Mark Pougatch

Mark Pougatch (born 27 January 1968, in London) is a freelance radio and television broadcaster, a journalist and author who works mainly as a sports presenter for the BBC.

Early life

Born in London in 1968, Pougatch attended Malvern College^[1] where he was captain of the First XI cricket team^[2] and graduated with a degree in politics at the University of Durham where he was a member of Hatfield College. After completing a post-graduate diploma in Broadcast Journalism at the London College of Printing, he worked for six months at the former BBC radio station for London, BBC GLR.

Broadcasting career

Pougatch became a regular football reporter on the radio in 1992 with BBC Essex. In 1998, he joined BBC Radio 5 Live, a national radio service and the principal station covering sport in the United Kingdom. He was selected to be the main presenter of 5 Live Sport on Sundays. In August 2000, he switched to the Saturday edition of the show and, in August 2005, he switched to the Friday night slot.

On the television, Pougatch has presented Football Focus and, since 2004, has occasionally deputised for Gary Lineker on Match of the Day. In March 2010 he presented Late Kick Off, a BBC One television football programme, for the London and South-East regions, in the absence of regular host Mark Chapman. In April 2010, Pougatch presented coverage of the IPL cricket on ITV4 while regular host Matt Smith was on Europa League duty.^[3] In January 2012, he was selected to present ITV coverage of the African Cup of Nations.^[4]

Pougatch has reported or presented at major sporting events including the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, The Ashes, the Six Nations, Wimbledon, the Ryder Cup, the Open Golf Championship, the Grand National, the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympics^[5][6][7] and the 2011 U.S. Masters golf tournament.^[8]

Currently, Pougatch presents 5 Live Sport on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.^[9] In March 2012, he won the Sports Journalists' Association award for Sports Broadcaster of the Year.^[10]

Other activities

Pougatch joined the team of Football Superstars, a game which was due to be released in 2009 as an innovative MMORPG game integrating gameplay with footballer's lifestyles. He is the author of Three Lions Versus the World: England's World Cup Stories from the Men Who Were There.^[11] He is also a speaker, after dinner and at daytime events.^[12]

Personal life

Pougatch is married to Lady Victoria Scott, the younger daughter of the 5th Earl of Eldon,.^[13] They live in Oxfordshire with their three children. His grandfather^[14] and great-grandfather were among the diaspora who escaped Ukraine amid the violence that followed the first Russian Revolution.^[15]

References

External links

• The Official Football Superstars Website
• Mark Pougatch on Twitter