Max Robertson

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Max Robertson (born August 28, 1915) is a former sports commentator, radio and television presenter and author. He is best remembered for his forty years of tennis coverage on BBC Radio.

He was born in Dacca, Bengal but moved to England when he was seven years old. In 1935 he left Clare College, Cambridge for an expedition to Papua New Guinea. Afterwards he spent a few years in Sydney, where he worked as a schoolmaster. In 1937 Robertson got his first job in broadcasting with ABC. The first main tennis event he covered was the final of the Australian Open between Vivian McGrath and Jack Bromwich.

Robertson returned to England in 1939 and spent the war years in the army. He joined the BBC in 1946, covering not only tennis but also athletics, swimming, skiing and even sports he had no genuine interest in, like motor racing.

His style of commentary was much livelier than what BBC listeners were used to in the pre-war years. It gained him enough popularity for BBC staff to give him other assignments. In 1953 Robertson became the first regular host of Panorama, which was not then the heavyweight current affairs programme it later became. From 1964 he presented the antiques programme Going for a Song. He was also a commentator at major news events like the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and the coronation of his daughter a year later.

During his long career Robertson made the occasional blooper. In the early 80's he was watching a Mens' Doubles match at Wimbledon, and was so impressed by the play of Peter Fleming and John McEnroe that he asked: "Who are they going to play in the final? Do we know yet?" To which his astonished colleague replied: "This is the final..."

Max Robertson also wrote a number of books, mainly about sports and antiques, his best known work probably being "Wimbledon 1877-1977." He retired in 1986 after describing Boris Becker's second Wimbledon victory: "Beckermania forever! Becker the Boy King last year, now King Emperor...".

He currently lives in The Channel Islands and is married to the children's author and creator of the Wombles, Elisabeth Beresford.

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