Sports presenter Tony Gubba dead at 69

Gubba spent much of his career with the BBC but most recently worked as a commentator on ITV series Dancing On Ice following its launch in 2006.

Having spent time as the Daily Mirror’s north of England correspondent, Gubba joined BBC Sport in 1972 replacing David Coleman as the presenter of the midweek sports programme ‘Sportsnight’.

He later went on to work on Match of the Day, both as commentator and front man, and to introduce Grandstand as a stand-in for Frank Bough.

In addition to football, Gubba was a sports all-rounder who commentated on hockey, table-tennis, golf, tennis, bobsleigh, ski-jumping, darts and ice-skating for the BBC. He also covered every Olympic Games, both summer and winter, from 1972 to 2012 and every World Cup from 1974 to 2006.

He leaves his partner of 15 years, Jenny, his two daughters, Claire, 40 and Libby, 38 and three granddaughters.