ALLY Begg

Begg to Differ
So who am I? I am a sports presenter, senior football producer, author, blogger, videocast host and media talent manager.

"AFTER MANY YEARS SEARCHING I HAVE NOW FOUND MY CHOSEN PROFESSION, IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD BUT WELL WORTH THE JOURNEY"

Welcome to my site. Having been active on social media for a number of years my aim with this page is to go to the next level and bring original content and features to those who like me have a passion for the club I have supported for nearly 40 years, Aberdeen FC. As well as my regular AFC related blogs look out for other tales from the world of sport which I hope you will find useful and supportive.

My Journey

I grew up in Newburgh, a quaint village thirteen miles north of Aberdeen. As a youngster I did nothing but play and watch football. My one ambition as a kid was to play for the Dons but despite training at the club as a teenager a career in the game never came to fruition. It was a huge blow as a young lad but that never stopped the belief I had in myself. I was though, fortunate enough to represent the ‘North of Scotland’ schoolboys at both Under 15’s and Under 16’s level; an achievement I am very proud of!

My life took an unexpected twist in the early 90’s after spending two years in London modelling for renowned agency Models 1. I was asked to join a boy band! I’m not going to bore you with the details here so if you want to know more just google ‘Bad Boys Inc! Once the band had come and gone I had to dig deep to reinvent myself and start again which I will write about intermittently as part of my blogs . If anything, I wanted to tell my story as a means of understanding and maybe, just maybe, inspiration – if I can do it, trust me, anyone can do it!

I began my sports broadcasting career with Manchester United’s very own in-house TV station MUTV. After five successful years in Manchester, where I also presented for Sky Sports News and talkSPORT Radio, I made the move to Glasgow, Scotland to present for Setanta Sports.

In 2007 I made the move to Singapore after accepting a role with global sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports. I regularly presented the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League coverage to an audience of millions. In 2009 I made the difficult decision to leave my presenting career behind and stepped into the world of sports production.

In 2013 I was approached by Middle East and North Africa sports broadcaster beIN Sports where I was employed as a senior football producer. Having made the move to Doha, Qatar I started producing the networks English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and soon became a regular producer of the networks vast European football coverage.

Having been made redundant in the summer of 2020 due to the global pandemic I now consult for renowned sports management company, Consilium Sports Group and can be heard regularly on Bauer Media’s “The Big Saturday Football Show” on Northsound 1 on a Saturday afternoon. I now live near Salzburg, Austria with my wife Miriam and my two sons Lennox and Harvey.”

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Eoin Jess and I Jan 2022
Theo and Paul event April 2022
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If you can stay positive in a negative situation, you win
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream
They call me lucky but they have no idea how hard I worked

Upcoming Events

In this section I will provide information about upcoming blogs and features. Please keep an eye out for some exciting projects currently in the pipe-line.

Their Thoughts

Paul Lawrie
I’ve known Ally for many years through our shared passion for Aberdeen FC; we’re two local boys who both really enjoy supporting our home team. Ever since we met all those years ago, I’ve been impressed by Ally’s dedication to his work and I always admire his take on all things Aberdeen. Therefore, I’m really looking forward to his new series of blogs and I’ll be a regular subscriber to his channel.

Paul Lawrie

The Open Champion 1999
Gordon Strachan
I first met Ally when I was the manager of Celtic FC. It was not easy to interview me in that period, in-fact there was never a good time to interview me during my management career. Ally made the experience a lot easier, he understood how difficult it was for me being in such a stressful job. My appreciation for Ally's thoughtfulness was reflected by opening up to the questions he posed. I have always stayed in touch with Ally when he left for foreign shores and watched with interest his progression from presenter to an accomplished producer. To sum Ally up, he is a proper bloke and I have no doubt the blog will be another success for him.

Gordon Strachan

Former Aberdeen Midfielder and Scotland Manager
Paul Lambert
I have known Ally now for 10 years having first met him during his time with Setanta Sports. I always found his professionalism and conduct of the highest order. I'm delighted to see him doing so well and always enjoy sharing a story or two in his company whenever I am over Doha.

Paul Lambert

Former Celtic and Scotland Captain.
Craig Brown
Having Known Ally's Family for a number of years beginning with his late grandfather, football journalist John Begg who was a man of great integrity and honour, I have been thrilled to watch Ally's career prosper over the years from presenter to now an established producer. Ally has carried his grandfather's legacy throughout his career which personally has made me very proud of him. I am very much looking forward to reading his blogs.

Craig Brown

Former Aberdeen FC and Scotland Manager