RIP David Francey

[FranckSuzy]

From Twitter:
GrahamSpiers (http://www.hibs.net/#!/GrahamSpiers)



Sad news reaching us in Madrid - the death of David Francey, once colourful and unmistakable voice of BBC Radio Scotland fitba', aged 87.

[The Harp]

Really sorry to hear this news. David Francey had a style all his own - today's Scottish fitba commentators just can't compare with the man.
I remember several months after he hung up his mic for the last time, BBC Radio Scotland ran a competition to find a David Francey sound-a-like. David entered the competition under a false name and came THIRD!!! This appealed to him no end apparently.

RIP David and thanks for the memories.

[Jonnyboy]

RIP David

My favourite DF story concerns him commentating on a Scotland v Bulgaria match on the radio. His summariser was Tam Gemmell who wasn't the brightest and when a Bulgarian defender lunged into a tackle DF whispered to TG "who was that" and TG replied "fuct if a know' prompting DF to announce to the world 'shocking challenge there by fuctifaknow' :greengrin

[Dan Sarf]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/14925457.stm

The voice of a million memories.

[Hamish]

RIP David

My favourite DF story concerns him commentating on a Scotland v Bulgaria match on the radio. His summariser was Tam Gemmell who wasn't the brightest and when a Bulgarian defender lunged into a tackle DF whispered to TG "who was that" and TG replied "fuct if a know' prompting DF to announce to the world 'shocking challenge there by fuctifaknow' :greengrin

I heard this story many years ago, though I remember it as Roy Small, co-commentator with DF who was asked who the Bulgarian player was replied 'blowed if I know'.

Grew up listening to David Francey, sad news.

[Gala Foxes]

he was a radio legend in the days when fitba on the radio was top quality entertainment

now we have muppets like Preston, Dodds and the incoherent Derek Ferguson that masquerade as "pundits"

[hibsfan7]

so sorry to hear this news i am sure he was the commentator on the dundee v hearts game when sir albert kidd scored the 2 goals to deny the champions league elect winners from winning the league in 1986


rest in peace

[BigKev]

Grew up listening to his commentaries on the radio. Sad news indeed. RIP David.

[BSEJVT]

Best Radio commentator by the length of Leith Walk, with a style all of its own

Remeber listening to loads of Hibs commentaries when I was too young to go.

Phrase that always stuck in my mind was

....... and its a drive and its hiiiigh over the top........

Still think of that and repeat it occasionally to myself whenever I watch football and a shot goes over the bar.

RIP David

[oregonhibby]

David Francey used to work at the SSEB, now ScottishPower, and I recall taking a call from him just after he retired. We had just released the pension increase letters to all the pensioners and he had phoned up because he was surprised to receive an increase having just left. I explained the reason and in the way he used to describe a great pass or shot he stated "aaaaabsolutely maarvelous". It made my day as like all of us I grew up listening to his commentaries on the radio.

I still think listening to a great commentator on the radio is the best way to appreciate football. When working in Chester for six month in the mid 90's, I used to drive to North Wales where I was told you could just pick up radio Scotland if you were lucky. And yes you could. I listened on many a wet afternoon in the car in a wet and windy North Wales listening to the commentary on Hibs, or whoever, was being commentated on.

A sad man I know but the power of the spoken word is powerful! Like Alasdair Alexander he was a voice of my Saturday.

[Keith_M]

The mention of David Francey just serves to remind me how poor Radio Commentators are nowadays. The only one that could hold a candle to him is Richard Gordon. The rest aren't fit to lace his boots.



I realise that's a lot of metaphors, but we were discussing football commentators so....... :greengrin

[jdships]

RIP David

My favourite DF story concerns him commentating on a Scotland v Bulgaria match on the radio. His summariser was Tam Gemmell who wasn't the brightest and when a Bulgarian defender lunged into a tackle DF whispered to TG "who was that" and TG replied "fuct if a know' prompting DF to announce to the world 'shocking challenge there by fuctifaknow' :greengrin

Great :thumbsup:!
There is a sequal to that story !
Some years later I attended a dinner where DF was the main speaker.
He retold the story and added " .......ever since then I have wanted to commentate on a Scottish team playing an Italian club who had a player named " ****TAFANO " in their side " Classic
I put DF with Bill McLaren and Bob Crampsey as the top three Scottish sports commentators of my generation
Thanks to all three
RIP

[heretoday]

Great :thumbsup:!
There is a sequal to that story !
Some years later I attended a dinner where DF was the main speaker.
He retold the story and added " .......ever since then I have wanted to commentate on a Scottish team playing an Italian club who had a player named " ****TAFANO " in their side " Classic
I put DF with Bill McLaren and Bob Crampsey as the top three Scottish sports commentators of my generation
Thanks to all three
RIP

So many parties in the 70s ended in the kitchen with impressions of Francey bouncing off the walls. Oh dear oh dear! What a laugh it all was.

