itself, proved the greatest concern for the Manager, ahead of their crucial clash with Doncaster Rovers on Friday night.

From the glamour of the

international commentary box, Ian returns to Southern League action on Monday, November 25th, when he joins Paulton Rovers for their trip to Clevedon Town.

"Yeovil versus Latvia is an experience I will never forget. Adrian, Jim (Healey, Assistant Yeovil Press Officer) and Andrejs were fantastic and so welcoming. I hope the Yeovil fans enjoyed our commentary, not quite what they are used to, I know! I probably only got the chance because no other commentator was brave enough to take on names like Alans Sinelnikovs or Eduards Višnakovs!

"On a serious note, I would not have had the confidence to approach Yeovil if it hadn't been for the experience and support I've received from Somer Valley FM. The support we've had from Welton, Paulton and Radstock with our commentaries has also been fantastic. Yeovil Town have been impressed with the games we've covered for them and there are going to be some exciting opportunities for our younger volunteers that I'm working on with the club. But I wouldn't have got the chance to cover this game if it wasn't for Radstock Town and the experience I've gained from covering Western League and Southern League football. It's our local clubs we cover every week on the Sports Show and that's never going to change. The better I get, the better our teams will sound. That's why I do it."

The Somer Valley Sports Show is broadcast every Tuesday, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m