“One of David Coleman’s favourite phrases is ‘really quite remarkable’ and the three-word exclamation is possibly the best way to describe the success of his diverting programme, A Question of Sport, which finished its 20th season this week.” So began a column by Frank Keating on these pages in 1990, marvelling at how a show, eclipsed in BBC One’s ratings only by Neighbours and EastEnders, had become an institution.
Younger readers may scoff. Older ones, too. But back then it was watched by more than 10 million viewers each week. And such was its popularity within sport that one longstanding producer, Mike Adley, told Keating that no one had ever turned it down – although George Best was “a bit late once” and Paul Gascoigne did phone up to say he had woken up with flu and couldn’t attend.
