Dougie Donnelly
Encyclopedia
Douglas "Dougie" Donnelly (born 7 June 1953 in Glasgow
) is a Scottish television broadcaster best known for presenting sports coverage for BBC Scotland
.
Donnelly started his career with Radio Clyde
in Glasgow in the 1970s, where he was twice voted Scottish Radio Personality of the Year. He joined BBC Scotland's Sports Department in the late 1970s, where he has been their anchorman ever since, presenting programmes such as Sportscene Live
(which includes events such as the Scottish Cup
Final and Scotland
internationals), Afternoon Sportscene, and the network's rugby union
coverage.
Donnelly was known outside Scotland by his involvement in the BBC's networked output of golf
(a sport for which he has a strong passion), darts
, snooker
and bowls
. International exposure also saw Donnelly serve as commentator/presenter for the World's Strongest Man
during the 1980s on BBC television. He has also covered the Commonwealth Games
, and Summer
and Winter Olympic Games
, where, in the 2002 event at Salt Lake City, he commentated on the British Women Curlers' Gold victory.
As well as sport, Donnelly has also hosted quiz shows (the best known being Shammy Dab on Grampian TV) and has appeared on Ready Steady Cook
, Banzai and The Games. In addition, he provides a voice over on the Sky One
science entertainment show Brainiac: Science Abuse
; solely for the "Brainiac Golf" sketch when a caravan
is blown up; detonated by a fuse triggered by a professional golfer's putting stroke.
Donnelly was educated at the former Hamilton Academy
and is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde
Law School. He is a fan of Scottish Third Division club Clyde F.C.
. Although he can be seen in the Directors box in Govan every home game
He has also been involved in TV advertising. He is remembered for his appearances in the adverts for the furniture store Sterling, based in Tillicoultry
, near Stirling
. He returned to advertising for I&K Motors, and provided voiceovers for their Spring 2008 advertising campaign.
Dougie is now the main presenter for satellite TV station Premier Sports.
.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
) is a Scottish television broadcaster best known for presenting sports coverage for BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
.
Donnelly started his career with Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde is a division of Bauer Radio based in Glasgow, Scotland. They currently operate an FM station and an AM station from studios in Clydebank West Dunbartonshire.- History :...
in Glasgow in the 1970s, where he was twice voted Scottish Radio Personality of the Year. He joined BBC Scotland's Sports Department in the late 1970s, where he has been their anchorman ever since, presenting programmes such as Sportscene Live
Sportscene
Sportscene is the name of a range of Scottish sports television programmes produced by BBC Scotland. Its main anchors are Dougie Donnelly, David Currie, Rob MacLean and Dougie Vipond, with Alison Walker and Richard Gordon acting as relief presenters...
(which includes events such as the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
Final and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
internationals), Afternoon Sportscene, and the network's rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
coverage.
Donnelly was known outside Scotland by his involvement in the BBC's networked output of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
(a sport for which he has a strong passion), darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
, snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
and bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
. International exposure also saw Donnelly serve as commentator/presenter for the World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
during the 1980s on BBC television. He has also covered the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, and Summer
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
and Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
, where, in the 2002 event at Salt Lake City, he commentated on the British Women Curlers' Gold victory.
As well as sport, Donnelly has also hosted quiz shows (the best known being Shammy Dab on Grampian TV) and has appeared on Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook was a BBC daytime TV cooking programme it first debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last edition was broadcast on the 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host...
, Banzai and The Games. In addition, he provides a voice over on the Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
science entertainment show Brainiac: Science Abuse
Brainiac: Science Abuse
Brainiac: Science Abuse is a British entertainment TV show with a science motif. Numerous experiments are carried out in each show, often to verify whether common conceptions are true or simply to create impressive explosions...
; solely for the "Brainiac Golf" sketch when a caravan
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
is blown up; detonated by a fuse triggered by a professional golfer's putting stroke.
Donnelly was educated at the former Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy was a school situated in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.Described as "one of the finest schools in Scotland" in the Cambridge University Press County Biography of 1910, Hamilton Academy featured in the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association Magazine article series on...
and is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
Law School. He is a fan of Scottish Third Division club Clyde F.C.
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
. Although he can be seen in the Directors box in Govan every home game
He has also been involved in TV advertising. He is remembered for his appearances in the adverts for the furniture store Sterling, based in Tillicoultry
Tillicoultry
Tillicoultry...
, near Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
. He returned to advertising for I&K Motors, and provided voiceovers for their Spring 2008 advertising campaign.
Dougie is now the main presenter for satellite TV station Premier Sports.
.