"Secret agent" celebrates 25 years at the BBC
"Secret agent" celebrates 25 years at the BBC
Monday 31 January 2011
Twenty-five years ago this week a top secret agent called 007 started work at the BBC.
Well it wasn't quite top secret, but BBC Radio Shropshire's James Bond started way back in February 1986.
Since then he's been the voice of sport for the BBC in Shropshire taking a big interest in the fortunes of The New Saints, Shrewsbury Town and AFC Telford United. I don't believe it, but many people who started at the same time as James say he was a fresh faced young man, I still don't believe them.
The media industry is very difficult to break into at the best of times, but to get into the BBC takes a lot of perseverance and some times a bit of luck. Many moons ago James was one of the first people to help develop the BBC Sport website in the early days of the internet. He also worked alongside the likes of Alan Green and Mike Ingham, who can now be heard on radio 5 live.
So to work for the BBC for 25 years is some achievement! Listening back through the archives I found some classic clips some funny and some embarrassing. There's the time when James took part in pre-season training with Shrewsbury Town back in 1986. Keen to impress the players and management team, he spent many hours gearing up for the challenge. I think it's fair to say the players didn't feel their place was under threat.
For the New Saints, he will have witnessed many Championship victories, European campaigns including the tremendous achievement by Mike Davies's side to beat Bohemians to book their place against the Mighty Anderlecht. I was part of the commentary team for that game and both of us felt a great deal of pride for the Saints on that special night in Anderlecht. To see the Belgian fans giving the Saints a standing ovation at the end of the game is something I will remember for a long time.
James has always been a very professional anchor man with real enthusiasm for The New Saints and both Shrewsbury Town and Telford United. Being an Oswestry man I know he has a big soft spot for the Saints!
Here's to, well maybe not another 25 years, I'm sure James will want to retire before then, but lets hope the future for both James and the New Saints is very bright!
[by Nick Southall, BBC Radio Shropshire].
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