World Cup Commentary Council: Twitter erupts over Pearce gaffe

France scored the first goal to be awarded by goal-line technology against Honduras, but for Jonathan Pearce, whose brain frazzled quicker than the machines he used to commentate on for Robot Wars, things weren’t so clear cut.

Bamboozled by the decision to show two replays, which were needed to prove that it was actually an own goal that was scored, Pearce went into meltdown, even saying at one point “Well which replay are we supposed to believe? This was supposed to be a flawless system.”

Naturally, Twitter pounced on Pearce like a cat on a mouse, only pausing in their abuse to sleep. Here’s some of the best chides:

Pearce has managed to undermine a brilliant first use of goal line tech.

— Simon Usborne (@susborne) June 15, 2014

They think Jonathan Pearce’s commentary career is over …. it is now.

— Kevin Schofield (@schofieldkevin) June 15, 2014

Apologies to Jonathan Pearce for that last tweet. I totally crossed the line. Or did I? — Ian Hyland (@HylandIan) June 15, 2014

The commentary by BBC’s Jonathan Pearce has been so erratic and inaccurate that we just presumed we were watching ITV — Beesotted Brentford (@Beesotted) June 15, 2014

Why is Jonathan Pearce still making a big deal of what was clearly a goal? Can someone set Sir Killalot on him, please?

— Tom (@FourFourTom) June 15, 2014

Later, a clearly scrambled Pearce thought this was a goal:

The quite extraordinary work of the BBC man will have both Clarke Carlisle and Phil Neville scrawling Pearce’s name at the top of their Christmas card list, as it pushed their own commentating crimes to the background.

During Ecuador’s clash with Switzerland, Carlisle, the man known as ‘Britain’s Braniest Footballer’ sent hands slapping against foreheads everywhere when he mused:

“When Jackson Martinez can’t get in the side, they (Ecuador) must be pretty good.”

Well, Clarke, there’s a simple reason for Martinez’s absence, as @FootballJester brilliantly pointed out on Twitter:

Question for Clarke Carlisle…. Why can’t Jackson Martinez get into the Ecuador team?! pic.twitter.com/aDRJCIIl9T

— The Football Jester (@FootballJester) June 15, 2014

Gary Neville made himself immortal in the commentary world with his girly screams for that Fernando Torres goal in the Champions League, unfortunately his brother Phil doesn’t get quite as excited for England goals:

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