Bloomsbury Sport scoops 'definitive' book on BBC's Sports Report radio show

Bloomsbury Sport has scooped the "definitive" celebration book of the BBC's "Sports Report" radio programme, written by its longest-serving contributor Pat Murphy. 

Matthew Lowing, senior editor, acquired world all language rights including audio directly from the BBC for BBC Sports Report: A Celebration of the World’s Longest-Running Sports Radio Programme. It will publish on 13th October 2022. 

The BBC’s "Sports Report", plays out every Saturday on BBC Radio 5 Live, and is the world’s longest running sports radio programme, marking its 75th anniversary in 2023. The publisher said: "This BBC-endorsed book will be the most comprehensive tribute to the show ever published and features a wealth of anecdotes and insight from presenters, journalists and leading sports personalities as well as celebrity listeners."

Murphy said: “Of all the 40-odd sports books I've been involved in over the past 45 years, this has been the most demanding and yet the most fulfilling to write. The research involved mushroomed as stories tumbled out of countless memory banks. It became an account of how sport has been covered on BBC Radio since 1948 – the triumphs, the tragedies, the oddities and the challenges involved in bringing those moments to the listener. Having apparently told my parents at the age of seven that I would one day work on 'Sports Report', managing just that for the past 40 years remains a career highlight. I hope I've done justice to all those legends who've added to the stature of 'Sports Report' down the decades.” 

Ben Gallop, head of BBC Radio Sport, added: “Revolutionary when it emerged back in 1948, 'Sports Report' has set the template for excellence in sports broadcasting through the intervening decades. For a programme like this to still thrive in the media landscape of the 2020s is remarkable and is a credit to all those who have worked on the show down the years. Pat Murphy is the ideal author to write the definitive history of this iconic show that is cherished by so many listeners.” 

Lowing commented: “Sports Report’s iconic theme tune has been the Saturday teatime call for millions of fans to hear the very best in broadcast sports journalism. We are delighted to be publishing this official celebration. Pat Murphy’s superb text captures the show’s rich history and unique spirit.”