THE announcement this week that the Beeb is to finally pension off its Saturday afternoon flagship sports programme Grandstand left me feeling both disappointed and a little nostalgic.
The writing has been on the wall for some time, with the number of major sporting events being seized by digital TV and the personality' presenter replacing those trusted figures who knew about and loved the sport they covered. I blame the Irish bloke who used to present the Holiday programme. After he got the anchor role you knew that the Beeb wasn't making Grandstand its number one priority.
I suppose we should be thankful that it is to be killed off before Ainsley Harriot and Sharon Osbourne are offered up as the salvation of Saturday afternoon sport.
Oh for the glory days of David Coleman and Frank Bough, and Sam Leitch hosting the football preview I did watch Grandstand from a very early age!
Sports lovers will say that they have never been so well served with a constant diet of football and cricket virtually on demand although at a price.
But that is to miss the point. I have no real interest in rugby league but if Eddie Wareing was bringing us Widnes against Hull K R I'd be watching.
I wouldn't know one end of a horse from another but ask me about the Derby Bank at Hickstead and I can give you a detailed description.
For many people of my generation, I suspect that Grandstand was a formative part of our growing up and of our sporting education.
It's like losing an old friend.
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