Alan Weeks: Difference between revisions
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'''Alan Frederick Weeks''' (8 September 1923, [[Bristol]] |
{{Short description|British sports reporter and commentator (1923–1996)}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} |
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'''Alan Frederick Weeks''' (8 September 1923, in [[Bristol]] – 11 June 1996, in [[Hove]], [[East Sussex]]) was a [[British people|British]] television sports reporter and commentator.<ref name ="Inde">[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alan-weeks-1336697.html Obituary in The Independent 12 June 1996]</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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His family moved to [[Brighton]] when he was five when his father, Captain F. C. Weeks, became [[pier]]master. He attended [[Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College|Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School]]. |
His family moved to [[Brighton]] when he was five when his father, Captain F. C. Weeks, became [[pier]]master. He attended [[Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College|Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School]]. |
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He married [[Barbara Jane Huckle]],<ref name ="Telegraph">[ |
He married [[Barbara Jane Huckle]],<ref name ="Telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1317011/Pamela-Gaye.html Obituary of Pamela Gaye in The Independent 12 June 1996]</ref> a figure skater, in 1947. They had two sons and one daughter. His daughter Beverley died at the age of 43 in 1992, following serious health problems. Nine years earlier, his son Nigel was found hanged at the age of 28.<ref name ="Inde"/><ref name = "Brighton">[http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5882_path__0p117p156p369p.aspx Jane Huckle on the ''My Brighton and Hove website'', accessed 11 July 2012]</ref> |
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==War service== |
==War service== |
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Weeks served his country through the Second World War in the British [[Merchant Navy]], eventually being demobilised in 1946 as a [[lieutenant]] in the [[Royal Naval Reserve]].<ref name ="IHJUK">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ihjuk.co.uk/hall_of_fame/weeks.htm |title=Ice Hockey Journalists UK Hall of Fame, accessed 16 May 2009 |access-date=16 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512022312/http://www.ihjuk.co.uk/hall_of_fame/weeks.htm |archive-date=12 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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Weeks worked all his broadcasting life with the [[BBC]]. Principally remembered for his commentary on |
Weeks worked all his broadcasting life with the [[BBC]]. Principally remembered for his commentary on winter sports such as [[Figure skating|ice skating]] and [[ice hockey]], Weeks also presented [[swimming (sport)|swimming]], [[snooker]], [[gymnastics]] and [[basketball]]. Weeks was also a big speedway fan, and broadcast from [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] on the [[Speedway World Championship|World Speedway]] finals from 1955 to 1969 and 1983 for the BBC. He reported for the BBC on every [[Winter Olympics]] from 1964 and most [[Summer Olympics]] until his retirement. As such he was on hand to describe the memorable gold medal wins of sports stars such as [[Olga Korbut]], [[Mark Spitz]], [[John Curry]], [[Torvill and Dean]] and [[David Wilkie (swimmer)|David Wilkie]]. For all this, he was affectionately nicknamed 'The Gold Medal Commentator' by his peers. [[Barry Davies]] took over his gymnastics duties in the Olympics, and [[Hamilton Bland]] in swimming. Davies and Weeks continued to commentate in ice-skating together, including the Torvill and Dean comeback at the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] in [[Lillehammer]], before a record audience of 23.9 million viewers in the UK on the BBC - a record audience for a non-football broadcast. |
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| ⚫ | He was also an occasional presenter of ''[[Match of the Day]]'' and commentated on football on the BBC for 20 years, including five World Cup final tournaments and [[Newcastle United]]'s last trophy win, the second leg of the [[1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final|1969 Fairs Cup Final]] against [[Ujpest Dozja]]. He occasionally presented ''[[Grandstand (BBC)|Grandstand]]'', and for many years presented the snooker series ''[[Pot Black]]''. |
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His, to some, excessively enthusiastic style of presentation was sometimes parodied and satirised in the media. Once he read out in a loud, high-pitched voice the marks awarded by each individual judge for an ice skater. Clive James commented that Weeks was producing "television for the blind". |
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Weeks defended himself by saying that it was a commentator's duty to get excited, and remained cordial towards detractors such as James. |
