Harry Carpenter

[Craig 6321]

Know what I mean 'arry?

 

Bill McLaren & Harry Carpenter dying in the same year. Wonder who's next, Murray?

 

Harry Carpenter, the BBC's 'voice of boxing', dies

 

Former BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter has died at the age of 84.

 

Carpenter was the BBC's voice of boxing for almost half a century after joining the corporation in 1949, when he first began commentating on the sport.

 

Known for his double act with British boxing great Frank Bruno, Carpenter also presented Sportsnight, Grandstand and Sports Personality of the Year.

 

He retired in 1994 and died in his sleep at King's College Hospital in London in the early hours of Saturday.

 

Carpenter, who also wrote for the Greyhound Express and Daily Mail in the early years of his career, was on air for the "Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1974.

 

He labelled the end of the contest - underdog Ali won by knockout in the eighth round to reclaim the world heavyweight crown at the age of 32 - as "the most extraordinary few seconds that I have ever seen in a boxing ring".

 

Of Ali himself, Carpenter said: "He is not only the most remarkable sports personality I have ever met, he is the most remarkable man I have ever met."

 

Carpenter had the privilege of presenting Ali with the BBC's Sports Personality of the Century award in 1999.

 

A year later, Carpenter recalled: "It was a wonderfully poignant moment. I was very flattered and pleased that I was asked to do the tribute to him.

 

"It was such a shame to see the old boy tottering about, but we had a chat afterwards and he is still very, very sharp. He remembers all those old days."

 

Carpenter was a regular Sports Personality of the Year co-host throughout the 1970s and 1980s, having first worked on the programme in 1958, and also covered a wide range of sports for the BBC, including rowing, tennis and golf.

 

His immediately recognisable, warm broadcasting style earned him plaudits outside the United Kingdom, too.

 

In 1989, he received American Sportscasters' Association and International Sportscaster of the Year awards.

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/8580058.stm

[Monkeys Fist 39163]

[Guest Barrack Road]

I was hoping this wasn't going to be a death thread. Was a bizare mixture Frank Bruno and an educated Surrey aristocrat, but it was one of the sporting marriages of the 80's, a bit like Jimmy Hill and Terry Venables. Very sad loss to sport he was a truly brilliant commentator, very descriptive and used to commentate on TV events like a radio commentator. I remember when Tyson fought Bruno in 87 I stayed up with 2 of my mates 8 or 9 year old playing subbuteo waiting for the fight, and in the first round Bruno almost knocked Tyson out cue Harry "GO ON THERE FRANK!!!" good old BBC impartiality. RIP

[PaddockLad 14897]

I was hoping this wasn't going to be a death thread. Was a bizare mixture Frank Bruno and an educated Surrey aristocrat, but it was one of the sporting marriages of the 80's, a bit like Jimmy Hill and Terry Venables. Very sad loss to sport he was a truly brilliant commentator, very descriptive and used to commentate on TV events like a radio commentator. I remember when Tyson fought Bruno in 87 I stayed up with 2 of my mates 8 or 9 year old playing subbuteo waiting for the fight, and in the first round Bruno almost knocked Tyson out cue Harry "GO ON THERE FRANK!!!" good old BBC impartiality. RIP

 

The son of a wholesale fish merchant at Billingsgate Market,

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Carpenter

 

Quite sad, as the first post says all the great sports broadcasters those of a certain age with will have grown up seem to be popping off.....him and Frank were great together; theyve just said on 5live about when Bruno was in tears after he was beaten for the first time by Bonecrusher Smith and Harry handled him very sensitively.

 

Is it churlish to say I actually preferred Reg Gutterigde on ITV?

[Jusoda Kid 1]

RIP Harry.

[AgentAxeman 86]

R.I.P.

[Meenzer 14136]

As a commentator, it must feel like there's such a fine line between being remembered for your moments of true inspiration and ending up a laughing stock like Clive "That night in Barcelona" Tyldesley (although I trust the public to ultimately separate the wheat from the chaff). Everyone seems to have a good word for 'arry, though, and I'm no exception. RIP

[snakehips 0]

Not one of the greats, imo. A good chap, who possibly got a lot of exposure off the back of Bruno with his " know what I mean, 'arry ".

 

However, RIP

[Jimbo 133]

RIP

 

One of my favourite memories of him was when the continuity announcer introducing Boxing on BBC one night said:

 

"and now to Wembley Arena for World Championship boxing, Harry Commentator is your Carpenter"

 

oh how I laughed.....

[Guest alex]

Proper ledge. RIP.

[Rob W 0]

He was a great commentator - he supported Ali when he made the break and refused to serve in Vietnam as well