KEITH Macklin has provided the soundtrack for some of the biggest sporting occasions imaginable.
Blackburn Rovers' epic Premier League title triumph of 1995; Leeds United's all-conquering days of the 1970s; the 1972 Olympic Games; the World Cup finals two years later; every Challenge Cup final staged at Wembley since 1955 - the list is endless.
Now 50 years after securing his first job in broadcasting, Macklin has brought out a book in which he chronicles some of the highs, the lows and the downright hilarious episodes that have helped to shape one of the most distinguished careers in the media industry.
A Two Horse Town' is a wonderfully descriptive and entertaining account of a life spent covering some of the greatest sporting moments of the last half century.
Dipping into a vast treasure trove of tales, Macklin is never afraid to poke fun at himself as he recalls some of the personal gaffes and clangers that have punctuated his career as a respected broadcaster and journalist.
There was the time when he narrowly escaped being trampled to death by horses at a race meeting in New Zealand; or the occasion when he awarded the man of the match to a player not even on the pitch during one particular fog-bound rugby league commentary.
Yet aside from all the hilarity, of which there is plenty to tickle your funny bones, there are some poignant moments too, like the touching tribute he pays to the late John McGrath, the larger-than-life former Preston North End manager who was Macklin's co-commentator at Radio Red Rose before he tragically passed away on Boxing Day 1998.
For a man with a CV that reads like a Who's Who of the British Media?' Macklin is refreshingly modest when he reflects on his life behind the microphone.
Brought up in Rainhill, a small suburb of St Helens, his first job was on the Warrington Guardian, but from there he went on to work for the BBC, ITV and various national newspapers, forging a fine reputation as a master of his craft.
It's fair to say most sports fans in East Lancashire will have heard his unmistakable voice at some point in their lives, whether it was commentating on Blackburn Rovers' Full Members Cup triumph of 1987, or local amateur cricket in the Ribblesdale and Lancashire Leagues.
However, Macklin's first love is undoubtedly rugby league and to many, he is the voice of authority to this day.
Ray French, the respected BBC commentator, speaks for many when he pays tribute to Macklin's professionalism and dedication in the foreword to his book.
"Though ever calm and totally unflappable in his approach to his profession - I well recall his delivery of a six o'clock BBC News bulletin from a telephone box in the centre of Brisbane from a few scribblings on the back of an envelope - his sense of humour and civility to all has endeared him to the players, the fans, and his fellow journalists and broadcasters.
"His wide range of work in rugby league, cricket, and football has provided him with a depth of knowledge on three of our premier team sports and allowed him to build up a fund of humorous stories and incidents which reflect so well the camaraderie and fun behind the scenes."
l Published by London League Publications and priced £14.95, A Two Horse Town' would make an ideal Christmas present for all fans of sport.
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