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**nmrfox** · 04-01-2016, 16:14

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

For the grapple fans, Kent Walton died aged 86.

**KGR** · 04-01-2016, 16:32

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Brough Scott is 73 and still with us.

Great forename that, Brough.

**jwdd27** · 09-01-2016, 00:47

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Radio 2 mainstays:

Peter Jones already mentioned and sadly long dead.
Ron Jones - alive
Larry Canning - dead
Peter Lorenzo - dead
Bryon Butler - dead
Stuart Hall - alive, and now a free man
Tony Adamson (also did golf, boxing) - alive

**IronSeaPower** · 09-01-2016, 21:22

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

John Hanmer, renowned Horse Racing commentator for a slack handful of fences on one course, once a year.

Alive. Possibly.

**longeared** · 09-01-2016, 21:33

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

When did E.W. Swanton retire from commentating? Was he still going in the 70s or had he stopped before that? His Wisden obituary doesn't say.

**Logan Mountstuart** · 10-01-2016, 11:32

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Many long early 70's Wednesday bath nights listening to 2nd half commentaries on Radio 2 with Maurice Eddleston. Definitely deceased.

He was in the radio, I was in the bath, btw.

**Jah Womble** · 10-01-2016, 13:06

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

I think he died about 40 years ago - I have vague memories of Alan Parry and Peter Jones et al paying him tribute during the following weekend's match.

NB Just checked - Edelston died 40 years ago this month.

**tee rex** · 22-01-2016, 06:03

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Gerry Williams, of radio tennis fame, has died. Back in the 70's tennis in the UK was 99% Wimbledon, I've no idea what he did for the rest of the year.

Although rosy memory says he may have been one of those Radio 2 sports voices, popping up in the bath with Logan on Wednesdays. They did all that without t'internet, which seems inexplicable now.

**tee rex** · 23-01-2016, 10:10

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

And now Jack Bannister. This is proving a fatal thread, for anyone not given the tick of life already.

**IronSeaPower** · 23-01-2016, 12:29

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PlQu9gSyWKA

Bannister plays his part in this but the star of the show is Trueman.

**Satchmo Distel** · 24-01-2016, 14:34

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Gerry Williams commentated on radio alongside Max Robertson (1915-2009), who earlier in his career had done events like the funeral of George VI.

Still alive: Richard Evans, radio commentator at Wimbledon for 20 years, now with tennis channel. Wrote books on Nastasie and McEnroe back in the day:

http://tennischannel.com/richard-evans-the-young-uns/

**longeared** · 24-01-2016, 14:50

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

That video of Aggers being set up is superb.

Bannister shouldn't be part of this thread though - his first commentary was the final Test of 1983 v New Zealand.

**Satchmo Distel** · 24-01-2016, 18:48

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

He also blotted his copybook by doing TalkShite commentaries from in front of the telly.

**longeared** · 22-02-2016, 11:17

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

David Duffield died yesterday. He was most famous for doing cycling commentary on Eurosport for many years (in a somewhat eccentric fashion at times, a lot of viewers became experts on the cheeses of Europe) but apparently also did some track cycling commentary for Grandstand in 1979 so can be included here.

**longeared** · 11-05-2016, 16:02

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Tony Cozier's died aged 75.

**Gangster Octopus** · 11-05-2016, 16:05

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

West Indies' series will never be the same again.

**Jah Womble** · 11-05-2016, 16:18

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

I note that Keith Macklin - denizen of Yorkshire-based 'support' games on The Big Match - didn't get a shout upthread. After a useful (to him) stint in religious broadcasting, he passed away in 2009.

He also famously commentated on the only East Germany/West Germany fixture, during the 1974 World Cup.

**Gerontophile** · 11-05-2016, 21:39

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Capybara wrote: You can add Alan Weeks to the list of 'general' commentators no longer with us. Turned his hand to many things, predominantly on ice but also including football, snooker, gymnastics and speedway.

Also did the swimming, including the 1976 200m breastsroke final: "...and it's WILKie."

For some reason, I always thought he did "We Are The Champions", but turns out, that was Ron Pickering.

**Satchmo Distel** · 11-05-2016, 21:47

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Weeks is probably best known for the Olympics ice skating, which I think is the only sport where UK won gold in all three (summer or winter) Olympics from 1976-84 (I stand to be corrected).

Cozier I believe is the last truly great cricket commentator who was still alive. It was good that his last tournament was a WI win (T20) but he would obviously have swapped that for a decent WI Test side.

It's a shame Cozier never brought out a book on WI cricket after 1978; he had so much insight into team dynamics and players. He definitely felt that the Test Match Special commentators were envious of the 1980s WI side and there was a imperial nostalgia behind the whining about intimidatory fast bowling.

**Various Artist** · 11-05-2016, 22:34

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

RIP from me too to Mr Cozier � what a great voice and always a delight to listen to on TMS during England-West Indies series. I'm in equal parts ashamed and staggered to admit though that I never realised until just now he was white.

**tee rex** · 12-05-2016, 02:43

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

That's a common (and understandable) mistake, I made it for years.

He was the best of the radio commentators, in a strong international field, and he was the epitome of informed balance (putting some of his former BBC colleagues to shame). He managed the trifecta - both criticising and defending the West Indies as he thought fit, while maintaining a good rapport on air. RIP indeed.

**Capybara** · 15-11-2016, 13:25

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Dave Lanning has died. It seems he was working until quite recently but not really on any telly I see. He always symbolised pre-Waddell 70s darts for me but he could almost have fallen into the 'general' category.

**Ray de Galles** · 15-11-2016, 15:13

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Great sadness within the Speedway world over Lanning's death as he was the TV voice for the sport in it's seventies heyday and it was apparently his favourite.

**Satchmo Distel** · 29-11-2016, 13:39

1970s British Commentators "Alive or Dead?" List

Fun fact:

" In An American Werewolf in London, Lanning is the commentator of the match on the TV between Rab Smith and Cliff Lazarenko"

**Capybara** · 10-11-2021, 16:40

Gerald Sinstadt has died.