Some say hes the greatest. From 1951 until 1971, he covered the FA Cup final for BBC television, and described the first ever game to be shown on Match Of The Day in 1964. He became the play-by-play man for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1961, and after missing a game in November 1965 because he was stranded after doing radio for a college game, he didn't miss a Lakers game until Dec. 16, 2001, an amazing streak of 3,338 consecutive games. And his work ethic alone gets him on the list. 17:36 BST 29 Jan 2009 Its a great run by Michael Owen and he might finish it off! UK News, Sport, Marcus Rashford . He is respected and revered by most fans and players for his unbiased opinions and arguments. Your login session has expired. He also worked on ice skating and ice hockey at several Winter Olympics. Hearn died from injuries sustained in a fall at his home in 2002. Just check out the movie, will you?" 1 spot if we're being honest. Andy Gray, who also had a stellar career in top-flight football with the likes of Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, has had a stop-start career in media due to several disciplinary issues. OSullevan was widely known as the Voice of Racing and was knighted in 1997 the same year he took the mic for his 50th and last Grand National and, at the time, was the only sports broadcaster to have been granted that honour. If you grew up watching baseball in the 1980s and 1990s, Caray's voice was as famous as any in the world of sports broadcasting thanks to his 16 years leading WGN broadcasts of Chicago Cubs games. And it got us thinking: Who is the greatest British football commentator of all time? Brian Moore was far better. But it made him beloved by fans. He moved west with the team to Los Angeles in 1958 and delighted Dodgers fans for decades with his golden voice and poetic storytelling. The view from Dortmund, If we want the title, we have to beat Man City - Arteta. "Ive got the job I want. For those of us in the UK, the dulcet tones of Henry Longhurst, Peter Alliss, Alex Hay, Ewen Murray and Bruce Critchley have been indelible parts of many legendary moments broadcast on British television, whether it be on the BBC or Sky Sports. The simple scream ofAGUEROOOOOO!followed byI swear youll never see anything like this ever again!Perfect delivery and he was right, we certainly wont. Repeating the wordsOh Yes!for Roberto Baggios sensational solo goal at Italia 90 and arguing withKevin Keeganlive on air over a blatant red card for Brazils Leonardo in USA 94 spring to mind. An old school voice of ITV and also a very decent presenter. A sportscaster is also known by other names such as sports announcer and play-by-play announcer. The best there has ever been. Its quite clear from him doing that, that the show meant a great deal to him. This list has people from all over the world and contains names such as Deion Sanders, Nate Burleson, Jordan Rodgers, Tazz and Beth Phoenix. It was at the same channel when he commentated on his only major final the 2000 League Cup final betweenLeicester Cityand Tranmere Rovers. It led to numerous other commentators trending on Twitter as fans compared the sounds of other men and women in the industry. A true legend of broadcasting. It's the result of talent and dedicated work by announcers working on their craft to reach the top of their profession. "Pro football is like nuclear warfare. Packer's eccentricities off the court rubbed people the wrong way sometimes including when he hired a psychic to find the weapon in the O.J. Sportsmail Reporter In addition to this, Champion has also commentated in the 2006 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. Sportsmail Reporter, Erik Ten Hag's press conference ahead of Man United v Aston Villa, Man City boss Pep Guardiola speaks on his adoration for Ilkay Gundogan, Bale says Ryan Reynolds CAN'T tempt him to play for Wrexham, For Rugby and for pancakes: Manu Tuilagi will stay for another year, Jack Wighton breaks down in tears over 'very tough week', NRL admits officials likely cost the Dolphins with shocking error, Cody Simpson showing fans his insane workout program, MMA Fight Academy - Car Park wrestling session, MMA Fight Academy - Connor Wilson sparring, Nicho Hynes gives medal and jersey to late NRL star and coach's son, Ryan Mason says Spurs came together as a team in draw with Man United, Erik ten Hag admits Man United didn't play their best game. In. Costas worked for NBC for 40 years and won 29 Emmy Awards, and no game ever seemed too big for the Queens, New York, native. That would be the voice of one Keith Jackson. Kevin Harlan, Primary networks: CBS, ESPN, ABC, NBC, Pac-12 Network. Peter Alliss at the 1999 British Open, talking about Jan Van De Velde's