Actually, I didn't think Crampsey was a great commentator on a live game - if that's what you meant - because his voice was too quiet and unemotional, like Alex Cameron's. Most knowledgable man on Scottish Football though.

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

So many parties in the 70s ended in the kitchen with impressions of Francey bouncing off the walls. Oh dear oh dear! What a laugh it all was.

Actually, I didn't think Crampsey was a great commentator on a live game - if that's what you meant - because his voice was too quiet and unemotional, like Alex Cameron's. Most knowledgable man on Scottish Football though.


Agree about Crampsey but also think Cameron was a poor commentator, always had a bit of disbelief in his voice if someone scored against any of the ugly sisters, also Crampsey was very disrespectful to us, there's a game against Dundee Untied at Tannadice on Youtube from the 60s and he is most uncomplimentary about Hibs.

Along with Arthur Montford David Francey was the best football commentators we have ever had imo

[ancient hibee]

GOALLLLLL FOR RANGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




and hibs have taken the lead here at ibrox???????????????????deary dear.

[heretoday]

A classic Francey was on a Derby day in 1971 or thereabouts from the old gantry at Tynecastle:"Couple of laddies getting a bit overexcited underneath me!"

That would have been funny on a different level but in that case it was a cool understatement since you could hear the sounds of a mass battle going on, bottles and cans flying!

[Black Kyle]

Fond memories of his commentaries, far more descriptive and 'real' than present day folk.

[--------]

GOALLLLLL FOR RANGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




and hibs have taken the lead here at ibrox???????????????????deary dear.



A Hun of Huns, IIRC. :devil:


MUCH preferred to listen to dear old Arthur Montfort - "What a strrramash in the Dundee goalmouth... And it's in! Joe Mason has scored for Morton!" in tones of total disbelief.

[Alfred E Newman]

A classic Francey was on a Derby day in 1971 or thereabouts from the old gantry at Tynecastle:"Couple of laddies getting a bit overexcited underneath me!"

That would have been funny on a different level but in that case it was a cool understatement since you could hear the sounds of a mass battle going on, bottles and cans flying!

Another of Davids favorites was " Oh and there`s trouble in the crowd". His unmistakable voice will always stay with me bringing back a memories of a better time for Scottish football. The commentary back then consisted of the last half an hour only of a selected game on a Saturday , finishing at 4-40 I may add, followed by the full time scores and believe it or not that was far superior to the 4 or 5 hours of old firm based guff we get now.
It would be a fitting tribute at the end of his funeral if someone read out " And as the crowd start to drift away the referee is looking at his watch and indeed--- there goes the final whistle, its all over".

[Bishop Hibee]

Great memories of his commentaries although his style would be outdated now.

The last Hibs commentary I remember him doing was the game away to Videoton on Radio Forth(?) Had me punching the air that evening!

RIP.

[Koom]

met him once at Budapest airport after he was commentating on the Videoton v Hibs match, a true gent...........r.i.p

[fat freddy]

Agree about Crampsey but also think Cameron was a poor commentator, always had a bit of disbelief in his voice if someone scored against any of the ugly sisters, also Crampsey was very disrespectful to us, there's a game against Dundee Untied at Tannadice on Youtube from the 60s and he is most uncomplimentary about Hibs.

Along with Arthur Montford David Francey was the best football commentators we have ever had imo


you cannot be serious!...arthur montford was an appalling comentator.....the best scottish commentator alongside david francey would have to be archie macpherson.

[IWasThere2016]

A Hun of Huns, IIRC. :devil:


MUCH preferred to listen to dear old Arthur Montfort - "What a strrramash in the Dundee goalmouth... And it's in! Joe Mason has scored for Morton!" in tones of total disbelief.

DF was a big big Hun :agree:

Great commentator tho. RIP.

[--------]

you cannot be serious!...arthur montford was an appalling comentator.....the best scottish commentator alongside david francey would have to be archie macpherson.


MacPhooshun?

"Hwaaaaaaaarggghhhhh! Yet another GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT TTTTTT GOAL for the IMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAACULATE GLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLASGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW RRRRRRRRRANGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Poisonous man.

At least Arthur wasn't biased.

Jock Brown was good - but he didn't last long. Didn't brown nose the HUns and Soapies enough.

[--------]

DF was a big big Hun :agree:

Great commentator tho. RIP.


He WAS a good commentator.

But there was a game at ER when Colin Stein scored the only goal for them with about 15 seconds to go and if I'd been at ER and in reach of him, I'd have strangled him just for the gloat he put into his commentary at that moment.

