It was a Scot who arguably invented the first working television service, and in 1931, the Helensborough-born John Logie-Baird, innovated a way of using his ‘mechanical’ form of television to transmit an outside broadcast from the Epsom Derby, some six years ahead of the BBC’s first televised OB from King George VI Coronation in 1937. But it would be more than two decades before television was eventually broadcast in Scotland via the Kirk O’Shotts transmitter, and so it was 1953 that the first live OB from Scotland was transmitted from the Edinburgh Tattoo.
Although filmed highlights of sport in Scotland had been included in the BBC’s earliest coverage of sport on television, live coverage to a Scottish audience did not occur until later in 1953.
One of the earliest attempts at live OB’s came from the ice rink at Crossmyloof. In October 1953 the international curling match between Scotland and Canada was televised live by BBC Scotland. Archie McCulloch provided a running commentary on the closing stages of the challenge match and according to the listing in the Radio Times would be assisted by experts who would explain the rules of the game to those unfamiliar to the sport of curling. Canada triumphed, and the BBC’s coverage gave Scottish viewers a first chance to see the famous ‘Curling Richardsons’, Ernie, Sam, Wes and Arnold who would go on to dominate the world of curling in the late-1950’s and 60’s. Ernie Richardson’s fame as World Champion made him a minor celebrity, including an appearance on the US quiz show To Tell the Truth, as seen in the Youtube video linked above.
In April 1955 BBC Scotland cameras were at Hampden to cover the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Clyde. The BBC had flown in their emerging commentating talent Kenneth Wolstenholme to cover the game, assisted by Rex Kingsley. The game ended in a draw and in the subsequent replay Clyde were the surprise victors, although this time not in front of the BBC cameras.
Two weeks later BBC cameras were at Wembley to cover the English F.A. Cup Final between Manchester City and Newcastle United. However, Scottish viewers did not see the famous Geordie hero Jackie Milburn lifting the trophy. Instead, BBC Scotland revisited the south side of Glasgow to cover a cricket match between Poloc Cricket Club and the West of Scotland at Shawholme, now part of Pollok Park. As the image on the right shows the BBC had to erect a platform to provide a reasonably elevated vista for its cameras. The coverage was produced by and commentated on by Michael Henderson, a London-based Scots-born Outside Broadcast producer who had played cricket for Oxford University and famously commentated on the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in 1951 when he announced ‘Oxford are sinking!’. Combining the producer/commentator role was common practice at the BBC in order to save money, and was often referred to as ‘staff no fee’. The BBC paid Poloc £75 for the privilege of gaining access to the match and Scots viewers therefore enjoyed the first televised cricket match in Scotland. Unfortunately, according to Poloc’s own history of the event, “the viewing was tedious”, so the relatively small audience in Scotland may not have been too impressed with the game. The Poloc website also notes that ‘The West’ won the match comfortably. For the Scottish viewers who hankered after the magic of ‘Wor Jackie’, the BBC repeated a telerecording of Newcastle’s F.A. Cup victory on the following Monday.
Henderson and his OB crew would move north and east on to St. Andrews to cover golf’s Walker Cup the following week, erecting an even taller tower of 60 feet to provide the panoramic shots needed of the Old Course.
Sport Heritage 