Peter Brackley
Encyclopedia
Peter Brackley is a football commentator, perhaps most famous for covering Football Italia
on Channel 4
in the 1990s and formerly commentating for the computer game series Pro Evolution Soccer
, and for Michael Owen's World League Soccer '99.
in London
, Brackley covered football
- including two FA Cup Final
s and the 1982 European Cup Final
- and athletics
, as well as presenting flagship programmes Sport On Two and Sports Report
. BBC Catalogue
company Central Independent Television
replacing Hugh Johns
. During his initial spell with the network he covered the 1986 FIFA World Cup
and the European Championship
in France in 1984 - including commentaries on semi-final matches in both tournaments. His first live match for ITV Sport
was the First Division
contest between Manchester United
and Sheffield Wednesday
in April 1986.http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/598338?view=credit He also stepped into the breech during the live broadcast of the 1986 European Cup Final
between Barcelona
and Steaua Bucharest, when communication with the commentary team in Seville
(Brian Moore
and Kevin Keegan
) was lost.
. Still stuck behind Brian Moore
, Martin Tyler
and Alan Parry
in the pecking order he made the move to Rupert Murdoch
's Sky Television
. The bulk of his work would be for the pan-European channel Eurosport
, then part-owned by Sky. He led their commentary team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
in Italy, with Ian Darke
, Paul Dempsey and Gary Bloom among his colleagues. Brackley was also behind the mic for Sky's first live matches, which came in the Zenith Data Systems Cup.
When Sky and BSB
merged in 1991, Brackley took up other duties including regular FA Cup
matches and weekly coverage of live Italian football. This was the continuation of a long relationship with coverage of Serie A
, which had actually begun in the middle of the 1980s when he took up work for CSI Sports who picked up the international broadcast rights.
's transfer from Tottenham
to Serie A
side Lazio, Channel 4
moved in to buy up the rights to cover the league. For the next decade they provided regular live action on Sunday afternoons, with Brackley commentating from a studio in England. Working alongside the likes of James Richardson
, Kenneth Wolstenholme
, Gary Bloom and pundits Ray Wilkins
, Don Howe and Luther Blissett
, it's arguable that he did much to popularise the Italian game in the UK.
. Fresh from the shock of losing rights to the new Premier League to British Sky Broadcasting
, the various ITV regions began to place more emphasis on live coverage of the lower leagues. On 16 August 1992, Brackley was partnered by Ron Atkinson for Central's first live broadcast of a Football League match after the split as Birmingham City
faced Notts County
at St Andrew's Stadium. From the second week on, Alan Parry
became the regular voice on The Central Match Live until 1996 when ITV lost the rights to live League football.
This return to ITV saw Brackley feature prominently in coverage of another four World Cups, from 1994 to 2006 and the European Championships in 1996 and 2000. He was also a regular commentator on the network's Champions League
programmes and contributed frequently to highlights programmes on Central and Meridian Broadcasting
in the south of England. He also commentated on his only major final for ITV in 2000 - covering the League Cup Final between Tranmere Rovers
and Leicester City
.
Since 2002 and the demise of the ITV Sports Channel Brackley's network commitments have been considerably reduced, featuring only very occasionally before returning as part of the team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. His main source of work has been coverage of the England national football team
and the FA Cup
for international distributor Octagon CSI. He covered every FA Cup Final between 1992 and 2008 for them.
The 2008-09 season saw Peter do the FA Cup highlights show for ITV. His games were Leicester-Stevenage, Fleetwood-Hartlepool, Hull-Newcastle, Doncaster-Aston Villa, and Blackburn-Coventry. He was named at #42 in the Daily Mail
s favourite sports commentators of all-time.
match between Ipswich
and Coventry
for the BBC and he has also commentated on match highlights including the Championship
match involving QPR
and Crystal Palace
.
fan and comedian Mike Osman
, including a run as part of George Best
and Rodney Marsh
's stage show. He has also performed with Osman, Richard Digance
and others on several programmes for BBC Radio
.
In 1991, Brackley stood in for an indisposed Jimmy Greaves
on the long-running ITV Sport
show Saint and Greavsie
. The commentator provided the voice for Greaves' Spitting Image
caricature.
Football Italia
Football Italia is an Italian football programme in the United Kingdom, known as Football Italiano for its final season. The first broadcasting of the show was in 1992 on Channel 4, the show is centered around live coverage of Serie A football, the top flight in the Italian league system...
on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the 1990s and formerly commentating for the computer game series Pro Evolution Soccer
Pro Evolution Soccer
Pro Evolution Soccer is a series of football video game developed and published by Konami...
