Born in Worsley, near Manchester on 17 July 1920, Kenneth Wolstenholme was television's first football commentator. He will forever be remembered for his commentary on England's World Cup Final victory in 1966, specifically for his immortal line: "Some people have run on to the pitch, they think it's all over - it is now!" Prior to broadcasting, he was a bomber pilot in the Second World War and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar, aged just 23. He joined the BBC in the 1950s for the sports magazine programme Sports Special (1956). His gentle Northern accent was a departure from the received pronunciation then prevalent at the BBC. He ushered in a new era in football coverage when he became the first commentator on the BBC's Match of the Day in 1964. Not only did he supply commentaries, but he also introduced the programme and conducted post-match interviews. In all he commentated on 23 successive FA Cup finals, 5 World Cups and 16 European Cup Finals before being replaced by David Coleman in 1971. Wolstenholme returned to television presenting Channel Four's Italian soccer coverage in the 1990s. He died on 26 March 2002 at the age of 81. Eddie Dyja
|