Broadcaster and Albion fan Perer Brackley writes for The Argus...

“The time in Moscow is just coming up to 8pm,” declared ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley in his first sentence for the first game at the World Cup.

Which, given the time difference between Russia’s capital and the UK is two hours, came as quite a shock to us viewers back home who thought it was only 4pm in dear old Blighty.

As news spread of Clive’s time-travel revelation, I had visions of shops operating on “Tyldesley time” hanging up the “closed” signs two hours early, while elsewhere whooping factory and office workers rushed for the exit before panicking managers could stop them.

It was, though, of course, just a temporary aberration from a consummate professional, which I blame on his new FIFA cuckoo clock. It’s got a big hand, a little hand and a backhand.

(“Massive fire destroys FIFA accounts department!” I once texted a friend. “Today?” he replied. "No, next Tuesday,” I texted back, “Half past two.”)

Actually, I’m sure Clive was blissfully unaware of his faux pas as are most live commentators when the tongue inexplicably decides to slip – “Welcome to Highbury!” was apparently my greeting to a few hundred million viewers on the World TV service as Arsenal ran out for a Wembley Cup final - and who can forget the old maestro Brian Moore’s closing roar as jubilant Nottingham Forest players held aloft the European Cup in 1980: “The European champions are... Hamburg!”

Hopefully, no-one will be claiming England are potential world champions yet on the strength of a narrow if deserved win over Tunisia. But a promising performance none-the-less, for all the anxiety they put us through before Harry Kane saved the night - even if his Tunisian markers were probably still hanging on to his shirt as he threw it in the laundry basket.

Now for Panama, whose fans are so excited just to be there, they seemed to be cheering a Belgian corner as wildly as their own. As expected, while listening to former colleagues on TV, I’m missing the excitement of the commentary box, so to help recreate the stadium atmosphere for Sunday’s game, I may well opt for Russian caviar and chips pre-match and to release a bucket of blood-sucking midges around my sofa just before kick-off.

I’ve enjoyed the action and TV coverage so far - but must admit to reaching for the brightness button when ITV’s Ian Wright revealed his fashion-defying lime green shirt on Sunday’s Brazil v Switzerland game. However, while “Wrighty’s” wardrobe selection was a “clear and obvious mistake”, that’s not been the case for many of the major decisions supposedly attracting particular VAR attention.

And what about the clear and obvious errors the refs in the Moscow studio seemed to miss completely? Did they nip out to the men’s room for England corners?

Or switch their TV screens to EastEuropeEnders?

The whole process certainly doesn’t stamp out controversy, with many “verdicts” still subject to much disagreement.

So, you could say, what’s the point of VAR if so much rests on opinion rather than FACT?

But then you could also say - what’s the point of me still watching Love Island night after night? They’re not going to invite ME on it, are they?

Not with my legs.

But I’ll stick with it.