meltdown, Born: Aug. 21, 1924 (Holyoke, Massachusetts), Died: June 18, 2002 (age 77, St. Louis, Missouri). Listening to great broadcasters talk about them. Your top commentators. Some of his goal commentaries are just spine-tingling. He also worked on many European Cup finals, including Celtics and Manchester Uniteds wins in the late 60s. El Rey Pele!is how he responded to Peles opener, and when Carlos Alberto scored one of the special World Cup goals to make it 4-1,Its Carlos Alberto! Lakers win. Which is pretty amazing. He has been both a competitor and commentator on ESPN's Great Outdoor Games. He is also credited with owning a sports statistic monitoring service called Pro Football Focus. JON CHAMPION Worked for BBC, ITV, Setanta, ESPN and Amazon. Former Arsenal and Leicester City player Alan Smith is one of the few professional commentators who have played the game at the top level themselves. Foster Hewitt, Died: Sept. 1, 2001 (age 69, Greater London, England). Good. In 2017, he announced that he would return from retirement to work with TalkSport. Lyle-Anthony Golding, BSc on LinkedIn: Man City go top of the table Greatest Sports Announcers of All Time | Stadium Talk THE LIST: 10-1 of our favourite sports commentators of all-time Veteran BBC football commentator John Motson came top, with 30.6% of the poll, while former Australia cricketer Benaud (18.6%) narrowly claimed second place ahead of Formula 1's Murray Walker (18%) in third. On deciding this list there were three factors which I had to consider: the longevity of their careers; the major tournaments and big matches they covered; and any unforgettable commentary lines associated with them. Perhaps the greatest soccer commentator of all time, Brian Moore began his career in newspapers before moving to radio broadcasts for the BBC in 1961, then shot to fame as part of the broadcast team for England's 1966 World Cup victory. ALAN WEEKS Remembered more for his BBC commentaries on Ice Skating and Ice Hockey, but worked on Match Of The Day for 20 years and went to 5 World Cups. The battles he had with managers in interviews were also well documented, especially with Brian Clough, who was obviously not afraid to tell Motson off on camera. As well as those World Cup finals, Johns oversawManchester Uniteds 1968 European Cup triumph and Englands infamous 1-1 draw with Poland in 1973 which denied them a place at the following years World Cup. Jim Beglin is one of the few professional commentators in the Premier League who have played top-flight football themselves. Source: punditfeed.com. ", From Craig Birtwistle on BBC Sport's Facebook page: "My favourite John Motson line was actually from a Fifa computer game (I played it so much the lines were memorised) - 'Did you hear a police siren? His remarkable memory, opinionated manner and infectious enthusiasm, made him the face of the channels sport coverage for over 40 years. This is a list of media commentators and writers in the United Kingdom on the sport of Association football. Known for his poetic style. Owner of stusfootballflashbacks.com, a nostalgic football blog with lists, facts & topics from the beautiful games past. Football Commentating Years On TV:1966-2004, 2014 (ITV,BBC). Martin Tyler is 74 now, but dont be surprised to see him around the grounds for a good few years yet. ROB HAWTHORNE Regular on Sky Sports since 1995. After impressing as a schoolboy cricketer, Blofeld went on to play 16 first-class matches for Cambridge University but its his time in the commentary box for which he will be remembered the most. That omits John Arlott, Kenneth Wolstenholme, Brian Johnston, Richie Benaud, Dan Maskell and a few hundred more to put on the plinth. Buck was eventually fired, then rehired by the Cardinals in 1969 after Caray was fired, and gained his first measure of fame covering the team. But its probably his time with ITV that he is best remembered. That, my friends, is how you write a sports column about Keith Jackson. There is literally no major event that Costas hasn't had a hand in covering in that time. Miles Harrison Harrison is Sky Sports' lead rugby commentator and has built up an impressive rugby commentary CV. 10. Twenty-four years later and Parry is still one of the main commentators for Sky Sports, covering seven League Cup finals in that time. The view from Dortmund. You should expect us in your inbox every Friday. He died on September 1st, 2001, the very same day that England famously beat Germany 5-1 in Munich. Frank Gifford, Born: Feb. 25, 1940 (Wellsville, New York). Video, 00:00:59Celebrating 100 years of Wembley Stadium, I'm proud of my players - Chelsea's Hayes. After a decade in radio, Peter Brackley made the switch to television in 1982, replacing Hugh Johns at ITV. He is