Even after covering matches across Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Europe, each season still manages to spring something new on Murray.
In January, he found himself surrounded by “snow-capped mountains” on a historic night inside the Arctic Circle as Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt stunned Manchester City in the Champions League.
Murray regards it as one of the most surreal nights of his career, likening the landscape to the 1983 Bill Forsyth film Local Hero, which was set in Scotland.
“I could see rooftops with snow on them from just outside the ground. It was such an unusual place,” he says.
“As I said at the time on the radio, it just had the feel of the film ‘Local Hero’. I was thinking, how are we here for a Champions League match?
“And not only that, but it helps when you get a match that is a real event. For them to beat Manchester City, Champions League winners only a few years ago, in the way that they did, that is part of package.
“When you get the match, as well as the setting, to describe as well. There weren’t many better examples than that.”
But it was much closer to home that Murray encountered what he described as the most “challenging” 90 minutes of his broadcasting career.
In January 2021, eighth-tier Marine hosted Tottenham in the FA Cup third round.
Ongoing Covid-19 restrictions meant matches were played behind closed doors, with broadcasters, journalists and a small number of other media personnel spread around the ground to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
For the first time, Murray was forced to commentate from behind the goal rather than his usual position along the touchline.
“I was really uncomfortable about that because it just didn’t feel right,” he admits.
“Normally I’m side on, the teams are playing left to right, right to left. There I was commentating with one team coming at you and the other team going away from you.
“It’s not an experience I’d particularity want to repeat again.”
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