As Erkie MuckPoison - :wtf:

:sick:

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

you cannot be serious!...arthur montford was an appalling comentator.....the best scottish commentator alongside david francey would have to be archie macpherson.


Wire wool heed?...yer havin a laff are ye no....


wooooffff!!

[fat freddy]

not having a laugh...when archie macpherson stopped working at b.b.c. eurosport picked him up and made him their top commentator for euro games...when arthur montford stopped working at s.t.v. he got a job as a nightwatchman at greenock morton...archie macphersons talents may not have been recognised in his native scotland because of percieved bias but he was appreciated elsewhere due to his knowledge and understanding of the game...the myth that he supported either of the old firm depending upon which of the old firm you prefered was precisely that...a myth...he hated them both...check out his commentary of the scottish cup final 1980 when the rioting began....he makes his feelings abundantly clear.

[Forza Fred]

not having a laugh...when archie macpherson stopped working at b.b.c. eurosport picked him up and made him their top commentator for euro games...when arthur montford stopped working at s.t.v. he got a job as a nightwatchman at greenock morton...archie macphersons talents may not have been recognised in his native scotland because of percieved bias but he was appreciated elsewhere due to his knowledge and understanding of the game...the myth that he supported either of the old firm depending upon which of the old firm you prefered was precisely that...a myth...he hated them both...check out his commentary of the scottish cup final 1980 when the rioting began....he makes his feelings abundantly clear.

It was my understanding that Archie was an Airdrie supporter.

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

It was my understanding that Archie was an Airdrie supporter.


His laddie is a Hibby but that doesn't make up for the fact I never liked him, listen to his commentary at the Celtic game when we demolished them 3-0 at darkheid, almost made me kick the screen

:agree:

[down the slope]

He WAS a good commentator.

But there was a game at ER when Colin Stein scored the only goal for them with about 15 seconds to go and if I'd been at ER and in reach of him, I'd have strangled him just for the gloat he put into his commentary at that moment.

As Erkie MuckPoison - :wtf:

:sick:

To counter that one was the time wee fat joe scored with seconds to go at ibrox "and Harper has scored" spoken with horror and disbelief in his voice , like someone had run off with his wife but this was even worse.

[Jonnyboy]

not having a laugh...when archie macpherson stopped working at b.b.c. eurosport picked him up and made him their top commentator for euro games...when arthur montford stopped working at s.t.v. he got a job as a nightwatchman at greenock morton...archie macphersons talents may not have been recognised in his native scotland because of percieved bias but he was appreciated elsewhere due to his knowledge and understanding of the game...the myth that he supported either of the old firm depending upon which of the old firm you prefered was precisely that...a myth...he hated them both...check out his commentary of the scottish cup final 1980 when the rioting began....he makes his feelings abundantly clear.

You do realise that in the early days Erchie was sitting in a studio in Glasgow commentating from monitor pictures? His 'highlights' package was a laugh though. He'd say something like "it wouldn't surprise me if X team scored the winner with a diving header just before the final whistle" and of course that's exactly what happened

:greengrin

[Iggy Pope]

Agree about Crampsey but also think Cameron was a poor commentator, always had a bit of disbelief in his voice if someone scored against any of the ugly sisters, also Crampsey was very disrespectful to us, there's a game against Dundee Untied at Tannadice on Youtube from the 60s and he is most uncomplimentary about Hibs.

Along with Arthur Montford David Francey was the best football commentators we have ever had imo

Met Bob Crampsey at a Historical Trust dinner a few years ago and he was extremely complimentary about Hibernian and like most others of his generation cited Gotdon Smith as his hero.


A Hun of Huns, IIRC. :devil:


MUCH preferred to listen to dear old Arthur Montfort - "What a strrramash in the Dundee goalmouth... And it's in! Joe Mason has scored for Morton!" in tones of total disbelief.

Disagree. Arthur Montford was a laughing stock then and still is now. An old Morton supporting gent he may be but his monotone efforts at 'commentating' on scorching Scotland performances when we still blazed into finals beggars belief.


His laddie is a Hibby but that doesn't make up for the fact I never liked him, listen to his commentary at the Celtic game when we demolished them 3-0 at darkheid, almost made me kick the screen

:agree:

MacPherson seems a bit more affectionate towards us now then. He was on Off The Ball a few weeks ago and seemed to have an understanding of what Hibbies wanted compared to the dross we were getting.





And for what it's worth, unfortunate that David Francey has passed away but at 87 he did not bad. More than can be said of his Radio commentaries, those were awful and this thread reeks of nostalgia. If he were commentating on the Hibs today he'd be getting the same abuse now as he did then.