#teddy wakelam

On 22 January 1927, the BBC broadcast their first ever commentary of a league football match. It was a game between Arsenal and Sheffield United that resulted in a 1-1 draw. For a first attempt, the BBC’s approach was suitably experimental and unexpectedly visual.

To help radio listeners visualise the commentator’s description, producer Lance Sieveking created a handy visual aid and had it published in the BBC’s listings magazine, The Radio Times.

This diagram presented a map of the pitch with several distinct, numbered areas marked out.

The idea was that commentators would be able to use these numbers as fast, accurate indicators of where the ball was travelling or where the action was taking place.

This particular map comes from 29 January 1927 and applies to a second broadcast between Corinthians & Newcastle United.

Of course, the grid system is now a thing of the past, falling out of favour as the style of sporting commentary evolved, but you will find many examples in our archived issues of The Radio Times, running right into the mid-1930s.

The idea to broadcast commentary on the BBC was inspired by journalist Hamilton Fyfe’s trip to the US, which he had written about for the Radio Times just a few issues previously.

Describing a commentator he observed Stateside, Fyfe said “He spoke as if he were telephoning,” and he detailed his glass commentary box. In the beginning, the BBC’s broadcasts came from the even less glamorous surroundings of a small wooden hut, often compared to a garden shed.

The BBC’s first commentator was Henry “Teddy” Wakelam, a former Rugby player. Not only did he cover football for the corporation but also cricket and tennis, including an infamous episode at Wimbledon during which he accidentally set fire to his notes but carried on regardless.