Mark Saggers

Mark Leonard Saggers (born 28 May 1959) is a British journalist and radio presenter.

Early life

He attended the Perse School, Cambridge, 1970–77 and was a keen sportsman representing the school at rugby, hockey, and cricket. As a schoolboy, he was a regular on the Newmarket Road End terrace at Cambridge United Football Club.

Sporting career

Saggers played cricket as a specialist wicket-keeper for Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club through the 1980s; this included two list A cricket matches, although he averaged only 3.50 runs with the bat. He also represented England at hockey.[1]

Broadcasting career

Saggers began his broadcasting career at BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. He also worked occasionally for Clubcall, and according to Backpass, the retro football magazine (issue 39), once commentated for 45 minutes on Northampton Town v Cambridge United, sending the commentary to the Exeter City Clubcall line by mistake! He then joined BBC Radio Sport in 1989.[2] and became a regular sporting voice on Radio 4's Today programme. He won a Sony Award for his reporting of the false start at the 1993 Grand National.

In 1992, Saggers left the BBC to join Sky News as senior sports correspondent. He was perhaps best known to international audiences as the voice of the Premier League football highlights show.

In 2001 Saggers returned to the BBC, presenting Sport on Five.

He has commentated for Test Match Special.

Saggers joined talkSPORT in June 2009. This followed the BBC declining to renew his contract and his reported deep rift with Radio 5 Live commentator Alan Green.[3] He now presents Kick Off on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is alongside Stan Collymore on Mondays, with regular input from journalists and ex-footballers.


References

  1. ↑ "England / Players / Mark Saggers". ESPN cricinfo.
  2. ↑ "Mark Saggers Biography". BBC Press Office.
  3. ↑ Matt Scott (21 May 2009). "Mark Saggers lifted by new role with BBC's rivals". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2010-06-13.