, and for Michael Owen's World League Soccer '99.
Radio
He began his career at BBC Radio Brighton in the early 1970s, before moving to the network. During his time with BBC RadioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Brackley covered football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
- including two FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
s and the 1982 European Cup Final
1982 European Cup Final
The 1982 European Cup Final was played on 26 May 1982. English champions Aston Villa defeated West German league winners Bayern Munich 1–0 at De Kuip in Rotterdam, Netherlands to win the European Cup for the first time, and continue the streak of English teams winning the competition, being the...
- and athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, as well as presenting flagship programmes Sport On Two and Sports Report
Sports Report
Sports Report is one of the longest-running programmes on British radio. It started in the first week of 1948, and has always been aired from 5.00 to 6.00 p.m...
. BBC Catalogue
ITV
The summer of 1982 saw Brackley make the switch to television, initially with ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
company Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting...
replacing Hugh Johns
Hugh Johns
Hugh Richard Lewis Johns was best known as a football commentator for ITV. During his career, he covered a thousand matches including four FIFA World Cup finals. - Early life and career :...
. During his initial spell with the network he covered the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and the European Championship
1984 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA...
in France in 1984 - including commentaries on semi-final matches in both tournaments. His first live match for ITV Sport
ITV Sport
ITV Sport is a sport producer and brand name owned by ITV plc. It was formed from the amalgamation of Granada Sport, Carlton's sports department and ISN, the sports division of London News Network. The company produces Champions League and FA Cup Football, along with coverage of England's national...
was the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
contest between Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
in April 1986.http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/598338?view=credit He also stepped into the breech during the live broadcast of the 1986 European Cup Final
1986 European Cup Final
The 1986 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, on 7 May 1986, that saw Steaua Bucureşti of Romania defeat Barcelona of Spain in an extraordinary penalty shoot out, after 120 minutes of play could not separate the two sides...
between Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Steaua Bucharest, when communication with the commentary team in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
(Brian Moore
Brian Moore (commentator)
Brian Moore was a British sports commentator.-Early life:Moore was born in Gillingham, Kent and educated at the Cranbrook School, Kent, which was also the school of fellow commentators Peter West and Barry Davies....
and Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
) was lost.
Sky
In 1988 Brackley left ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. Still stuck behind Brian Moore
Brian Moore (commentator)
Brian Moore was a British sports commentator.-Early life:Moore was born in Gillingham, Kent and educated at the Cranbrook School, Kent, which was also the school of fellow commentators Peter West and Barry Davies....
, Martin Tyler
Martin Tyler
Martin Tyler is an English football commentator who was voted as the FA Premier League Commentator of The Decade...
and Alan Parry
Alan Parry
Alan Parry is a British sports commentator, born and raised in Garston, Liverpool, concentrating on football and athletics. He has commentated for all three main broadcasters of football in the UK - the BBC, ITV and Sky TV, as well as for both BBC and commercial radio.Starting his career at BBC...
in the pecking order he made the move to Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's Sky Television
Sky Television plc
Sky Television plc was a public limited company which operated its four-channel satellite television service, launched by Rupert Murdoch's News International on 5 February 1989...
. The bulk of his work would be for the pan-European channel Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
, then part-owned by Sky. He led their commentary team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
in Italy, with Ian Darke
Ian Darke
Ian Darke is an English football and boxing commentator who currently works for ESPN US. Darke was previously one of Sky's 'Big Four' football commentators alongside Martin Tyler, Alan Parry and Rob Hawthorne. He was also the main commentator for Sky's big boxing fights, along with Jim Watt, they...
, Paul Dempsey and Gary Bloom among his colleagues. Brackley was also behind the mic for Sky's first live matches, which came in the Zenith Data Systems Cup.
When Sky and BSB
British Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting was a British television company which provided direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom...
merged in 1991, Brackley took up other duties including regular FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
matches and weekly coverage of live Italian football. This was the continuation of a long relationship with coverage of Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, which had actually begun in the middle of the 1980s when he took up work for CSI Sports who picked up the international broadcast rights.
Football Italia
This association with Italian football deepened in 1992 when, in the wake of Paul GascoignePaul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
's transfer from Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
side Lazio, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
moved in to buy up the rights to cover the league. For the next decade they provided regular live action on Sunday afternoons, with Brackley commentating from a studio in England. Working alongside the likes of James Richardson
James Richardson (television presenter)
James "AC Jimbo" Richardson is a television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a former presenter of Channel 4's Football Italia programme and co-presenter of Setanta Sports' The Friday Football Show and Football Matters...
, Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme DFC & Bar was the football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, most notable for his commentary during the 1966 FIFA World Cup which included the famous phrase "some people are on the pitch...they think it's all over....it is now!", as Geoff Hurst scored...
, Gary Bloom and pundits Ray Wilkins
Ray Wilkins
Raymond Colin Wilkins MBE , often known as "Butch" Wilkins, is an English former footballer and at present a television pundit...
, Don Howe and Luther Blissett
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett is a former professional footballer and manager, who is currently a first-team coach at Hemel Hempstead Town. Blissett played as a striker, and is best known for his time at Watford, whom he helped win promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division...
, it's arguable that he did much to popularise the Italian game in the UK.
Return to ITV
1992 was an eventful year for Brackley, as he also returned to the fold at ITV SportITV Sport
ITV Sport is a sport producer and brand name owned by ITV plc. It was formed from the amalgamation of Granada Sport, Carlton's sports department and ISN, the sports division of London News Network. The company produces Champions League and FA Cup Football, along with coverage of England's national...
. Fresh from the shock of losing rights to the new Premier League to British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
, the various ITV regions began to place more emphasis on live coverage of the lower leagues. On 16 August 1992, Brackley was partnered by Ron Atkinson for Central's first live broadcast of a Football League match after the split as Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
faced Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
at St Andrew's Stadium. From the second week on, Alan Parry
Alan Parry
Alan Parry is a British sports commentator, born and raised in Garston, Liverpool, concentrating on football and athletics. He has commentated for all three main broadcasters of football in the UK - the BBC, ITV and Sky TV, as well as for both BBC and commercial radio.Starting his career at BBC...
became the regular voice on The Central Match Live until 1996 when ITV lost the rights to live League football.
This return to ITV saw Brackley feature prominently in coverage of another four World Cups, from 1994 to 2006 and the European Championships in 1996 and 2000. He was also a regular commentator on the network's Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
programmes and contributed frequently to highlights programmes on Central and Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
in the south of England. He also commentated on his only major final for ITV in 2000 - covering the League Cup Final between Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
.
Since 2002 and the demise of the ITV Sports Channel Brackley's network commitments have been considerably reduced, featuring only very occasionally before returning as part of the team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. His main source of work has been coverage of the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
for international distributor Octagon CSI. He covered every FA Cup Final between 1992 and 2008 for them.
The 2008-09 season saw Peter do the FA Cup highlights show for ITV. His games were Leicester-Stevenage, Fleetwood-Hartlepool, Hull-Newcastle, Doncaster-Aston Villa, and Blackburn-Coventry. He was named at #42 in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
s favourite sports commentators of all-time.
BBC
He commentated on the ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
match between Ipswich
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
and Coventry
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
for the BBC and he has also commentated on match highlights including the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
match involving QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
.
Comedy
As well as a successful broadcasting career, Brackley has also carved a niche as a comedian and impressionist. He has undertaken several UK tours with SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
fan and comedian Mike Osman
Mike Osman
Mike Osman is an English radio presenter, impressionist and entertainer.He was born in Millbrook, Southampton, England in August 1959, the fourth of seven brothers...
, including a run as part of George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
and Rodney Marsh
Rodney Marsh (footballer)
Rodney William Marsh is an English retired footballer. He was named after HMS Rodney by his father, who served on the battleship. He played for Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the England national team. Lately, he has been a pundit and a commentator on the...
's stage show. He has also performed with Osman, Richard Digance
Richard Digance
Richard Digance is a comedian and folk singer.- Biography :He studied Mechanical Engineering at Reid Kerr College Paisley, during which time he was inspired by Billy Connolly....
and others on several programmes for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
.
In 1991, Brackley stood in for an indisposed Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
on the long-running ITV Sport
ITV Sport
ITV Sport is a sport producer and brand name owned by ITV plc. It was formed from the amalgamation of Granada Sport, Carlton's sports department and ISN, the sports division of London News Network. The company produces Champions League and FA Cup Football, along with coverage of England's national...
show Saint and Greavsie
Saint and Greavsie
Saint and Greavsie was a popular double act consisting of ex-footballers Ian St. John and Jimmy Greaves. It is best remembered for the ITV programme, Saint and Greavsie, that ran from 1985 to 1992. Previously the duo had presented "On the Ball" in the World of Sport show.-Format:Although Greaves...
. The commentator provided the voice for Greaves' Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
caricature.