Sports Report

Sports Report is one of the longest-running programmes on British radio. It started in the first week of 1948, and has always been aired from 5.00 to 6.00 p.m. on Saturday evenings during the football season, although commentaries on matches starting around 5.15 p.m. on Saturdays have often curtailed it in recent years.

Originally produced by Angus Mackay it went out on the BBC Light Programme, where it stayed until April 25 1964. On August 22 1964 it became part of "Sports Service" and moved to the wavelengths of the BBC Third Programme (used for other purposes during daytime hours), where it initially started at the earlier time of 4.42 p.m.. On April 4 1970, however, it moved back to what had by then become BBC Radio 2, where it stayed until August 25 1990 (throughout this time it was part of "Sport on 2"). From September 1 1990 to March 26 1994 it was on the original BBC Radio 5, and since April 2 1994 it has been heard on BBC Radio 5 Live (on both of these networks it has been part of "Sport on 5" then renamed "5 Live Sport" in 2006).

Presenters have included Raymond Glendenning (1948–1955) Eamonn Andrews (1955–1964), Robin Marlar (1964–1968), Peter Jones (1968–1970), Des Lynam (1970–1980), Mike Ingham (1980–1985), Renton Laidlaw (1985–1987), John Inverdale (1987–1994), Ian Payne (1994–2000) and Mark Pougatch (2000-) among many others, while the football results were originally read out by John Webster but, since 1974, have been heard in the distinctive voice of James Alexander Gordon (famous for pronouncing "Wanderers", in the name of several football clubs, as "Wanderer-ers"). The programme, almost uniquely, has used the same theme music since its inception - "Out of the Blue", written by Hubert Bath. This already sounded old-fashioned in the early 1970s, and it is said that Des Lynam prevented it from being dropped. Now, the theme has the status of a charming anachronism, a very British institution, amid the fast-paced modern style of the rest of Five Live.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/sportsreport.shtml Sports report web site] including link to theme tune