By Certain sports commentators, become known as the voice of the sport, series, Championship they cover.
Think Murray Walker Formula One, Leigh Diffey Indycars, Mike Joy Nascar, Jack Burnicle World Superbikes, Fred Clarke British Superbikes.
For Oliver’s Mount it’s Tony Coupland. The 72nd Gold Cup meeting, marked Tony’s final stint in the commentary tower, after six decades chatting about England’s only active road race circuit.
Presented with a celebratory trophy, commemorative event posters on Sunday, Tony received huge applauds from the trackside crowd, marshals, racers, teams, sponsors praising his services to Oliver’s Mount.
On Saturday, I was fortunate to gain a few words from the main man, who stated it’s been an absolute pleasure.
“Well, it’s been a pleasure, I first came here when I was four years old. I’ve been both sides of the fence, remember my dad looked after the grid for a time and Peter Hillaby didn’t realise it was me, because he came to me at Cadwell, it was Charlie Wilkinson who started me commentating.
Hillaby came up and said, I like what you’ve done, what about coming to Carnaby Bonanza, it was about two weeks later.”
“I went along then next year I was here doing Saturday commentary because Ben Fall, Northeast club was involved then and it was political and Ben had a bike shop of shorts, I don’t think he was very busy put it that way, but he wouldn’t come on a Saturday.
On the first Sunday in 76, I just wandered about the paddock, getting to know a few more riders and I bought for £1,200 a radio mic. Saw it advertised and I thought think I’ll have some of that, drove down to Southampton and he was building them in a shed in his back garden.
I paid him the money, the only problem was it was so powerful I could go down the end of the Sidecar paddock and there were no big trucks, not like there is now but I knocked out the coast guard, the police, the fire service, ambulance and they were going to arrest me at first! A friend of mine de-tuned it for me.”
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
