The truly great tv sports commentators.

David Coleman
Barry Davies
Hugh Johns
Peter OSullevan
Don Mosey
Ron Pickering
Henry Carpenter
Gerald Sinstadt
High Porter
Adrian Metcalfe

You get the feeling we are being shortchanged on commentary quality this century, at the same time as having more access to televised sport than any other time ..... I certainly do.........

..... "Tommo" .....

  [:mischief

The  Irish   chap  who  have a heart  attack  every race

Archie Macpherson

The bloke that had the extra extra large sized gloves :-  Hugh Johns

Henry Longhurst.

How could no one mention Kent Walker who brightened up everyones Saturday afternoon making the Acting (wrestling) sound exciting!
Think Lampus means Michael O'Hehir.

Not forgetting Marie Piper!

I really liked John Taylor as a commentator on Rugby Union.

Freddie Trueman on the 9 skittles, Arm wresting and Shuv Happpeny!

Bumble, great raconteur and funny as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrCNUrnsu2s

Phil Liggett

Peter Brackley

I'd go along with Bumble for sure 

The late Eddie Butler   

It must be down to opinion all this as to me David Coleman was absolutely hopeless.

Kenneth Wolstenholme  "Some people are on the pitch, they think it's all over. It is now!"

Hayden
Yes, you’re right it’s all about opinion.
I personally thought David Coleman was great! Especially for athletics.

Henry blowers

Cricket on the radio

Harry Carpenter, loved his rapport with boxing's greatest.

Gerald Sinstadt I liked as well,,,not sure he was a great tho

Sid Waddell ,,,legend,,,Phil Taylor heard him getting excited in his box whilst going for a 9 darter

John Motson

ratty

David Coleman's commentary on Filbert Bayi's 1500 metres world record  Commonwealth win in Christchurch in 1974 is still my favourite race and commentary....it hooked me on the sport as a kid.

Not on Youtube anymore unfortunately.

i,m old enough to remember colemans comm on lillian board in mexico olympics  in 68

david vine - ski sunday

I can beat that, his commentary on Anne Packers' 64 400m final was fantastic!

Alan Weeks. Figure skating and football were diverse talents.

Toss up between carpenter,allis  and Coleman for me although I have to be honest I do enjoy the current Irish racing commentator.

Oh yes forgot Peter Alliss ....his commentary on the Van Der Velde meltdown is different gravy............

I must admit i really do miss Sir Peter, Horse Racing never quite seemed the same for me when he retired.

Peter Bromley for horse racing commentary

Peter Bromley for horse racing commentary

Already named in Pandora's opening post and I'll second Richie Benaud, to me anyway he's the best sporting commentator of all sports in my lifetime.

For services to boxing then Reg Gutteridge has to get a mention as well.
He also did the dogs at Harringay on 'World Of Sport' when snow postponed the horse racing along with Harry Carpenter and Gary Newbon.

Oh dear I hadn’t forgotten reg gutteridge a superb commentator his commentary on the 2 nd Duran Leonard fight was brilliant.

Also forgot about Reg , great commentator & great man   

Remember him on This is your Life , going by memory but lost his leg in the war ??

Hayden

He stood on a mine during the d day landing’s

Brian Moore was shocking. "Oh and..." " xyz is in there" and "agayyn and agayyn and agaayn" same stock phrases over and over again. Me and Mrs S write them all down and have a Brian's Bingo for every Big Match Revisited on ITV4. He was awful!

The sky.commentator is one dodgy fekah
Martin tyler is it
Sussex uni geyser
Gave him a bit of info once
Said it was off the record
Later that night he broadcasted it
Never again

Richie Benaud was fantastic to listen to and alongside him ,Jim Laker cotrasting style was also good .Agree with most of the shouts ,wonder how many of the current lot will be talked about in 20 odd years time ?? The 2 guys on the horses Richard something and Mark Johnstone arent too bad .