you know. There's something soothing about turning on a game and hearing the familiar voice of an announcer we know, love and trust. UK-based video journalist Brady Haran is known for his popular YouTube math channel Numberphile. ", David Coleman:"Ovett, those blue eyes like chips of ice! He was also a part of EA Sports' FIFA videogame series for a long time. Michael Atherton, and Michael Holding, all providing the sort of in-depth insight that puts other sports analysts and commentators to shame. During this time, Brackley also re-joined ITV, featuring prominently in their coverage of four World Cups and three European Championships between 1994-2006. "Unlike any other sport, the objective in boxing is chillingly simple: One man purposefully endeavors to inflict bodily harm on another man." Famous Sportscasters/Commentators - The Famous People He has remained ITVs main football commentator ever since, describing further Champions League triumphs forLiverpool,Chelseaand Man Utd (again) and heading their commentary team at 5 European Championships and 4 World Cups. She used to cooperate and work with the Real Madrid TV channel to report football programs. Who could forget "He's still Michael Jordan"? Video, 00:01:17'Oh I say!' In 2020, she started hosting Oral Sessions, her own podcast. In 1998, he made a special appearance for the EA Sports video game, World Cup 98, as a commentator for the games classic World Cup matches from the past. The 28 best TV game analysts in sports, ranked Justin McGuire 28 slides Helping TV audiences make sense of the sports action unfolding before them isn't easy. However, many commentators never played the game at a professional level such as Dale Rowlinson, Gaz Mallachan yet they have gone on to become famous names associated with the game. With Hereford surprisingly beating the First Division side 2-1 on the day, the game was pushed to the main feature of the programme. He then concentrated on Athletics, on which he commentated on every Olympic Games from 1960-2000, before retiring aged 74. Moore graced both the television and radio during his commentary stints. The 5 Most Iconic Sports Commentators of All Time He held 15 title belts in nine promotions during an illustrious career that spanned almost 30 years. He once stacked his collected Picasso ceramics in Plexiglas under a plywood board and used it as a work desk. A BBC regular now for 16 years. The greatest golf announcer of all time is Peter Alliss, who had a respectable career as a player with five top 10 finishes at the British Open in the 1950s and 1960s. Peter Kostis is a famous golf analyst and instructor who has taught some pretty big names to play golf over the years. He died in 1985, at 82 years old. The Yorkshire-born announcer was brought on board by ITV to commentate the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and was also employed by ESPN for the 2014 FIFA World Cup as his services were required for its United States audience. However, after being replaced by David Coleman as top commentator, Wolstenholme left the corporation in 1971. Over the years there have been some incredible TV commentators. 'Oh I say!' Your top commentators - BBC Sport Michael Buffer has also appeared in popular talks shows like Late Night with David Letterman. Kenneth Wolstenholme died in 2002, but with that commentary from 66, his legacy will live on forever. A spectacular move by Michael Jordan!" Your top commentators. Fans of the Premier League sorely miss the services of expert commentator Jon Champion, who moved to the United States of America ahead of the 2019-20 season. His finest hour came in the 1970 World Cup, when ITV beat the BBC in the ratings for the only time, as Johns commentated on all of Englands matches and the final itself between Brazil and Italy. Overseen Liverpools incredible Champions League runs in recent times. "He's got getting-away-from-the-cops speed!" Allis had a brilliant knack of describing the action in a down-to-earth, often humorous manner and, like the best commentators, always seemed to find the perfect, simple words at the right time. Check out our list of famous sports commentators who have made a mark in their field. Warren has been employed as a sport journalist for over two decades and as well as years of written experience, has also worked in other areas of the media including radio and television. Having said that, we take a look at ten of the best football commentators of all time. Ian Darke is one of the biggest figures operating the microphone in British sport. An eight-time Pro Bowl running back and former NFL Most Valuable Player, Gifford became even more famous after he transitioned to the broadcasting booth. And who can forget that time he couldnt understand goal-line