OTD in early British television: 30 April 1937
John Wyver writes: Sports punditry on television starts here, with the first edition of Sports Review on the afternoon and evening of Friday 30 April 1937. Billed as ‘a survey of the outstanding sports events in the month of April’, this first show in what was to become a monthly fixture was hosted by Leslie Mitchell, who spoke with a clutch of experts including Jack Petersen (British heavyweight champion) about boxing, Bernard Gadney (14 England caps) on ‘rugger’, Kingsley Kennerley on billiards, and Harold Abrahams (Olympic 100 metres gold medallist) on athletics.
The picture is in fact is from the second edition, looking back at sporting highlights in May, and shows as host Howard Marshall, who was slated to present the first edition too, with Mitchell stepping in at the last moment. Marshall, who was well-established as a radio commentator and who later broadcast from the Normandy’s D-day beaches , is speaking here with Captain H.B.T. (‘Teddy’) Wakelam, and the picture captures the casual, tweedy, bloke-y, pipe-smoking atmosphere that presumably characterised the programme.
Meanwhile, Mitchell and producer Royston Morley secured something of a scoop on the April afternoon, securing an interview with R.G. (‘Reg’) Rudd, who was to referee the next day’s FA Cup Final (Sunderland beat Preston North End 3-1), although in the evening soccer thoughts in a slightly shorter transmission were contributed by one ‘C. Murray’.
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