Peter West. A reassuring presence on sunny afternoons.

I agree with Hayden re both Bumble and David Coleman. The latter was one (nil) dimensional even in Athletics. He wasn't a very nice man either, ask anyone who worked with him and for him, and this is probably the only time on here I have spoken (just a little!) ill of the dead.

I like Harry Carpenter, not just boxing and dropping his guard ("Get in there, Frank") but he did loads of sports back in the day. Loved his greyhound racing presentation and commentaries - TV Trophies on a Wednesday night (?) with my dad.

Tiger Tiger "Kenneth Wolstenholme  "Some people are on the pitch, they think it's all over. It is now!"

And todays trivia, no looking it up, what did Ken say next. Just two words?

Get in there frank

Makes me smile now all these years later

Made me smile writing it, Jimnast.  Proper professional and fan!! you can imagine him thinking "oh S***" then thinking "Oh 5od it". One of the great commentary moments.
Now that is a title for a thread.

The Bowler’s Holding, the Batsman’s Willey

https://www.johnners.com/audio-clips/

blackbarn
“It’s four”
Yes, I’ve heard Coleman was not the nicest…. but I enjoyed the way he created an atmosphere in anticipation of the most important athletics events. AsPeter O’Sullevan did before the big races.  Made my living room feel like hallowed ground!

Dicky davis 1970s
Jim nance american football
Tony romo american football
Gary cohen mets baseball
Keith rodriguez mets baseball
Ron darling mets baseball

Best of all by miles is BRIAN TAYLOR AFL SUPERSTAR COMMENTATOR

Stuart hall and eddie waring on its a knockout

Some fair comments as to good or diabolical but the greatest of all has to be William Pollock Mclaren,few could match his knowledge or unbiased commentary!! As for cricket,nobody alive or dead could make it interesting other than as an aid to insomnia imvho.

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh.

Hayden 07 Feb 23 17:01  y

Remember him on This is your Life , going by memory but lost his leg in the war ??
----------

jimnast 07 Feb 23 17:08 

Hayden

He stood on a mine during the d day landing’s
------------

Phew - Good job that you did not miss out the 'a' - jimnast.

Any females or men without beards in this list?

| Topic/replies: 12,889 | Blogger: blackbarn's blog
Tiger Tiger "Kenneth Wolstenholme  "Some people are on the pitch, they think it's all over. It is now!"

And todays trivia, no looking it up, what did Ken say next. Just two words?


four two?

Tiger Tiger

“it’s four”

Colonel Gaddafi

Ill settle for that.

Colonel Gaddafi


Sorry I meant Ted Lowe, I always get those two mixed up.

Tom Durkin

Bill mclaran. Shockomg omission

He is there Celtic 1839 hrs,best ever imo!! Can anyone remember a phone in quiz,think it was Capital Radio many moons ago.The answer was Murray Walker but the woman phoning in was struggling so the presenter gave her a clue "Something you would put in your mouth and suck on" (Murray Mint) the lady quick as a flash replied "Dickie Davies".

Cagliari, are you a pup 2022?

2006 originally!!!

Kent Walton : World of Sport Wrestling on ITV
Ended up doing English language voiceovers on continental porno movies....

Michael O'Hehir (father of Peter and Tony) used to be one of the guest BBC commentators back in the black and white TV Grand National days,he called the Foinavon incident and will always be remembered for that but was an institution this side of the Irish sea with him being one the voices of Gaelic Games as well as the racing.

My memory may be awry Punchestown but did the commentary go "And as they cross the Melling road it's over to  Michael O'Hehir" ? Seem to have that embedded in the recesses!!!

My memory may be awry Punchestown but did the commentary go "And as they cross the Melling road it's over to  Michael O'Hehir" ? Seem to have that embedded in the recesses!!!


--------------------------

Think John Hamner used to take them down from Valentines past the Melling Road where he's hand back to Peter O'Sullivan for the straight.