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| ⚫ | He was also an occasional presenter of ''[[Match of the Day]]'' and commentated on football on the BBC for 20 years, including five World Cup final tournaments and Newcastle United's last trophy win, the second leg of the [[1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final|1969 Fairs Cup Final]] against Ujpest Dozja. He occasionally presented ''[[Grandstand (BBC)|Grandstand]]'', and for many years presented the snooker series ''[[Pot Black]]''. |
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Alan Weeks lost his fight against cancer, at his home on the 11 June 1996. He was 72. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> |
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{{Persondata |
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|NAME= Weeks, Alan |
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|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |
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|SHORT DESCRIPTION= Television sports reporter and commentator |
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|DATE OF BIRTH= 8 September 1923 |
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|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Bristol]], [[England]] |
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|DATE OF DEATH= 11 June 1996 |
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|PLACE OF DEATH= [[Hove]], [[West Sussex]] |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Weeks, Alan}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weeks, Alan}} |
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[[Category:1923 births]] |
[[Category:1923 births]] |
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[[Category:British sports broadcasters]] |
[[Category:British sports broadcasters]] |
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[[Category:People educated at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School]] |
[[Category:People educated at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School]] |
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[[Category:Snooker commentators]] |
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[[Category:Royal Naval Reserve personnel]] |
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[[Category:English association football commentators]] |
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Latest revision as of 20:38, 4 August 2024
Alan Frederick Weeks (8 September 1923, in Bristol – 11 June 1996, in Hove, East Sussex) was a British television sports reporter and commentator.[1]
Personal life
[edit]His family moved to Brighton when he was five when his father, Captain F. C. Weeks, became piermaster. He attended Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School.
He married Barbara Jane Huckle,[2] a figure skater, in 1947. They had two sons and one daughter. His daughter Beverley died at the age of 43 in 1992, following serious health problems. Nine years earlier, his son Nigel was found hanged at the age of 28.[1][3]
War service
[edit]Weeks served his country through the Second World War in the British Merchant Navy, eventually being demobilised in 1946 as a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve.[4]
Career
[edit]Weeks worked all his broadcasting life with the BBC. Principally remembered for his commentary on winter sports such as ice skating and ice hockey, Weeks also presented swimming, snooker, gymnastics and basketball. Weeks was also a big speedway fan, and broadcast from Wembley Stadium on the World Speedway finals from 1955 to 1969 and 1983 for the BBC. He reported for the BBC on every Winter Olympics from 1964 and most Summer Olympics until his retirement. As such he was on hand to describe the memorable gold medal wins of sports stars such as Olga Korbut, Mark Spitz, John Curry, Torvill and Dean and David Wilkie. For all this, he was affectionately nicknamed 'The Gold Medal Commentator' by his peers. Barry Davies took over his gymnastics duties in the Olympics, and Hamilton Bland in swimming. Davies and Weeks continued to commentate in ice-skating together, including the Torvill and Dean comeback at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, before a record audience of 23.9 million viewers in the UK on the BBC - a record audience for a non-football broadcast.
He was also an occasional presenter of Match of the Day and commentated on football on the BBC for 20 years, including five World Cup final tournaments and Newcastle United's last trophy win, the second leg of the 1969 Fairs Cup Final against Ujpest Dozja. He occasionally presented Grandstand, and for many years presented the snooker series Pot Black.
In 1989, British Ice Hockey honoured him by naming the award for Best British Defenceman after him, the Alan Weeks Trophy.
He made his last broadcast in early 1996, commentating at the World Figure Skating Championship, after which he announced his retirement. He died of cancer at his home on 11 June 1996 at the age of 72.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Obituary in The Independent 12 June 1996
- ^ Obituary of Pamela Gaye in The Independent 12 June 1996
- ^ Jane Huckle on the My Brighton and Hove website, accessed 11 July 2012
- ^ "Ice Hockey Journalists UK Hall of Fame, accessed 16 May 2009". Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2009.