Brian Moore (commentator)

In 1961, Moore became a football commentator and presenter on BBC Radio and the Corporation's first football correspondent in 1963. Moore, Alan Clarke and Maurice Edelston were behind the mic for BBC Radio when England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. 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.

Shortly after that Moore moved to London Weekend Television, 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 LWT and ITV Sport over the next three decades. Although ITV had covered League football before The Big Match, the production values of LWT were much higher, as in turn were viewing figures. The duo of Moore and Jimmy Hill, were pioneers for future tv football programmes, with their style of analysis of key moments.

Moore's first big ratings success came in 1970 as the host of 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 Allison, Derek Dougan, Pat Crerand and Bob McNab were dubbed the "Midnight Cowboys" by the press, due to the late night kick-offs. It set the standard for all TV football panels of the future. In subsequent years, Brian Clough would often be a pundit on ITV and developed a strong friendship with Moore.

Although he will primarily be remembered as a commentator, Moore presented a number of flagship ITV Sport shows including Saturday lunchtime preview On The Ball and Midweek Sports Special. Brian also presented Big League soccer in the 70's and 80's, which was produced in England for broadcast in Australia and New Zealand. In the late 1970s he made a six-part documentary series for ITV, Brian Moore Meets... which featured the likes of Kevin Keegan, Niki Lauda and Björn Borg.

During thirty years at ITV, Moore commentated on European triumphs by Arsenal, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Everton and Aberdeen.

Brian Moore's commentary of the winning goal in Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup Final win over Bayern Munich is displayed on a giant banner across the North Stand of Villa Park:

Shaw, Williams, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball played in for Tony Morley. Oh, it must be! It is! Peter Withe!!

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 England v Argentina in the second round.

He retired as a commentator in 1998 after describing France's 1998 World Cup final victory on at the Stade de France 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 in addition to his commentary on Gladiators. 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.

In retirement he joined the team of readers for Bromley Talking Newspapers, making weekly recordings for the blind of items taken from the local papers. His experience and microphone skills were obvious but he never played "the big man" and his presence was sadly missed when his illness meant he had to leave.