Best commentator -- any sport

Arlott, Coleman, O'Hehir, amd Waring.

In my lifetime I would have to vote for Richie Benaud as being the best in any sporting field.

Alan Weeks on the BBC..used to cover the Footy/Ice Hockey...so much passion

John Arlott was the greatest.

brian moore/ the big match

richie benaud
henry longhurst
bill mclalen
john arlott
jim nance
dan maskell

John Arlott

But a special mention to Sid Waddell.

David Coleman always the best for me

Peter O'Sullevan , Hugh Johns , Barry Davies , Alan Weeks , Tony Pickering , John Helm , Bryan Butler , Peter Jones

Most of today's are hopeless.

Partridge

Peter O'Sullevan.Horse Racing lost a little bit of Magic for me when he Retired.

Murray Walker shouldn't be left out also Harry Carpenter

Albert Bartlett

Mighty fine spuds

Bill mclalen

Snooker commentator 'Whispering' Ted Lowe

Ted Lowe:

''For those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.''

This is the market without John McEnroe, right?

Tony Romo is very good

Richie Benaud was very good

John Arlott

Couldn’t stand him as a player (archetypal miserable Jock) but as a commentator I could listen to Colin Montgomerie a lot. Not any more of course since he’s left Sky. Shame.

Come to that Faldo is pretty good

"There," whispered the television commentator Henry Longhurst, "but for the grace of God..."

Michael O'Hehir, always a Delight to Hear.

Peter o Sullivan

No lady commentators? Most of those nominated have fairly deep and/or whispery voices, so is it significant that Clare Balding, who became the nation's, or at least the television companies' sweetheart after the Beijing Olympics, does too?

Some wonderful nominations here.

A recommendation though for the late great Ron Pickering. His commentary on the Men's 4 x 100 Relay at, I think, the 1983 World Athletics Championships, as the baton was passed to Carl Lewis for the final leg, still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up -:

"AND THE BIG MAN HAS THE BATON …………………………………………. CARL LEWIS FLYING …………...………..AND THE WORLD RECORD HAS GONE!!"".

One of the reasons why Richie Benaud excelled was because he was allowed to shadow the master, Peter O'Sullevan, before he started in cricket commentary.

On the cricket they would say that Benaud has joined the commentary box.

15 minutes or more later Richie would say morning everyone, less is more.

Unlike Shane Warne who never stops talking.

virginia wade made a decent co commentator


i'm struggling to think of a really good lady commentator, but they all seem to go down
the over excited route that so many of todays male commentators also suffer from.


sue barker is great on tv too, but i dont hear her talking very much about tennis.


mcenroe and becker are genius with their insights on tennis,

pat summerall john madden al michaels

ITV Tour De France team seem to do a great job even though its not particularly my bag

Mr David Coleman

King Edward  followed by a good old Maris piper for me

my early sport days always equate david coleman with lilian board, emery,sherwood, ann pacca, mexico 1968 Olympics etc,not a commentator but hugh mcavelaney docu,s were/are legendary

I think Alan McManus is one of the best snooker commentators. He notices things most others miss.

I miss the late,great Tony Cosier.
We are due to play the Windies again in June, but it just won’t be the same without the great man.

So true mmm

Bryon Butler & Peter Jones were wonderful football commentators. Iconic voices.

Coleman could turn his hand (or voice) to a multitude of sports.....brilliant example of his style seen here down a phone line


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyJTBrbPIHQ

Great thread and some true greats on here, sadly most have now passed, but fair play to the poster who put up Ron Pickering RIP. Good shout that.

And also to the poster for the best ever.........Sid Waddell RIP........hot up there, he's sweating like a hippo in a power shower!!

Forgot about Waddell,  he was amazing.

Also forgot Greig and Lawry. Great doubleact.

David "Bumble" Lloyd always good for a laugh and a great cricket commentator

Peter Aliss,much more than a commentator on golf.

EAMONN ANDREWS,EAMONN ANDREWS... was a keen amateur boxer and won the Irish junior middleweight title ... Cooper described Eamonn as 'the best boxing commentator ever'.

This thread seems to have changed from commentators who conveyed both information and insight on the event, into those who were entertaining.

To take just one example, Peter Alliss was great company for the viewer but would you want to bet in running based only on what he told you? As someone who grew up listening to Test Match Special, I'm not knocking entertainment but is it enough on its own to define a great commentator?

Ram, Sid Wadell was both. Very knowledgeable man who knew so much about the darting game amongst other sports. Brilliant on the mic with it. Still the all time best for  me.

julie collier lol

I think it was Trevor Denman doing Zenyatta's Breeders Cup win, This is un    believe   able. Never get tired of watching that.

Dean Macey a shocking omission

Ken Wolstenholme deserves a mention for his "Some people are on the pitch - they think it's all over - it is now!" line alone.

The only TV football commentator in the early/mid sixties and the guy we grew up with.

Flew a 100 missions in WWII with the RAF, geez!

Yeah, but the 66 world cup win was a hoax like the moon landing.

Derek Thompson surely deserves a mention ?

Sandown ,  3.30 Chicory tip incest cup 



epileptic fridge boy , Christs chin  .....astonishing bum queen is nowhere   


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDB5Akd4-Z4

in a later incident , Lester Piggot fell fron his horse and had to be destroyed 

What was that commentators name that used to do the football on ATV..?

Back in the '60s, '70s and '80s.. He used to wear massive gloves.

Oh, that was him ... Hugh Johns 

It's a black country thing

A few of my favourites:-
Reg Gutteridge
Pat Summerall
Dave Duffield
Clive Tyldesley
Clive Everton

Kent Walton

Yes 4pm on World of Sport, good afternoon grappling fans.

Reg Gutteridge & Harry Carpenter were both great boxing commentators
Coleman was superb in his hey day ... in lots of sports ...  I'll always remember "Its Hemery for the gold" ... pity he forgot about Sherwood who got the bronze
Cricket has has Ritchie Benaud; Arlott; Laker & a few more really good uns
Anyone remember Idwal Robling (football) ... not the best but he won a competition to commentate at the 1970 World Cup
Bill Mclaren excellent at rugby
Ron Pickering athletics

Shame the very best are all long gone  ... standards have definitely fallen dramatically

All those used to commentate on their own. Nowadays you have a co-commentator or two and then a 3/4/5/6 person panel to discuss at half time.

Benaud
O'Sullivan
Coleman

Jon Arlott

May not have been the best but so interesting and entertaining

Never be a another coat to take his place.



https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/john-motson-will-deliver-his-final-live-commentary-this-weekend-167050

Funny you should say that. I didn’t like Motson commentary’s. he was a great broadcaster and knowledgeable but I did not like his style.

If you read a piece by Clive James when Hermann Hermann who was a Swiss German rather than a German German exposed Motty’s style of fact commentating as dull, boring and without insight you would understand

I loved it, guess its who you grow up with, full of useless facts .

I am sad enough to like facts too but in sport I prefer a story teller or raconteur and there were few finer than Arlott but cricket can be a slow boring game so there is room for a commentator to indulge his audience

I preferred the enthusiasm of Barry Baldhead over monotone Motty

never noticed any football commentator

brian moore doing world cup on the radio, 1966

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36925699

he was a decent commentator


good on the rugby now too,