Brian Moore (commentator)
Encyclopedia
Brian Moore was a British
sports commentator.
and educated at the Cranbrook School, Kent
, which was also the school of fellow commentators Peter West
and Barry Davies
.
. He started broadcasting with the BBC
in 1961 and became a commentator, and the Corporation's first football correspondent, in 1963. Moore and Alan Clarke were behind the mic for BBC Radio
when England
won the World Cup in 1966 - with Maurice Edelston
as summariser.http://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-video/Media/video/2007/01/19/66commentary.mpg Moore also covered the FA Cup Final
from 1964 to 1967, and European Cup Winners' Cup victories for Tottenham Hotspur
(1963) and West Ham United
(1965), and Celtic
's European Cup
triumph in 1967.
, which was building up to its launch on the ITV network in 1968. Enticed across by head of sport Jimmy Hill
, Moore would become synonymous with ITV Sport
over the next three decades. Although ITV had covered League football before, the launch of The Big Match
in 1968 began to garner the network a reputation as a respected alternative to the BBC.
, Derek Dougan
, Pat Crerand
and Bob McNab
were dubbed the "Midnight Cowboys" by the press, due to the late night kick-offs and viewers deserted the BBC in droves, the only time ITV have beaten the BBC when the two have gone head to head with the same live event. It set the standard for all TV football panels of the future. In subsequent years, outspoken manager Brian Clough
would often be a pundit on ITV
and developed a strong friendship with Moore.
and Midweek Sports Special. After flirting with a return to the BBC (he admitted to being tempted by the Corporation's offer that he could also present coverage of cricket
, which he loved) in the late 1970s he was also offered a six-part documentary series Brian Moore Meets... which featured the likes of Kevin Keegan
, Niki Lauda
and Björn Borg
.
Brian Moore also lent his voice to the Liverpool FC novelty song 'Anfield Rap
', rapping two verses, the second of which was an appeal for then England Manager Bobby Robson
to select Steve McMahon
for the England team
.
between Liverpool
and Arsenal
, when Michael Thomas scored a dramatic late goal to win Arsenal the title. He was also well known for using a stock phrase "and it's in there!" to describe a goal. His greatest gaffe was at the 1980 European Cup Final, when having prematurely announced Nottingham Forest
's victory, he was sufficiently distracted to announce Hamburg
as the winners when the final whistle blew just a few seconds later.
During thirty years at ITV, Moore commentated on European triumphs by Arsenal
, Liverpool
, Nottingham Forest
, Aston Villa
, Tottenham
, Manchester United
, Everton
and Aberdeen
.
Brian Moore's commentary from the winning goal of Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup win over Bayern Munich is displayed on a giant banner across the North Stand of Villa Park:
He also covered the FA Cup Final
on ITV
every year from 1969 to 1988 and again in 1998. Brian was also at the microphone at six European Championships between 1972 and 1996 - missing 1984 due to England's absence.
Strangely he was not always at the heart of the action at the World Cup
, working solely as presenter in 1970, 1974, 1978 and 1982. In 1986 he presented the coverage from London
for most of the tournament, before flying out to commentate on the final. From 1990 to 1998 he commentated throughout the tournament, including the infamous England
vs Argentina
second round match where the world saw David Beckham
sent off for flicking a leg at Diego Simeone.
's World Cup final victory on home turf against Brazil
, but he continued to broadcast, presenting an interview programme for Sky Sports
in 1999, and hosting programmes for BBC Radio Five Live
and TalkSport
. His time on Talksport included hosting Inside the Boardroom, where club chairmen and directors would join him in the studio and field phone-in questions from fans.
He was also a supporter of Gillingham FC
, and was a director at the club for many years. As a consequence he was the most popular choice to have a new stand at the club's Priestfield Stadium
named after him. A fanzine devoted to the club is also named in honour of Moore, called Brian Moore's Head Looks Uncannily Like London Planetarium
, a line from Dickie Davies's Eyes by the cult indie band Half Man Half Biscuit
.
He died on the same day that England
beat Germany
5-1 in Munich
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sports commentator.
Early life
Moore was born in Gillingham, KentGillingham, Kent
Gillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
and educated at the Cranbrook School, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, which was also the school of fellow commentators Peter West
Peter West
Peter Anthony West was a BBC presenter and sports commentator best known for his work on the corporation's cricket, tennis and rugby coverage as well as occasionally commentating on field hockey. Throughout his television career he remained freelance.-Early life:He was an only child...
and Barry Davies
Barry Davies
Barry George Davies MBE is a British sports commentator. He has covered a wide range of sports in a long career, primarily for the BBC.-Broadcasting career:...
.
Career
Brian Moore began his career in newspapers, working for The Exchange Telegraph and The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. He started broadcasting with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1961 and became a commentator, and the Corporation's first football correspondent, in 1963. Moore and Alan Clarke were behind the mic for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
when England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
won the World Cup in 1966 - with Maurice Edelston
Maurice Edelston
Maurice Edelston was a British footballer, who later became a sports commentator. Born in Hull, England, he was son of the Hull City footballer Joe Edelston, who was his manager at Reading for a while. At the age of 18, he played in the football tournament in the 1936 Berlin Olympics for Great...
as summariser.http://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-video/Media/video/2007/01/19/66commentary.mpg Moore also covered the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
from 1964 to 1967, and European Cup Winners' Cup victories for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
(1963) and West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
(1965), and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
's European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
triumph in 1967.