technology. A short spell on Tyne-Tees television was followed by presenting music and childrens shows before retirement. The Best Sports Analysts and Pundits in the UK - The Sporting Blog His voice can be put to thousands of goals. You have to say he was magnificent. His methods of explaining the game held sway over laymen who did not know much about football and that is how he will always be remembered. So to coincide with BBC Two documentary An Evening With Peter Alliss, BBC Sport asked its audience to recall their best commentary moments via #bestvoiceever and vote on their favourite commentators. List of snooker commentators : r/snooker - Reddit His wordsWhat a save, Gordon Banks!were used on Englands Euro 96 song, Three Lions.. The Irishman, who was a left-back during his playing career, had stellar careers with Liverpool and Leeds United, among other clubs. With his infinite knowledge and elegant voice, you can drop him into any sport." Then Cosell became the face of Monday Night Football and a key part of Olympics coverage for ABC. Emrick did broadcasting and public relations on the radio for minor league hockey teams for most of the 1970s until earning his break with the New Jersey Devils in 1982. Then, he hit it big when NBC kingmaker Don Ohlmeyer hired him in 1980, famously saying the 28-year-old Costas "looked like a 14-year-old.". Michelle Beadle is a sports reporter best known for her association with the popular cable sports channel, ESPN. ", John Motson:"Oh that tackle was so hard it probably hurt his whole family. Photo: Dave M Benett Source . When Stan Collymore scores the last minute winner, Tyler describes it brilliantly amongst the mayhem,Collymore closing in! Jack Buck, at the end of Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, Born: July 31, 1919 (Green River, Wyoming), Died: Feb. 20, 2006 (age 86, Palm Beach, Florida), Sports: MLB, NFL/AFL, NBA, Olympics, college basketball. Sports Journalist | Commentator | I.T Graduate from The University of the West Indies | Customer Service Specialist 3h Liverpool lead in stoppage time! Its not often that a football club has the words of a commentator spread across one of their stands, but thats exactly whatAston Villahave on their North Stand Brian Moores words to describe Peter Withes European Cup final winning goal to be exact,Shaw, Williams, prepared to venture down the left. Michelle Beadle is a sports reporter best known for her association with the popular cable sports channel, ESPN. The 10 greatest bits of commentary ever | Sport | The Guardian He taught Dan Marino, Maury Povich, and Mike Schmidt, to name a few. Eddie McGuire is an Australian TV presenter, radio presenter, and sports commentator for Fox Footy. Simpson murder trial and when he started a legal defense fund for falsely accused Olympic bomber Richard Jewell. In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened. . Fortunately, Davies was more than talented to cover other sports during his time at the BBC, including hockey, gymnastics, athletics, cycling, beach volleyball and badminton. Darke has a lot of experience, having covered big games like the FIFA World Cup final thrice as well as regular games in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League on numerous occasions. 'Oh I say!' Smith has also worked regularly as a football pundit for Sky Sports. OH WHAT A GOAL! and, most famously, Hank Aaron's record-setting 715th home run in 1974. broadcasting games at the NCAA tournament, falsely accused Olympic bomber Richard Jewell, guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery, legendary header in the 2011 Women's World Cup, best-selling video game series of all time, talking about Jan Van De Velde's meltdown, his famous call at the 1980 Winter Olympics, Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals. Lesley Visser, Los Angeles Times, 1993, Primary networks: CBS, Fox Sports, ABC, NBC. His importance to the BBC was clear when after interest from rivals ITV, they gave him a 10,000 a year contract, making him the highest paid broadcaster in sports television. This has been the case now for years. He began commentating while his career was still going and famously taught Sean Connery how to play golf for the James Bond film "Goldfinger" in 1964. As well as being the first presenter of Grandstand and Sportsnight, Coleman also hosted Question Of Sport for 18 years, making him a superb all-rounder for the corporation. NB due to rights restrictions there is no footage of Sir Peter O'Sulleven in this edit. This started off a rivalry between Davies and Motson, mainly portrayed in the media, which would go on until Davies stepped away from football in 2004. Keep watching." Born: May 17, 1959 (Charlotte, North Carolina), Sports: NFL, college