Ok mate,memory not what it was!!!

O'hehir took over after the 20th fence.

slippyblue...have to agree with you. Richie Benaud was brilliant. Knew the value of silence!

Modern day, though, I cannot see any mention of..Shane Warne. He was always good and him and Bumble (another top-classer) were so funny.

Agreed, Benaud loved his horseracing too.

Am I the only one to remember John Arlott and Trevor Bailey?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F-J3BcvB8E

Remember John Arlott very well sparrow , every youthful English player that came to the crease was described as " One of the most promising young players in the country "

Met him once at a bizarre venue called Darley Dale in Derbyshire for a John Player Sunday League match , as a Hampshire fan travelled to see the Barry Richards & Gordon Greenidge show but was a pleasure to shake hands with a few old commentary stalwarts.


Happy days 

Wasn't he responsible for getting Greenidge to come and play in this country, hayden?

Don't remember that but if so you've some memory inside that head of yours sparrow , certainly wouldn't surprise me though   

I was very young when visiting Darley Dale but used to travel to many grounds at the time , especially Sunday games.

Managed to find this piece online, hayden.

Who taught you the most about batting?
My mentor was John Arlott. Many times I got invitations to his home in Hampshire. We would have lengthy conversations down in his cellar, about cricket, life in general, how to set yourself up in this great game, what you needed to do to be successful and play for a long period.

John lived in an old, converted, pub. He used to tell me not to be so attacking. When I was younger it was ingrained in you that you sometimes just couldn't resist trying to hit every ball for four or six. There were times when it was your downfall. So we'd speak about knowing when to be aggressive and when not to.

Not many ladies on these lists! You must be all chauvinists or all Lady Commentators are poor. The broadcast networks seem very keen on promoting female commentators, I can't think of any good ones at the moment but I'm sure as they become the dominant force in broadcasting one will appear.

Good find sparrow , great piece that and brings back plenty of nostalgia 

relatively new sport but UFC and Joe Rogan get tagged

For the ladies then Navratilova at Wimbledon is pretty good I suppose.

what about that girl commentator wot does premier league games

Raymond Glendinning
Bob Danvers-Walker, the racing commentator on Pathe.. he also did the tv show 'Take Your Pick'..

Jack Kramer, Tracy Austin, Ann Jones - Tennis..

If you remember the 1982 Ch 4 film 'P'tang Yang Kipperbang'.. John Arlott features a lot as a voiceover in that First Love childhood romance, as cricket forms a backdrop.  It's set in 1948..

That was a cracking little film adelaide with Alison Steadman but if you grew up in the 50s you would probably enjoy it more.

has Jilian Wilson been mentioned ?!

wot about that bloke who used to say Pat Eddery had loverly hands and not forgetting John Hanmer (pronounced Hamner) who was one of the legs of the grand national commentary

Julian even

Jimmy Lindley

RIP, loverly man.

Cricket commentator Henry Blofeld

The best commentators seem to be all well in the past. The BBC used to train them well to only speak when you can add to the picture. O'Sullivan, Longhurst, Benaud & Coleman are right up there. Who can forget Ron Pickering's commentary when Frank Klammer won gold or Alan Weeks when David Wilkie did the same. Even Bill McLaren couldn't have bettered Cliff Morgan's commentary on that great All Blacks Baa Baas match.

Don't think Brian Johnston has been mentioned yet? TMS was brilliant in those days,Johnners called them all by a nickname ,blowers,the Alderman -Don Mosey etc etc,after he died John Major commented "Summers will never be the same" Christopher martin -jenkins then produced a book of the same name as a tribute.

If he hasn't been mentioned he should have been - Henry Longhurst.  He defined the televised golf commentary.
Np-one of a certain age can ever forget - "What a corker"!

I mentioned the incomparable Henry Longhurst on Feb 7th

Chic Anderson
"And Secretariat is widening now...He's moving like a tremendous machine."

Thanks Saxon.