Harry Carpenter

Harry Leonard Carpenter, OBE (17 October 1925 – 20 March 2010) was a British BBC sports commentator broadcasting from the early 1950s until his retirement in 1994. His speciality was boxing. He was presenter of programmes such as Sportsnight (1975–1985) and Grandstand and also anchored coverage of Wimbledon and golf tournaments. Early life and early career Carpenter was the son of a wholesale fish merchant at Billingsgate Market and was born at South Norwood in South London. He attended Selhurst Grammar School in Surrey. During World War II, he served as a telegrapher in the Royal Navy. Upon leaving the Navy after the end of World War 2, he began his journalism career in 1946. He began sports reporting as a sub-editor for several national newspapers.He was a avid supporter of Crystal Palace FC the local team in South Norwood. Career He joined the BBC in 1949 and was the corporation's full-time boxing correspondent from 1962 until his retirement in 1994, when Jim Neilly replaced him in that capacity. He served as a boxing columnist for the Sporting Record from 1950 to 1954. He then worked for the Daily Mail as a boxing writer and sports columnist from 1954 to 1962. While writing for the national papers, Carpenter broadcast regularly on radio and television, covering thousands of professional and amateur fights including all Olympic Games from 1956 until 1992. He wrote three books about boxing, produced the documentary, The Richest Prize in Sport, and served as the voice of the Hall of Fame series, Sports Archive and Great Moments in Sport.