Best Sports Commentator Ever

[Ludensian Gull]

Am I right in saying that Hugh Johns did the '66 World Cup Final for ITV?

Yes you are,
("Here's Hurst, he might make it three. He has! He has ... so that's it. That is IT!" ) was his famous quote after Hursts hat trick .

 

[Marxo]

Bill McLaren was wonderful. Richie Benaud was great and what I liked about him was that he didn't chatter on when there was nothing needing to be said. I also liked Peter West on cricket and rugby and I loved an afternoons cricket with Jim Laker. I also think that Kenneth Wolstenholme was underrated, he had to invent his trade and the way he said the names of foreign players was with great panache.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Murray Walker on the TV and Geoff Boycott on the radio

 

[Tooting Gull]

Clive Everton.

I have just started doing a tiny bit of snooker commentary on web sites/bookie streams etc, not even TV, and I realise now exactly how good he was/still is, and how ridiculously easy and effortless he made something look that is in fact bloody hard work.

He gave me a few tips and hints on things to say and avoid, and basically they are like tablets of stone in this house.

There are loads of things you have to have, the base knowledge (past and current) of players and events, judgment, sense of occasion and drama, total knowledge of rules and the game, and some legal framework.

But translating all that into relaxed output that is interesting, informative, without pauses and error-free is incredibly difficult.

I admire a lot of the people in this list, but because this is a sport I know well and he is the undisputed No1, I'm voting for him. Neal Foulds is the next Clive, he is also excellent.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

Used to love listening to Hugh Johns . Probably not the best ever but my favourite.

defo this

didn't he always used to do the midlands games on the big match?

 

[aldershot village]

John Arlott

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Cannot remember his name or be bothered to look it up but the brummie who does the cycling is very good.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

For football, Alan Green on Radio 5. He can make a dull game interesting ...........and amusing

 

[Austrian Gull]

I used to think Harry Carpenter was a great boxing commentator.

Peter Jones and Bryon Butler were brilliant radio commentators on football - to think that we now have to suffer Allan Green!

Brian Moore seemed to be a lovely fellow but I'll never forget him asking Kevin Keegan if David Batty would score his penalty in the shoot-out against Argentina...

 

[Boys 9d]

Eddie Waring and John Arlott

 

[D Block blue]

Cannot remember his name or be bothered to look it up but the brummie who does the cycling is very good.

That would be Hugh Porter, one of my favourites! shame though think he has been replaced as cycling commentator on BBC

 

[Philzo-93]

Sid Waddell

 

[Baaaald]

Brian Moore was always my favourite football commentator.

The 'and it's in there' when a goal was scored was a bit crap. Martin Tyler for me.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

My all time favourite sports commentator is Alan Partridge.
Addams Family - Fester Debbie - YouTube

YouTube

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Not sure what happened there try this one.

YouTube

 

[piersa]

Bill McLaren on rugby and Peter Alliss on golf, but I think Bill just shades it.

2 very good shouts

 

[crodonilson]

Clive Everton.

I have just started doing a tiny bit of snooker commentary on web sites/bookie streams etc, not even TV, and I realise now exactly how good he was/still is, and how ridiculously easy and effortless he made something look that is in fact bloody hard work.

He gave me a few tips and hints on things to say and avoid, and basically they are like tablets of stone in this house.

There are loads of things you have to have, the base knowledge (past and current) of players and events, judgment, sense of occasion and drama, total knowledge of rules and the game, and some legal framework.

But translating all that into relaxed output that is interesting, informative, without pauses and error-free is incredibly difficult.

I admire a lot of the people in this list, but because this is a sport I know well and he is the undisputed No1, I'm voting for him. Neal Foulds is the next Clive, he is also excellent.

Sad news that 'The Voice of Snooker' Clive Everton has passed away, a true legend.

 

[dazzer6666]

I love Brian Moore the Rugby Commentator and ex England/Harlequins hooker.

He is pessimistic, always in a grump and a real stickler for the rules (especially the nuances of scrum laws, which he seems to know better than most referees). But, he is equally derisive of both sides, and his grumpyness never fails to make me smile.

He’s a qualified ref

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Sad news that 'The Voice of Snooker' Clive Everton has passed away, a true legend.

More than anything his passion for the game came across. Brilliant communicator, knew the game inside out, his distinctive voice was one of the things i'll always remember about my childhood. Rest in Peace Clive

 

[GT49er]

I used to think Harry Carpenter was a great boxing commentator.

Eamonn Andrews was the first boxing commentator I remember ("with inter-round summaries by W. Barrington-Dalby"), and probably remains my favourite (for boxing).
Overall favourite commentator, John Arlott. Brian Johnson was pretty good too.