On 2 January 1965, ITV screened ‘World of Sport’ for the first time, going up against ‘Grandstand’ on the BBC; presented by Eamonn Andrews and later by Dickie Davies, the show ran for more than 1,000 episodes over 20 years; SJA secretary Philip Barker looks back on a groundbreaking programme in sports broadcasting…
Long before Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, ITV also had a live sports programme which attracted a cult following.
It was called “World of Sport” and was first transmitted on the Associated British Corporation (ABC) and Associated Television (ATV) 60 years ago this weekend.
“World of Sport will bring all the glamour and thrills of Saturday afternoon sport right into your living room with urgency and authority,” promised the TV Times.
The presenter was Eamonn Andrews, who had joined ITV from BBC Radio’s flagship “Sports Report” and was a highly respected boxing commentator.
The BBC had launched “Grandstand” in 1958. David Coleman had become a household name as its presenter.
“In the past six years, we have seen off challenges from other personalities who have presented ITV Sports programmes,” promised Coleman.
“Eamonn Andrews is a friend of mine and I admire him but I believe we will see him off too.
“Eamonn’s attitude as a sports commentator is 10 years out of date,” Coleman continued.
“It’s one thing to sit in a radio studio with a script and another to take charge of a live television show.”
Andrews retorted: “I don’t want to get involved in a slanging match but I can say we have a fair cracker of a show.”
There had been sport on ITV since its launch in 1955. This came under the banner of “Saturday Sports Time” in 1964. That year, ITV also covered the Olympics from Tokyo.
Then, after the lunchtime news, “World of Sport” began at 12.50pm on January 2, 1965.
The first action was ski jumping from the German resort of Garmisch Partenkirchen. This was followed by professional athletics from Edinburgh, including at 3.25pm the famous Powderhall Sprint.
There was also “scrambling” – now known as Motocross – from High Hoyland in Yorkshire. At 3.45 pm, it was wrestling from Bermondsey Baths, with Kent Walton commentating.
A tag match featuring Bermondsey’s own Pasquale “Tony” Salvo, described in wrestling magazines as “Dockland’s Tough Guy, Zando Zabo from Venezuela and the flamboyant Welsh wrestler Adrian Street who entered the ring in dazzling costumes resembling a Glam Rocker.
This was followed by the football results in a “slick new easy to follow method”.
The TV Times billing appeared alongside an advert for a 14-day package tour to the Costa Brava for under £50!
“New ideas? This programme has plenty!” Dave Lanning, later ITV’s leading darts and speedway commentator, wrote in a special article to introduce the new programme in TV Times.
“They will introduce a regular pools service that will tell lucky winning punters the sort of dividend they can expect.”
“World of Sport” regulars were to include England fast bowler Fred Trueman, and Peter Lorenzo of The Sun, father of Matthew.
Racing specialist John Rickman would doff his trilby whenever he appeared on screen.
There was also “a crusading ex Soccerman, now go-ahead manager of Coventry City.” His name? Jimmy Hill.
Behind the camera, our Association’s first President John Bromley led a team which included the likes of Frank Keating, later a stylish writer with The Guardian, and director Grahame Turner. His son Martin later became a respected director at Sky Sports.
That first Saturday, the Beeb showed racing from Aintree and the World of Sport cameras were at Catterick.
“Another bright idea is the introduction of an attractive girl each week to join the racing team. She will go along to pick winners purely for pin money,” added Lanning.
The first to do so was actress Eunice Gayson, who portrayed the baccarat and golf-playing Sylvia Trench in the first Bond movie “Dr No” opposite Sean Connery.
It drew little critical comment at the time, but David Coleman was one of those who did object.
“Women take sport seriously, it’s an insult to have a woman picking out winners with a pin,” he insisted.
What he thought when, many years later, World of Sport even had its own beauty contest is not recorded.
This compere was the man who took over from Andrews each July to present “Summer Sport”. He was billed as Richard Davies.
When the ITV franchises were shaken up 1968, Davies took over as the main World of Sport presenter, now produced by the new London Weekend Television. Some time later, Jimmy Hill suggested “Richard” should be billed as “Dickie”. It was a masterstroke.
The programme had a new theme tune written by Don Harper entitled “Sporty Type”.
ITV bosses even hired light aircraft to trail banners across the sky for what became one of the most famous opening title sequences ever made.
From the outset, they promised “a few “offbeat” sports never fully covered on TV before”. This was largely of necessity because most TV rights had been sewn up by the BBC.
The second week, there was ten-pin bowling from the Fair Lanes Bowling Centre in Wallasey, with commentary by Shaw Taylor, already better known as the presenter of “Police 5”.
In the days when it was played on grass, there was women’s hockey from Wembley. The old stadium was also the setting for one of World of Sport’s most famous coups.
In 1975, American motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to leap over a row of London buses.
England Schoolboys Internationals were shown on World of Sport too, with Brian Moore commentating.
The boys were also given a chance to shine in a competition called “Penalty Prize”. Another Jimmy Hill idea!
Throughout the season, they took penalties against top goalkeepers including the likes of Pat Jennings and Gordon Banks. The final was held at Wembley as part of the build-up to the League Cup final and shown on “World of Sport”.
Other attractions included cliff diving from Acapulco, log chopping, stock car racing and of course, wrestling.
In 1976, “World of Sport” also showed recorded highlights of the first women’s cricket international to be played at Lord’s.
Other presenters included Fred Dinenage, Steve Rider, Elton Welsby and Jim Rosenthal. In the background, an army of busy programme secretaries could be seen typing away, in those pre-word processor days.
Although “World of Sport” developed a large and faithful following, by the early 1980s, ITV bosses had changed strategy to concentrate on showpiece live events.
The final programme was transmitted in September 1985 and for many, Saturdays would never be quite the same again.
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