Tim Gudgin
Encyclopedia
Tim Gudgin is a retired British
radio presenter and voiceover artist. He was best known for announcing the football results on the BBC sports programmes Grandstand and Final Score
between 1995 and 2011. He read the results out for the last time on 19 November 2011, just a week before his 82nd birthday.
in South Croydon
, London, but did not go to university. He carried out his National Service
during the 1940s, and he started his broadcasting career during that time in Germany in 1949. After completing his National Service he started a long career at the BBC.
and racing
results but then succeeded Len Martin
as the broadcaster of the football results after Martin's death in 1995. Gudgin was only the second person to perform the role regularly from the inception of Grandstand in 1958. After Grandstand ended in 2007, he continued to read the results on Final Score
.
Match of the Day
presenter Gary Lineker
described Gudgin as "one of the most familiar voices in sport" and "a quintessential part of Saturday afternoons in this country".
quiz Quote... Unquote
, Housewives' Choice
, Top of the Form and Friday Night is Music Night
, amongst others. Interviewed in November 2011 Gudgin said, "I did an in-vision commercial for Square Deal Surf
which bought me the first house I ever had without a mortgage, so that was well worth it."
supporter and lives in Emsworth
, Hampshire. He is also said to be a fan of The Fall and once persuaded Mark E. Smith
to read the football scores.
His successor on Final Score is Mike West, who was the presenter of sports bulletins on BBC Radio Lancashire
.
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...
radio presenter and voiceover artist. He was best known for announcing the football results on the BBC sports programmes Grandstand and Final Score
Final Score
Final Score is a BBC TV programme produced by BBC Sport. The programme is broadcast on late Saturday afternoons in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, usually on BBC ONE. BBC Northern Ireland opts away during the last ten minutes to cover local results, BBC Scotland runs a different programme...
between 1995 and 2011. He read the results out for the last time on 19 November 2011, just a week before his 82nd birthday.
Education and early career
He was educated at the independent Whitgift SchoolWhitgift School
Whitgift School is an independent day school educating approximately 1,400 boys aged 10 to 18 in South Croydon, London in a parkland site.- History and grounds :...
in South Croydon
South Croydon
South Croydon is a locality in Greater London, the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon about 1 km in radius, centred on the Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is part of the South Croydon post town and in the London Borough of Croydon...
, London, but did not go to university. He carried out his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
during the 1940s, and he started his broadcasting career during that time in Germany in 1949. After completing his National Service he started a long career at the BBC.
Grandstand and Final Score
He began working on Grandstand in 1976, announcing the rugbyRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and 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...
results but then succeeded Len Martin
Len Martin
The voice of Len Martin was famous in the UK for reading out the football results, associated football pools statistics and horse-racing results on the BBC's Saturday afternoon sports programme, Grandstand....
as the broadcaster of the football results after Martin's death in 1995. Gudgin was only the second person to perform the role regularly from the inception of Grandstand in 1958. After Grandstand ended in 2007, he continued to read the results on Final Score
Final Score
Final Score is a BBC TV programme produced by BBC Sport. The programme is broadcast on late Saturday afternoons in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, usually on BBC ONE. BBC Northern Ireland opts away during the last ten minutes to cover local results, BBC Scotland runs a different programme...
.
Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
presenter Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
described Gudgin as "one of the most familiar voices in sport" and "a quintessential part of Saturday afternoons in this country".
Other work
His voice has been heard on the BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
quiz Quote... Unquote
Quote... Unquote
Quote... Unquote is a long-running panel game broadcast on BBC Radio 4 based on quotations. Every episode since the beginning of the series in 1976 has been chaired by its deviser, Nigel Rees. In July 2011, the programme began a new series, being broadcast at 1.30pm on Mondays, repeated on...
, Housewives' Choice
Housewives' Choice
Housewives' Choice was a BBC radio record request programme broadcast every morning from 1946 to 1967 on the BBC Light Programme. It played a wide range of music designed to appeal to housewives at home during the day...
, Top of the Form and Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night is a long running live BBC radio concert programme featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, broadcast most Fridays on BBC Radio 2 at 8.00pm. It is the world's longest-running live music radio programme....
, amongst others. Interviewed in November 2011 Gudgin said, "I did an in-vision commercial for Square Deal Surf
Surf (detergent)
Surf is the name of a brand of laundry detergent made by Unilever and sold in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa and many other countries. In the United States the Surf product line is owned by Sun Products...
which bought me the first house I ever had without a mortgage, so that was well worth it."
Personal life
Gudgin is a Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
supporter and lives in Emsworth
Emsworth
Emsworth is a large village the south coast of England, situated on the Hampshire side of the border between Hampshire and West Sussex. The village lies at the north end of an arm of Chichester Harbour, a large but shallow inlet of the English Channel....
, Hampshire. He is also said to be a fan of The Fall and once persuaded Mark E. Smith
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
to read the football scores.
Retirement
He announced just prior to reading the results on the 6 August 2011 that the 2011-2012 season would be his last before retirement, with his last reading on 19 November 2011. He later cited several reasons for his retirement including his age, the distance he would have to travel following the BBC's relocation to Salford and his granddaughter's wedding in Australia which he wanted to be there for.His successor on Final Score is Mike West, who was the presenter of sports bulletins on BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
.