James Alexander Gordon (10 February 1936 – 18 August 2014) was a Scottish radio broadcaster, best known for reading the classified check of the football results every Saturday at 17:00 on BBC Radio Five Live's Sports Report.
Born in Edinburgh in 1936,[1] as a baby he was paralysed with polio and he spent a large part of his childhood in hospital.[2] He worked in music publishing before joining the BBC in 1972, becoming an announcer and newsreader (mostly on Radio 2) until the early 1990s. In 1974 he followed in the footsteps of John Webster, reading the classified football results, first on Radio 2 and later on Five Live.
Popularly known as "Jag",[1] he used his intonation, when pronouncing the names of the clubs, to indicate whether a match had ended in a home win, away win or draw.[1]
Gordon also worked as a freelance voice artist, recording voice-overs and commenting on company videos.[3] He also recorded a sequence of fictional football results to introduce each scene in performances of Tom Wells' 2013 play Jumpers for Goalposts.[4][5][6]
He announced his retirement from radio in July 2013 following surgery to remove his larynx after being diagnosed with cancer which rendered his voice too weak for broadcasting.[7] He was succeeded as the reader of the classified football results by former Radio 4 newsreader Charlotte Green from late September 2013.[8]
Deathedit
Gordon died of cancer on 18 August 2014,[9] at the Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading.
Referencesedit
^ abcHunter Davies (27 November 2000). "JAG, the man who has read the results for nearly 30 years". New Statesman. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
^Elliott, Jane (28 December 2002). "Football scores 5 Polio 0". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
^"From Arsenal to Liverpool to Wolves – James has the results (From Times Series)". 17 July 2003. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
^"Playwright Tom Wells on Jumpers For Goalposts". BBC News. 29 August 2013.
^Shuttleworth, Ian (10 April 2013). "Jumpers for Goalposts, Watford Palace Theatre, UK – review". Financial times. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
^"Jumpers for Goalposts, Bush Theatre". CultureWhisper. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
^"James Alexander Gordon to retire as football results reader". BBC NewsOnline. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
^"Charlotte Green replaces James Alexander Gordon on BBC Radio". BBC News Online. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
^"James Alexander Gordon: Voice of football results dies, aged 78". BBC News. 18 August 2014.
james, alexander, gordon, royal, navy, officer, james, gordon, royal, navy, officer, february, 1936, august, 2014, scottish, radio, broadcaster, best, known, reading, classified, check, football, results, every, saturday, radio, five, live, sports, report, bor. For the Royal Navy officer see James Gordon Royal Navy officer James Alexander Gordon 10 February 1936 18 August 2014 was a Scottish radio broadcaster best known for reading the classified check of the football results every Saturday at 17 00 on BBC Radio Five Live s Sports Report James Alexander GordonBorn 1936 02 10 10 February 1936Edinburgh ScotlandDied18 August 2014 2014 08 18 aged 78 Reading EnglandOccupationRadio broadcasterYears active1972 2013SpouseJuliaChildren1Born in Edinburgh in 1936 1 as a baby he was paralysed with polio and he spent a large part of his childhood in hospital 2 He worked in music publishing before joining the BBC in 1972 becoming an announcer and newsreader mostly on Radio 2 until the early 1990s In 1974 he followed in the footsteps of John Webster reading the classified football results first on Radio 2 and later on Five Live Popularly known as Jag 1 he used his intonation when pronouncing the names of the clubs to indicate whether a match had ended in a home win away win or draw 1 Gordon also worked as a freelance voice artist recording voice overs and commenting on company videos 3 He also recorded a sequence of fictional football results to introduce each scene in performances of Tom Wells 2013 play Jumpers for Goalposts 4 5 6 He announced his retirement from radio in July 2013 following surgery to remove his larynx after being diagnosed with cancer which rendered his voice too weak for broadcasting 7 He was succeeded as the reader of the classified football results by former Radio 4 newsreader Charlotte Green from late September 2013 8 Death editGordon died of cancer on 18 August 2014 9 at the Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading References edit a b c Hunter Davies 27 November 2000 JAG the man who has read the results for nearly 30 years New Statesman Retrieved 2 December 2012 Elliott Jane 28 December 2002 Football scores 5 Polio 0 BBC News Retrieved 22 May 2009 From Arsenal to Liverpool to Wolves James has the results From Times Series 17 July 2003 Retrieved 22 May 2009 Playwright Tom Wells on Jumpers For Goalposts BBC News 29 August 2013 Shuttleworth Ian 10 April 2013 Jumpers for Goalposts Watford Palace Theatre UK review Financial times Retrieved 15 December 2023 Jumpers for Goalposts Bush Theatre CultureWhisper Retrieved 15 December 2023 James Alexander Gordon to retire as football results reader BBC NewsOnline 24 July 2013 Retrieved 24 July 2013 Charlotte Green replaces James Alexander Gordon on BBC Radio BBC News Online 6 August 2013 Retrieved 6 August 2013 James Alexander Gordon Voice of football results dies aged 78 BBC News 18 August 2014 External links editJames Alexander Gordon at IMDb Obituary in The Independent by Marcus Williamson Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Alexander Gordon amp oldid 1189984895, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
