Barry Davies' face and voice are instantly recognisable to any UK sports fan. He has guided audiences through some of the most compelling and exciting moments in televised sport over the past 40 years. Here, he relives the magic of those events and reveals what was going on behind the scenes. He has broadcast at a record 10 World Cup finals, and until stepping down in 2004 he was Match of the Day's longest-serving commentator. But his expertise goes far beyond football: 10 Olympic Games, memorably crying out in the 1988 hockey final when Britain scored to win gold, 'Oh, where were the Germans - but frankly, who cares?'; and numerous Winter Olympics, sharing in Torvill and Dean's success in 1984 and heartbreak 10 years later. He is also synonymous with Wimbledon and the Boat Race. The controversies of sport are also addressed, from the Hand of God to crooked judges and professional rivalries off-screen, together with many light-hearted mishaps played out in front of millions of viewers.

Author Biography

Barry Davies joined BBC Radio in 1963. He then moved to ITV where he was part of the 1966 World Cup commentary team, before rejoining the BBC in 1969. He became established as one of the corporation's leading commentators on football, as well as many other sports including tennis, ice skating, gymnastics and the Boat Race.