The Voice of British boxing, dies aged 8416:27 22/03/2010, John Plunkett, BBC, boxing, guardian.co.uk, media, news, sports, television industry, news,

The Voice of British boxing, dies aged 8416:27 22/03/2010, John Plunkett, BBC, boxing, guardian.co.uk, media, news, sports, television industry, news, UK Guardian Unlimited

Former BBC commentator boxing died in hospital of
Best known for the motto of reference Frank Bruno's

Harry Carpenter: a career in pictures

The BBC's former voice of boxing, Harry Carpenter, has died at the age of 84.


Carpenter worked at the BBC for 45 years, presenting Grandstand, Sportsnight and BBC coverage of the Wimbledon tennis championships. But it was boxing that will be remembered for, becoming one half of an unlikely alliance with former world champion Frank Bruno.


His lawyer David Wills said, "had been ill since last summer when he suffered a mild heart attack. The funeral has not been fixed, but will be a family funeral, which will be followed by a memorial service in London."


Carpenter died in hospital King's College London, on Saturday. He leaves a widow and a son.


Carpenter joined the BBC in 1949 and did not retire until 1994. He began his career in Fleet Street and had his first opportunity as a boxing writer with the weekly log Sporting. He went to work for the Daily Express and was boxing columnist for the Daily Mail


He was in the air for the Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire in 1974. He described the end of the contest as "the most extraordinary few seconds I've seen in a boxing ring.


Carpenter also presented the BBC Sports Personality of the year show, and covered a wide range of sports such as rowing and golf.


Often met Bruno at the end of the fight-times world champion, which led to the sentence of a boxer, "You know what you mean, 'Arry?"


Bruno had not yet issued a statement, but is said to be "very upset and surprised" by the death of his friend.


A spokesman for the former WBC world champion said: "Frank was not aware of it. It's annoying and when they do not want to give a statement but has asked me to put some words to say it was a real shock to him .


"It was apparent that some of Frank and career from the early days when Harry used to comment, particularly at the Royal Albert Hall, boxing Frank.


"Then it became a kind of double act with the" know what I mean, 'Arry thing. From there they went to make appearances together almost like a little cabaret act.


"The most exciting moment was probably the Tyson fight, even when Harry Carpenter, who was a very cool, a kind of staying calm. Frank says he will give a statement but at the moment is very annoying and surprised by it. "


Boxing promoter Frank Maloney Carpenter described as "probably one of the great commentators of all time."


He added: "His voice was so distinctive and I remember all those fights fights Ali and Bruno commented on. It's like a piece of boxing history has been removed.


Former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan told BBC Radio 5 Live: "This man was a legend. Harry Carpenter was a wonderful man with an incredible voice."

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John Plunkett


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