John Peel Wiki

Changes to the look of John Peel Wiki will take place in the near future due to a new skin being rolled out over Oct/Nov across Wikia. Please see the Wikia Staff Blog for further details. On this site, the changes will affect the navigation from the left menu, as well as introduce a fixed page width with narrower content space. Please be patient while adjustments are made for the switch to the new system.

UPDATE: As the change is now in force for some users, I have switched the navigation to the simplified one for the new system. Please check Navigation in the Help section if you can't find things. I also initially made small adjustments to the front page layout, but have now reverted to the old look until all users are on the new system.

COUNTDOWN: Just a reminder for people still using Monaco that the final switch to the new skin is due on Nov. 3. After that, it will no longer be offered as an option. Sorry. Nothing to do with me.

Steve W

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John Peel Wiki

"There have been some great broadcasters in my life – Wynford Vaughan-Thomas; Wolfman Jack; Humphrey Lyttelton; Alan Freeman; Russ Knight, the Weird Beard; Peter Clayton – but John Arlott was the greatest of them all." (John Peel, 14 December 1991)

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Leslie Thomas John Arlott OBE (25 February 1914 – 14 December 1991) was an English journalist, author, football and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also a poet and wine connoisseur. With his poetic phraseology, he became an iconic cricket commentator noted for his "wonderful gift for evoking cricketing moments" by the BBC. (Read more at Wikipedia)

Links To Peel[]

John_Arlott's_Final_Cricket_Commentary

John Arlott's Final Cricket Commentary

One of Peel's favourite broadcasters was John Arlott, who covered Test Matches on BBC radio from 1946 until his retirement in 1980. Peel remarked on Radio Radio (Transcript):

"I used to listen to cricket commentaries when John Arlott was doing them. I wasn’t interested in cricket but it was just such a joy to hear him improvising, you know."

Peel may well have admired Arlott not just for his poetic turns of phrase, but for his liberal and humanitarian views, not always found among the conservative cricket establishment of his time. Unlike many of them, Arlott was a vocal opponent of South Africa's apartheid regime and in 1970 told the BBC he would not work as a commentator if an all-white South African cricket team played a Test series in England (in the end, that tour was cancelled). The DJ also remembered meeting Arlott at a BBC event and being held spellbound as the commentator delivered a monologue (ref).

Shows Played[]

1992

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