He started his teaching career at Kimbolton School and subsequently taught French and coached the First XI Football Team at Bradfield College.
He described victories for English clubs in the European Cup finals of 1968, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984, and in 1985 he gave an eloquent description of the Heysel Stadium disaster.
He was the BBC's regular commentator on swimming for many years, covering the sport at many Olympic and Commonwealth Games, often with Anita Lonsbrough.
As a serious broadcaster with a mellifluous voice and a deep sense of gravitas, he was regularly called upon to describe the opening and closing ceremonies at events such as the Olympic Games and World Cup, and also covered non-sporting events such as the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, and that of Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson in 1986.
He continued to broadcast regularly, but it has been claimed that he never fully recovered emotionally and personally from the experience of witnessing the Hillsborough disaster, and on 31 March 1990 he collapsed on the BBC launch during his commentary on the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.