Angus Loughran
Encyclopedia
Angus Loughran is a British
sport
s commentator and pundit. He appears regularly on television, newspapers and websites, usually concentrating on horse racing
and football
, such as the Daily Telegraph and online bookmaker Easyodds, writing tipping sections every day. He has also provided English language football commentary for Eurosport
and ESPN
.
He first worked for Ladbrokes
, providing racing commentary into their betting shops, but rose to fame as "Statto", the resident statistician on the BBC Two
television
show Fantasy Football League
. Clad in a dressing gown and pyjamas, he would stand in the corner of the set and provide facts and figures on each of the guests' fantasy football
teams, while being made fun of by hosts Frank Skinner
and David Baddiel
. He also appeared in the Rowan Atkinson
comedy film Bean in 1997 and the Mel Smith
directed Blackball
in 2003.
He is the son of conductor James Loughran
and was educated at Ampleforth College
. He is a fan of Manchester United F.C.
.
During an episode of Fantasy Football League, archive footage from News at Ten
was shown of Loughran offering a chair during a Test match
at The Oval
to notorious blocker
Chris Tavaré
. The implication was that Tavaré must be tired, hence his lack of scoring.
He was declared bankrupt at a hearing at Manchester County Court on February 4, 2008 due to large debts owed to Sporting Index. The bankruptcy was annulled in April 2008 when he presented an IVA
to his creditors.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s commentator and pundit. He appears regularly on television, newspapers and websites, usually concentrating on horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, such as the Daily Telegraph and online bookmaker Easyodds, writing tipping sections every day. He has also provided English language football commentary for Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
He first worked for Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
, providing racing commentary into their betting shops, but rose to fame as "Statto", the resident statistician on the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show Fantasy Football League
Fantasy Football League
Fantasy Football League is a British television programme hosted by Frank Skinner and David Baddiel. The Programme began on BBC Radio 5 and was hosted by Dominik Diamond before transferring to BBC 2, with three series being broadcast from January 1994 to May 1996...
. Clad in a dressing gown and pyjamas, he would stand in the corner of the set and provide facts and figures on each of the guests' fantasy football
Fantasy football (soccer)
Fantasy football is a game in which participants assemble an imaginary team of real life footballers and score points based on those players' actual statistical performance or their perceived contribution on the field of play. Usually players are selected from one specific division in a particular...
teams, while being made fun of by hosts Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
and David Baddiel
David Baddiel
David Lionel Baddiel is an English comedian, novelist and television presenter.-Early life:Baddiel was born in New York, and moved to England when he was four months old. His father, Colin Brian Baddiel, was a Welsh research chemist with Unilever before being made redundant in the 1980s, after...
. He also appeared in the Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
comedy film Bean in 1997 and the Mel Smith
Mel Smith
Melvin Kenneth "Mel" Smith is an English comedian, writer, film director, producer, and actor. He is most famous for his work on the sketch comedy shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones.- Early life :Smith's father, Kenneth, was born...
directed Blackball
Blackball (film)
Blackball is a 2003 British comedy sports film, borrowed from the Australian film, Crackerjack about Cliff Starkey , a fictional rebellious young bowls player. His dream is to play for his country, but always preferred to play by his own rules, much to the disapproval of the local bowls club...
in 2003.
He is the son of conductor James Loughran
James Loughran
James Loughran CBE, DMus., FRNCM, FRSAMD is a Scottish conductor.-Early life:Educated at St Aloysius' College in Glasgow, Loughran conducted at school and afterwards, while studying economics and law...
and was educated at Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
. He is a fan of Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
.
During an episode of Fantasy Football League, archive footage from News at Ten
News at Ten
The ITV News at Ten is the flagship news programme on British television network ITV, produced by ITN and founded by news editor Geoffrey Cox in 1967. It was originally planned as a thirteen week project in July 1967 because senior figures at ITV refused to believe that a permanent 30-minute late...
was shown of Loughran offering a chair during a Test match
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...
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...
to notorious blocker
Blocker batsmen
Blocker is a cricketing slang term for a defending batsman, the opposite of biffer. In earlier times cricketers were either professional or amateur...
Chris Tavaré
Chris Tavaré
Christopher James Tavaré is an English retired cricketer, who played in thirty one Tests and twenty nine One Day Internationals from 1980 to 1989.-Life and career:...
. The implication was that Tavaré must be tired, hence his lack of scoring.
He was declared bankrupt at a hearing at Manchester County Court on February 4, 2008 due to large debts owed to Sporting Index. The bankruptcy was annulled in April 2008 when he presented an IVA
Individual Voluntary Arrangement
In the UK, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement is a formal alternative for individuals wishing to avoid bankruptcy.The IVA was established by and is governed by Part VIII of the Insolvency Act 1986 and constitutes a formal repayment proposal presented to a debtor's creditors via an Insolvency...
to his creditors.