Howard Marshall (broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Howard Percival Marshall (22 August, 1900 in Surrey
– 27 October, 1973) achieved distinction in several fields, but is best remembered as a pioneering commentator for live broadcasts of state occasions and sporting events — in particular cricket
Test matches
— for BBC radio
during the 1930s.
He went to Oriel College, Oxford, winning a rugby union
Blue. He captained the Harlequins
rugby team. He trained as a journalist, and joined the BBC in 1927. Within ten years he had become the premier radio Outside Broadcast
commentator, being chosen to describe the Coronation of King George VI in 1937, as well as that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Live cricket broadcasting had begun in a limited fashion in 1927, but it was generally thought that ball-by-ball commentary would not work for a game as slow as cricket. However Seymour de Lotbiniere
('Lobby'), who was responsible for live sports coverage and who went on to become an outstanding head of outside broadcasts at the BBC, realised that ball-by-ball commentary could make compelling radio. In the mid-1930s he got Marshall to begin commentating on cricket, rather than only giving reports. Marshall was a great success, the poet Edmund Blunden
writing: "And then on the air, Mr Howard Marshall makes every ball bowled, every shifting of a fieldsman so fertile with meaning that any wireless set may make a subtle cricket student of anybody."
He commentated on some of the "Victory Tests
" in 1945, but he had moved on to higher things in the BBC when real Test cricket resumed the following year.
Nine of his cricket commentaries over the period 1934 to 1945 survive in the BBC archives, including his famous description of Len Hutton
at The Oval
in 1938 surpassing Don Bradman's record score of 334 in Anglo-Australian Tests.
As well as cricket, he also commentated on boxing
and rugby. He wrote cricket and rugby reports for the Daily Telegraph for some years.
During World War II
he became the first Director of Public Relations at the Ministry of Food from 1940 to 1943, then Director of War Reporting and a war correspondent
. He famously broadcast from a Normandy
beach immediately after the D-Day landings. A snippet of the outside broadcast he made on the VE Day celebrations in London survives.
He married three times (including Nerina Shute
and Jasmine Bligh
, who was his widow) and found time to work as a Director of Personnel and Public Relations in the steel industry, to write several books on sport, housing and exploration, amongst other subjects, and to co-found the magazines Angling Times and Trout and Salmon.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
– 27 October, 1973) achieved distinction in several fields, but is best remembered as a pioneering commentator for live broadcasts of state occasions and sporting events — in particular 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...
Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
— 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...
during the 1930s.
He went to Oriel College, Oxford, winning a 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...
Blue. He captained the Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
rugby team. He trained as a journalist, and joined the BBC in 1927. Within ten years he had become the premier radio Outside Broadcast
Outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting is the electronic field production of television or radio programmes from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera and microphone signals come into the production truck for processing, recording and possibly transmission...
commentator, being chosen to describe the Coronation of King George VI in 1937, as well as that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Live cricket broadcasting had begun in a limited fashion in 1927, but it was generally thought that ball-by-ball commentary would not work for a game as slow as cricket. However Seymour de Lotbiniere
Seymour de Lotbiniere
Seymour Joly de Lotbiniere CVO known as ‘Lobby’ was a Director of the British Broadcasting Corporation and pioneer of outside broadcasts. He is recognised as developing the technique of sports commentary on radio and subsequently television, and he masterminded the televising of the 1953...
('Lobby'), who was responsible for live sports coverage and who went on to become an outstanding head of outside broadcasts at the BBC, realised that ball-by-ball commentary could make compelling radio. In the mid-1930s he got Marshall to begin commentating on cricket, rather than only giving reports. Marshall was a great success, the poet Edmund Blunden
Edmund Blunden
Edmund Charles Blunden, MC was an English poet, author and critic. Like his friend Siegfried Sassoon, he wrote of his experiences in World War I in both verse and prose. For most of his career, Blunden was also a reviewer for English publications and an academic in Tokyo and later Hong Kong...
writing: "And then on the air, Mr Howard Marshall makes every ball bowled, every shifting of a fieldsman so fertile with meaning that any wireless set may make a subtle cricket student of anybody."
He commentated on some of the "Victory Tests
Victory Tests
The Victory Tests were a series of cricket matches played in England from 19 May to 22 August 1945, between a combined Australian Services XI and an English national side...
" in 1945, but he had moved on to higher things in the BBC when real Test cricket resumed the following year.
Nine of his cricket commentaries over the period 1934 to 1945 survive in the BBC archives, including his famous description of Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in 1938 surpassing Don Bradman's record score of 334 in Anglo-Australian Tests.
As well as cricket, he also commentated on boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and rugby. He wrote cricket and rugby reports for the Daily Telegraph for some years.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he became the first Director of Public Relations at the Ministry of Food from 1940 to 1943, then Director of War Reporting and a war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
. He famously broadcast from a Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
beach immediately after the D-Day landings. A snippet of the outside broadcast he made on the VE Day celebrations in London survives.
He married three times (including Nerina Shute
Nerina Shute
Nerina Shute was an English writer and journalist, described by the Sunday Times as the amazingly colourful, brilliant and bisexual film critic".-Early life:Shute was born in Prudhoe, Northumberland...
and Jasmine Bligh
Jasmine Bligh
Jasmine Lydia Bligh was one of the first three BBC Television Service presenters in the 1930s, along with Leslie Mitchell and Elizabeth Cowell, providing continuity announcements and introducing programmes in-vision....
, who was his widow) and found time to work as a Director of Personnel and Public Relations in the steel industry, to write several books on sport, housing and exploration, amongst other subjects, and to co-found the magazines Angling Times and Trout and Salmon.