Tributes to MidlandTV sports broadcaster Hall
Presenter dies after ‘suffering cardiac arrest’ at wheel of car
ONE of the Midlands’ most familiar faces of regional TV sport has died. Bob Hall is believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest at the wheel of his car last Friday. He was pronounced dead at Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital.
A private person, he is understood to have been twice married and had three children. He was in his mid-70s.
Tributes were led by fellow broadcasting legends Bob Warman and Gary Newbon.
Hall was recruited by Newbon as part of Central TV’s sports team in 1981 after covering rugby league for Yorkshire and Granada stations.
After becoming a casualty of a 2004 shake-up, Hall returned to freelance reporting and was a regular contributor to Sky Sports’ popular Soccer Saturday programme, hosted by Jeff Stelling.
Mr Newbon said: “It’s a huge shock, we’re all stunned. As a presenter, Bob was a really solid, safe pair of hands, very professional. He never let you down. He was a good operator and a good professional.”
Bob Warman described Hall as “one of the best”, adding: “I remember Bob with great fondness. He was truly a very, very fine broadcaster.
“He was a tremendous ad-libber. He could fill space and time and get you out of any tricky situation. His memory was fantastic.
“He was terrific. His detail and recall used to astonish me. He was a wonderful man to have on your side. You could always rely on Bob.”
In 2015, Hall was named among a list of recruits for a bold Birmingham broadcasting venture – the city’s first TV station, Big Centre TV, co-owned by former ATV presenter Mike Prince.
It ceased broadcasting a year later and re-emerged as satellite show
Made In Birmingham.
Hall was also the man in the chair during sell-out Q&A shows with Wolves hero Steve Bull.
Midland football clubs led tributes online to Hall, who they described as a “respected figure in the press bench”.
Coventry City FC said he had covered the Sky Blues for many years, including the 1987 FA Cup Final and passed on condolences to his family.
Burton Albion FC said Mr Hall was “often at the Pirelli Stadium in recent years covering Brewers games and was a warm, friendly, respected figure in the press bench”.
Actor and director David Alacey worked with Hall and posted a poignant message.
He said: “We first met Bob many years ago while he was presenting evenings at The Premier Lounge in Cannock for Scott Murray. I was immediately impressed by his professionalism and immaculate style.
“He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word.
“He would happily regale anecdotes about his famous friends such as Ron Atkinson and Alex Ferguson.
“His experience wasn’t limited to sport, though, as he had served as popular presenter of the classic BBC Series Pebble Mill and so knew many legends from the world of showbiz.
“In 2008 I promoted my legendary friend Buddy Greco at Star City Casino, Birmingham, and knowing that I needed to sell quite a few tickets to make it work financially, without me even asking, Bob arranged for ITV News to cover the story and interview Buddy prior to the performance that’s class.”
The BBC’s Nick Owen said it was “shocking news” and “terribly sad”, and presenter Joanne Malin recalled “lots of fun together” as colleagues at ITV Central.