BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter dies

Harry Carpenter, who will be forever known as the voice of boxing for fans of a certain age, died on Saturday aged 84.

Now that both Carpenter and Reg Gutteridge, who also died recently at the age of 84, have both passed away, it truly signals the end of an era of classic British boxing broadcasting.

Carpenter represented different worlds as regards both boxing and broadcasting.  For boxing, he was around during an enviable time when our sport was regularly showcased on terrestrial television and, at the start of his career, when there was one recognised world champion.

Harry's first world title commentary was Rocky Marciano's brutal, foul-filled hammering of Battersea's brave Don Cockell in 1955.

As regards boxing, his clear archetypally British tones and understatement helped make him a household name - and his friendly relationships with the likes of Ali, Tyson and most famously for Brits, Frank Bruno, did him no harm either.  At the height of Spitting Image's fame, they made a puppet of him but even they could find nothing bad about the man to lampoon.

A schoolfriend of mine texted me when he heard the news and said 'Harry represented a much simpler time for us.' 

My pal is right - and the worlds of boxing and broadcasting are the poorer for his loss.