BBC's voice of football to retire

LONDON: James Alexander Gordon, one of the most recognisable voices in British broadcasting, has retired from his role reading football results on BBC radio.

Gordon recently had surgery to remove his larynx after being diagnosed with cancer and his voice is no longer strong enough to broadcast. "It's with great sorrow that I have to give up the most exciting part of my career, the classified football results. They have been my life," he said on Wednesday.

Edinburgh-born Gordon, whose delivery often made it possible for fans to predict the fortune of their team simply from the inflection in his voice, has often admitted he knows little about football other than the results.

But the 77-year-old, who began reading the results in 1973, has been essential listening for football fans across the United Kingdom for decades.

Richard Burgess, head of BBC Radio Sport, said: "It's not an exaggeration to say that Saturdays will never be the same again. "His voice is recognised around the globe through the BBC World Service. He is a broadcasting legend." (AFP)