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James Stuart Hall, OBE (born 25 December 1929, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England) is a BBC radio and television presenter.

Hall claims to have coined the phrase "The Beautiful Game" as a youngster to describe football. As a lifelong Manchester City supporter he admired prolific goal-scorer Peter Doherty's style of playing and consequently used the phrase "The Beautiful Game" to describe Doherty. Later on his life he embarked on a football commentary career and his use of "The Beautiful Game" popularised the phrase.

Early life and education

Hall is the eldest son of James Stuart Hall senior, a baker, and his wife Mary (née Hennessey). He was brought up in Hyde, Cheshire and Glossop, Derbyshire where he attended the local grammar school before studying at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

Home life

Stuart Hall has been married to Hazel since 1 March 1968 and they have two children, Daniel and Francesca. His grandfather James Hall was a watchmaker and jeweller, which may go to explain his large collection of time pieces. He possesses an extensive collection of clocks including one that was owned by Napoleon.

Career

Journalism

He joined the BBC in 1959 as a general reporter on Radio Newsreel and a sports journalist on Sports Report where he still broadcasts. Between 1965 and 1990 he presented the BBC's regional news programmes for the North West, originally called Look North, then Look North West and finally North West Tonight. He became familiar to viewers throughout the region and the same could be said for his trademark sign off, wishing viewers a fond farewell. For several years up until his departure, he hosted the programme alongside John Mundy. He has a weekly column in the sports section of the Radio Times.

In 1990, he made the move to Granada Reports, where he was reunited with his old rival Bob Greaves for some light hearted banter in a slot titled "Greaves and Hall."

During the 2000s, he joined Channel M, a local television station in Greater Manchester, presenting Hall's Heroes, a segment celebrating unsung heroes in the community on Channel M News.

Light entertainment

Hall became particularly well-known as the presenter of It's a Knockout between 1972 and 1982 and its European equivalent, Jeux Sans Frontières. During the programme, he would often be carried away by the slapstick humour of the competition and become incoherent with laughter. This led to his becoming a popular subject for impersonation. He also presented Quiz Ball (a football quiz) on BBC television during the early 1970s and he was the original host of the long running sports quiz A Question Of Sport (at that time only broadcast in the North of England); and in the late 1990s he presented Going, Going, Gone, an antiques quiz show for the BBC and provided the voice-over for God's Gift for Granada. During the late 1960s, he was a commentator on Match Of The Day.

From 2007 to 2008, he was the voice-over for the UK version of the Japanese obstacle course show Ninja Warrior on Challenge.

In 2008, he provided his voice for a special segment on Les Dennis's Home Video Heroes. In a typical episode, he would be shown a series of funny clips and there would be a 'Laugh-o-meter' at the bottom of the screen measuring how much he laughed.

Football

Hall still works as a football reporter for BBC Radio 5 Live. His reports are unique, scattered with allusions to the works of Shakespeare and all manner of linguistic tricks. He is well known for his love of Manchester City, although he has affectionately referred to their former home ground Maine Road as the Theatre of Base Comedy. This is an allusion to City's Manchester derby rivals Manchester United's home ground Old Trafford, which is known as the Theatre of Dreams. On 10 December 2009 Radio 5 Live presented a special programme, Stuart Hall Night, broadcast live from the City of Manchester Stadium.

Accolades

In 1999 more than 50 Members of Parliament signed a House of Commons motion, congratulating Hall on celebrating 40 years in broadcasting. The motion, by former Labour sports spokesman Tom Pendry, says Hall is an "icon with the youth of today" with his football reporting on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Hall was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and charity.

References

1. Harper, Nick (2 May 2003). "Stuart Hall". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 24 April 2011. The player I fell in love with and who inspired me to coin the phrase "the beautiful game" was Peter Doherty, an inside forward, my first hero.
3. The TV Cream Guide to Television Presenters
4. ^ City will be back, BBC Sport, 22 May 2001.
5. "All-party backing for 'youth icon' Hall". BBC News. 11 February 1999. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
6. "No. 60009". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 31 December 2011.
7. "Stuart Hall is made an OBE by Queen for services to broadcasting and charity". BBC Sport. Retrieved December 31, 2011.

Books

• Stuart Hall (2000). Heaven and Hall: a prodigal life. ISBN 0-563-53811-2.

External links

• Stuart Hall at IMDb
• Biography

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• Alumni of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
• British sports broadcasters
• British association football commentators
• English journalists
• English radio personalities
• English television presenters
• People from Hyde, Greater Manchester
• 1929 births
• Living people
• Officers of the Order of the British Empire