London Weekend Television
Shortly after that Moore moved to London Weekend TelevisionLondon Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
, which was building up to its launch on the ITV network in 1968. Enticed across by head of sport Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
, Moore would become synonymous with ITV Sport
ITV Sport
ITV Sport is a sport producer and brand name owned by ITV plc. It was formed from the amalgamation of Granada Sport, Carlton's sports department and ISN, the sports division of London News Network. The company produces Champions League and FA Cup Football, along with coverage of England's national...
over the next three decades. Although ITV had covered League football before, the launch of The Big Match
The Big Match
The Big Match is a British Association football television programme, which screened on ITV regularly between 1968 and 1992 ....
in 1968 began to garner the network a reputation as a respected alternative to the BBC.
First Success
Moore's first big ratings success came in 1970 as he chaired ITV's highly innovative World Cup coverage. Although a panel of football experts was not entirely new, Moore and Hill presided over a month of football debate - and glorious action - that bristled with controversy and charisma. Malcolm AllisonMalcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
, Derek Dougan
Derek Dougan
Alexander Derek Dougan was a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers....
, Pat Crerand
Pat Crerand
Patrick Timothy "Paddy" Crerand is a Scottish-born former footballer of Irish descent. After six years at Celtic he moved to Manchester United where he was a member of teams that won the English League title twice, the FA Cup and European Cup...
and Bob McNab
Bob McNab
Robert "Bob" McNab is an English former footballer.McNab started out at his local club, Huddersfield Town, playing nearly seventy times in three seasons...
were dubbed the "Midnight Cowboys" by the press, due to the late night kick-offs and viewers deserted the BBC in droves, the only time ITV have beaten the BBC when the two have gone head to head with the same live event. It set the standard for all TV football panels of the future. In subsequent years, outspoken manager Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
would often be a pundit on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and developed a strong friendship with Moore.
Career Outside of Football
Although he'll primarily be remembered as a commentator, Moore presented a number of flagship ITV Sport shows including Saturday lunchtime preview On The BallOn The Ball (ITV television show)
On The Ball is a British ITV Saturday lunchtime television show about football, which ran as part of World of Sport in the 1980s, and as a stand-alone show from 1998 to 2004....
and Midweek Sports Special. After flirting with a return to the BBC (he admitted to being tempted by the Corporation's offer that he could also present coverage of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, which he loved) in the late 1970s he was also offered a six-part documentary series Brian Moore Meets... which featured the likes of Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
and Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
.
Brian Moore also lent his voice to the Liverpool FC novelty song 'Anfield Rap
Anfield Rap
The "Anfield Rap" was a song released by members of Liverpool F.C. before the 1988 FA Cup Final against Wimbledon FC. The song reached #3 in the UK singles chart. The song was co-written by Liverpool's midfielder Craig Johnston and rapper Derek B-Style:...
', rapping two verses, the second of which was an appeal for then England Manager Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
to select Steve McMahon
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon is an English former football midfielder who most notably played for Liverpool in the late 1980s...
for the England team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Accomplishments
In his prime as a commentator Moore produced many magic moments. Perhaps his most famous line was "it's up for grabs now!" during the 1989 league deciderLiverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
The final match of the 1988–89 English Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool and Arsenal, at Liverpool's Anfield ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division and the teams were close enough on points for the match to...
between Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, when Michael Thomas scored a dramatic late goal to win Arsenal the title. He was also well known for using a stock phrase "and it's in there!" to describe a goal. His greatest gaffe was at the 1980 European Cup Final, when having prematurely announced Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
's victory, he was sufficiently distracted to announce Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
as the winners when the final whistle blew just a few seconds later.
During thirty years at ITV, Moore commentated on European triumphs by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
.
Brian Moore's commentary from the winning goal of Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup win over Bayern Munich is displayed on a giant banner across the North Stand of Villa Park:
He also covered the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
every year from 1969 to 1988 and again in 1998. Brian was also at the microphone at six European Championships between 1972 and 1996 - missing 1984 due to England's absence.
Strangely he was not always at the heart of the action at the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, working solely as presenter in 1970, 1974, 1978 and 1982. In 1986 he presented the coverage from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for most of the tournament, before flying out to commentate on the final. From 1990 to 1998 he commentated throughout the tournament, including the infamous England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
vs Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
second round match where the world saw David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
sent off for flicking a leg at Diego Simeone.
Retirement
He retired as a commentator in 1998 after describing FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
's World Cup final victory on home turf against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, but he continued to broadcast, presenting an interview programme for Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
in 1999, and hosting programmes for BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
and TalkSport
TalkSPORT
Talksport , owned by UTV radio, is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters, offering a sports and talk radio service broadcast from London to the United Kingdom....
. His time on Talksport included hosting Inside the Boardroom, where club chairmen and directors would join him in the studio and field phone-in questions from fans.
Personal life
Moore married Betty in 1955.He was also a supporter of Gillingham FC
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
, and was a director at the club for many years. As a consequence he was the most popular choice to have a new stand at the club's Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent...
named after him. A fanzine devoted to the club is also named in honour of Moore, called Brian Moore's Head Looks Uncannily Like London Planetarium
Brian Moore's Head Looks Uncannily Like London Planetarium
Brian Moore's Head Looks Uncannily Like London Planetarium was a fanzine devoted to Gillingham F.C.It began life in 1988, and remarkably for a fanzine, which tend to have short publishing histories, ran for 18 years, with the final issue being published in April 2006. Stephen Foster ranked it top...
, a line from Dickie Davies's Eyes by the cult indie band Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
.
He died on the same day that England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
beat Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
5-1 in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.