In The News

Former sports commentator passes away

Former sports commentator passes away

Harry Carpenter, who was the BBC’s ‘voice of boxing’, has died. He was 84.

Mr. Carpenter had worked as a sports reporter for a number of national newspapers before joining the BBC in 1949.

During his career he presented a range of programmes for the corporation including Sportsnight, Grandstand and Sports Personality of the Year.

But his first love was boxing having helped his father run an amateur boxing club as a boy.

He commentated on some of the great boxing bouts including the so-called ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fight when Muhammad Ali regained the world heavyweight title from George Foreman in Zaire in 1974.

Mr. Carpenter also enjoyed what was seen at times as a ‘double-act’ with boxer Frank Bruno, whose habit of saying “Know what I mean, ‘arry”, in post fight interviews became a catchphrase.

He commentated on fights involving Barry McGuigan from the boxer’s final amateur bouts right through to when he became the world featherweight champion.

Mr. McGuigan was among those to pay tribute, describing Harry Carpenter as  “an amazing man with an amazing voice. He was a legend”.

Mr. Carpenter had been unwell since las summer when he suffered a heart attack.

 

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