basketball, NBA, golf. This was in the middle of a period when the BBC started to prefer Davies style, giving him the 1994 World Cup final and most of Englands matches at Euro 96, including the semi-final against Germany. It's easy to see (and hear) why. Read about our approach to external linking. He could transition easily between play-by-play and commentary. He is credited with inventing the terms "slam dunk" and "air ball" and countless other legendary Chickisms. This week our attention turns off the pitch and we've chosen our favourite sporting commentators. This comes as football commentator Martin Tyler was slammed for a 'racist . Having commented both on football and boxing, Darke was one of the four members of Sky's 'Big Four' commentators alongside Martin Tyler, Alan Parry and Rob Hawthorne. Following three years at ITV (where he covered the 1966 World Cup and the 1968 Olympic Games), Davies moved to the BBC and was installed as a Match Of The Day commentator after regular number one, David Coleman, had lost his voice. Waxing lyrical with his words and showering praises only when they are truly deserved, Drury has the ability to enhance the viewing experience that is offered by a football match. To not have Bill McLaren on this list? Rugby's Bill McLaren was next on 10.3%, then 'voice of golf' Alliss (8.3%), followed by all-rounders Barry Davies and David Coleman (7.1% and 4.7% respectively) and finally racing's Peter O'Sullevan (2.4%). The late Peter Alliss was synonymous with golf and is among the most-loved UK sports commentators of all time. In 2014, Davies did commentate on a one-off game for Match Of The Day, to celebrate their 50th anniversary of the programme. Although he has worked extensively with BBC Radio and Sky Sports in the past, Darke has also been employed by ESPN. . Brian Moore is sometimes praised as "Father of English football commentary". Mike Ingham did that brilliantly on BBC Radio 5 Live from 19772014. Category:BBC sports presenters and reporters - Wikipedia Despite working at World Cup 1994 and Euro 96, Tyldesley only commentated on four live matches during his time at the BBC, due to the superiority of John Motson and Barry Davies. That Visser spent a majority of her career doing sideline reporting and didn't get a chance in the booth until 2001 as a color analyst for NFL games is more of a testament to the inherent sexism in the business. Fisher has a controversial past but is very adept at imposing himself and his views. Curt Gowdy, during his speech at the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, for winning the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball", Died: April 16, 2013 (age 82, Dallas, Texas). No doubt about it. He held the world record for the men's 100 metres at the . Another senior commentator gracing our list is Clive Tyldesley. Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. Peter Kostis. Video, 00:02:54, Will Bellingham stay or move? His remarkable memory, opinionated manner and infectious enthusiasm, made him the face of the channel's sport coverage for over 40 years. 10 Greatest British Football Commentators Of All Time - Ranked So hard to pick only 5. He used to play golf backward, hitting from green to tee. She is best known for appearing in WWE, where she worked as an interviewer, presenter, and commentator from 2012 to 2020. In 2018 and 2019, he was named Commentator of the Year by CBS Sports. As Michael Hiestand from USA Today put it: "Packer is pretty difficult to categorize. Over the years, she has hosted important shows for various networks, including ESPN. Arguably his most famous commentary came after Sergio Aguero's late goal for Man City vs QPR on the final day of the 2011/12 season, which won City the Premier League title. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. With an audience of 26 million watching that match against Croatia, Clive Tyldesley is more than comfortable commentating on the biggest of sporting occasions. 9. Although Davies was given European Cup finals and big tournament matches, he only ever commentated on two FA Cup finals for the BBC in 1995 & 1996. He also commentated on Athletics for both ITV and Sky during the 80s and 90s. Brent Musburger, Born: Aug. 1, 1946 (La Fontaine, Indiana). To be given that 1995 final for the first time in his career was such an honour for Davies that he had his son, Mark, by his side for the whole commentary. It was a position would retain until he left the network in 1996, regularly describing First Division matches, League Cup fixtures and European ties, as well as covering three World Cups and three European Championships from 1986-96. She is the lead sideline reporter for Fox Sports' NFL broadcasting team. The Lancashire man, who has a stellar