David Coleman David Coleman David Robert Coleman OBE (26 April 1926 – 21 December 2013) was a British sports commentator and TV presenter who worked for the BBC for 46 years. He covered eleven Summer Olympic Games from 1960 to 2000 and six football World Cups. Coleman presented some of the BBC's leading sporting programmes, including "Grandstand" and "Sportsnight", and was the host of "A Question of Sport" for 18 years. He retired from the BBC in 2000. Later that year he became the first broadcaster to receive the Olympic Order award, in recognition of his contribution to the Olympic movement. Born
David Coleman as Emlyn Hughes, Ian Botham, Willie Carson and Bill Beaumont. Although he hosted the vast majority of the shows, he was occasionally absent and stand-in hosts were drafted in. Former host David Vine returned to the show in 1989 when Coleman was ill, Bill Beaumont hosted two editions in 1996, while Will Carling temporarily replaced Beaumont as team captain, and Sue Barker hosted two editions later that year. Coleman was affectionately known for his on-air gaffes. He was so adept at spouting clichés and mispronouncing names that the satirical magazine "Private Eye" named its sports bloopers column "Colemanballs" – a