Don Mosey
Encyclopedia
Don Mosey was a sports journalist and radio producer
, best remembered for his lengthy tenure as a cricket
commentator on BBC
's Test Match Special
(TMS), which he joined in 1974 and left in 1991.
He was nicknamed 'the Alderman' by fellow commentator Brian Johnston
, in recognition of his somewhat mayoral bearing in the box and Mosey entitled one autobiographical book The Alderman's Tale.
He was born in Keighley
, Yorkshire
, in 1924, completed wartime service in the RAF and joined the Craven Herald
as a journalist, going on to work for The Daily Express and Daily Mail
. He often covered the great Yorkshire cricket team of the period.
He left the Mail in 1964, becoming a radio sports producer in Manchester
, and developed a reputation for extreme professionalism and attention to detail.
He first commentated for TMS in 1974, a role he had long coveted, and remained a fixture on the much-loved programme through the 70s and 80s, sharing the microphone with such broadcasting luminaries as John Arlott
, Brian Johnston
and Christopher Martin-Jenkins
.
He covered four overseas England tours, most memorably the long tour of India and Sri Lanka during the winter of 1981-2, characterised by a somewhat worrying raucous cough that increased in volume as the tour progressed. His speciality lay in his unrehearsed, articulate and tactically astute close of play summaries during Test matches at home. He commentated principally on matches on grounds in the north of England, but was also at times used for matches at Lord's and The Oval
.
He retired from commentary in 1991 after writing a book where he was critical of some of the other commentators.
He acted as a ghost writer on several cricketer's autobiographers, including Ray Illingworth
's Yorkshire and Back, as well as writing several volumes under his own name. His biography of Geoff Boycott, in typically forthright Mosey style, pulled no punches in either praise or criticism. He co-authored Fred Trueman
's Yorkshire with the ex-Yorkshire and England fast bowler.
Mosey's son Ian Mosey
was a well-known golf
professional.
A man of firm views, his fame has dimmed since his retirement, but as a broadcaster of a game he loved and understood to the core he knew few peers. He died in Morecambe
, Lancashire
, aged 74, on 11 August 1999.
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
, best remembered for his lengthy tenure as a 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...
commentator on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
(TMS), which he joined in 1974 and left in 1991.
He was nicknamed 'the Alderman' by fellow commentator Brian Johnston
Brian Johnston
Brian Alexander Johnston CBE, MC was a cricket commentator and presenter for the BBC from 1946 until his death.-Early life and education:...
, in recognition of his somewhat mayoral bearing in the box and Mosey entitled one autobiographical book The Alderman's Tale.
He was born in Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, in 1924, completed wartime service in the RAF and joined the Craven Herald
Craven Herald & Pioneer
The Craven Herald & Pioneer is a weekly newspaper covering the Craven area of North Yorkshire as well as part of the Pendle area of Lancashire. Up until 29 October 2009 it remained one of only two weekly papers in the United Kingdom that continued to have a front page consisting wholly of...
as a journalist, going on to work for The Daily Express and Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
. He often covered the great Yorkshire cricket team of the period.
He left the Mail in 1964, becoming a radio sports producer in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and developed a reputation for extreme professionalism and attention to detail.
He first commentated for TMS in 1974, a role he had long coveted, and remained a fixture on the much-loved programme through the 70s and 80s, sharing the microphone with such broadcasting luminaries as John Arlott
John Arlott
Leslie Thomas John Arlott OBE was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also a poet, wine connoisseur and former police officer in Hampshire...
, Brian Johnston
Brian Johnston
Brian Alexander Johnston CBE, MC was a cricket commentator and presenter for the BBC from 1946 until his death.-Early life and education:...
and Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins MBE, also known as CMJ , is a cricket journalist and Past President of the MCC. He is also a commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio....
.
He covered four overseas England tours, most memorably the long tour of India and Sri Lanka during the winter of 1981-2, characterised by a somewhat worrying raucous cough that increased in volume as the tour progressed. His speciality lay in his unrehearsed, articulate and tactically astute close of play summaries during Test matches at home. He commentated principally on matches on grounds in the north of England, but was also at times used for matches at Lord's and 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...
.
He retired from commentary in 1991 after writing a book where he was critical of some of the other commentators.
He acted as a ghost writer on several cricketer's autobiographers, including Ray Illingworth
Ray Illingworth
Raymond Illingworth, CBE is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. He was one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in First class cricket, and the last one to do so...
's Yorkshire and Back, as well as writing several volumes under his own name. His biography of Geoff Boycott, in typically forthright Mosey style, pulled no punches in either praise or criticism. He co-authored Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
's Yorkshire with the ex-Yorkshire and England fast bowler.
Mosey's son Ian Mosey
Ian Mosey
Ian James Mosey is an English professional golfer.Mosey was born in Keighley, and is the son of cricket writer Don Mosey. He turned professional in 1972 and spent almost twenty years on the European Tour, during which his best Order of Merit ranking was 29th, achieved in both 1984 and 1986...
was a well-known golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
professional.
A man of firm views, his fame has dimmed since his retirement, but as a broadcaster of a game he loved and understood to the core he knew few peers. He died in Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, aged 74, on 11 August 1999.