A match-day man at the mic has reached a milestone in radio commentary, mostly while covering the fortunes of Sunderland AFC.

The Black Cats’ 2-1 Championship defeat at Stoke on Saturday (October 21) was Nick Barnes’ 1,000th football match commentary in a 30-plus year radio career.

As BBC Radio Newcastle’s dedicated Sunderland commentator since 2003 he has reported on the ups and downs of the red and whites, mostly alongside Black Cats’ legend Garry Bennett as his match pundit and co-commentator.

Known for his dress sense, always seen sporting items of tweed, his well-researched, meticulous match-day notes are considered a thing of beauty, with his hand-drawn club crests and colourful symbols a familiar feature.

The Northern Echo: The BBC did a short feature to mark Sunderland man at the mic Nick Barnes reached his milestone

Although now considered an “honorary Mackem”, ‘Barnesy’ was London-born and raised in Devon, but he cut his broadcasting teeth in Cumbria, covering Carlisle United, before moving across the Pennines.

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He covered his first Sunderland match in a League Cup tie at Tottenham, in October 1996, and, for a while he was the station’s Newcastle United commentator, during the Sir Bobby Robson era, before his permanent switch to become the BBC local radio voice overseeing events at the Stadium of Light and on the road with the Black Cats.

Read more: Sunderland AFC commentator Nick Barnes explains reason behind 'The Matchbook'

In a short BBC Look North feature to mark the milestone, he revealed his favourite Sunderland managers he has worked with are the current incumbent, Tony Mowbray, and fiery ex-Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder, Roy Keane, but, asked for his least favourite, he whispered, “David Moyes”.

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He said his favoured match-day snack of choice is whatever sweets co-commentator ‘Benno’ brings along, usually Jelly Babies.

His match-day sidekick described their relationship as being like, “a marriage”, as they work alongside each other, travel to away matches and eat together.

The commentary double-act can be heard again on Tuesday (October 24) when Barnesy will hope his next thousand matches begins in a better way than the first 1,000 ended, as Sunderland travel to meet Championship leaders Leicester City.