career with ITV at the moment, is truly one of the best commentators that English football has ever seen. In 1977, after Coleman was deemed unavailable for FA Cup final, Davies had been told by bosses that the match was his, so was left in shock when John Motson was announced to be covering the final. They provide running commentary of a sports event in real time. These are the greatest sports announcers of all time. Weve shared a clip of each of them in action to help you identify each of them. Gifford, who was posthumously diagnosed with CTE, died in 2015, at 84 years old. There's no doubt Walton will be the most controversial selection to this list because he infuriates fans as much as he entertains them. Scully died in Aug. 2022, at 94 years old. She also serves as an inspiration to those fighting cancer. 3. In fact that World Cup was the only time ITV have beaten the BBC when going head-to-head for football, with viewers turning over to the channel in their droves to see the new-style coverage. Read about our approach to external linking. Commentators provide the voice for our footballing memories. Also? Most of these were at the Olympic Games, of which he went to 12 and twice commentated on the opening and closing ceremonies. Your top commentators, Up Next. 10 best football commentators of all time - Sportskeeda He versatility was remarkable. It wasn't all gravy with Musburger, however, as he never backed off some controversial comments on Olympians Tommy Smith and John Carlos and once got in a fistfight with "NFL Today" gambling expert Jimmy The Greek. Enberg died of a massive heart attack in 2017, at 82 years old, and just one year after his official retirement. He was the announcer for 16 Super Bowls for network television more than anyone else in history. Hes gonna flick one. Iker Casillas' ex-wife is sports presenter Sara Carbonero (Image: GOLDERS/@SARACARBONERO) Sports fans tune in to broadcasts for the sole purpose of watching the action on the pitch, court or wherever it may be. But Wolstenholme re-appeared to provide reports and occasional features on Football Italia, as Channel 4 won the rights to Serie A football in the early 1990s. ", Murray Walker: "Unless I am very much mistaken, I AM VERY MUCH MISTAKEN! Tyldesley rejoined ITV in 1996 to be the understudy to Brian Moore, but when Moore retired in 1998, he finally got his chance to be a lead commentator. Player position: centre midfield. "Jordan, open, Chicago with the lead!" He was known as the voice of football and rightly so. We still love you, Motty. 12. Before retiring from TV commentating in 2017, Motty worked for the BBC on 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals. Billy Packer helped lead Wake Forest to the 1962 Final Four as a player, and a decade later began broadcasting games as a color analyst for ACC games first, then on the national level in 1974 for NBC. Starting his career as a ghost-writer for Jimmy Hills column in The Times, Martin Tyler had his first commentary gig in 1974 for ITV regional television. This page is not available in other languages. His first radio broadcast was the 1949 British Grand Prix for the BBC but he also regularly worked on motorcycling events and other sports. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the sport or just looking to learn more about it, our channel has something for everyone. After gaining a spot on Match Of The Day in 1971 following 3 years on radio, Motson got his big break in the FA Cup tie between Hereford Utd andNewcastle Utd. Iain Dale's 100 Most Influential People On The Left - LBC On top of all that . I'm serious. This list has people from all over the world and contains names such as Deion Sanders, Nate Burleson, Jordan Rodgers, Tazz and Beth Phoenix. ITV replaced Tyldesley as their main commentator on Tuesday. Oh, can you believe this?! 1 Dick Enberg Michigan, USA, Mount Clemens 58 votes Richard Alan Enberg (January 9, 1935 - December 21, 2017) was an American sportscaster. In 2019, she was inductedintothe English Football Hall of Fame. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Thats it, thats it!Any other time those words would have been sufficient, although Johns was never bitter. 3. List of British football commentators - Wikipedia Jim Nantz, Sports: NFL, Olympics, MLB, NBA, NHL, horse racing, boxing. His signature line whilst commentating was to simply say One-nil!whenever the first goal of a game was scored. Drury has had some brilliant moments, most of which have come in the Premier League, while he has also enjoyed some in the UEFA Champions League and other international competitions such as the FIFA World Cup.

Marilyn Gubler Wedding, Blood Samurai 2 Swords, Chelsea Hotel Room 103, Articles F

famous sports commentators uk