MOVING tributes have been paid to ITV legend Bob Hall following his death this week.
The Central presenter – who is more recently best-known as a contributor to Jeff Stelling’s Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday – was in his mid-70s.
He began working for ITV Central back in 1981 after covering rugby league in Yorkshire for Granada, but was axed from the role in 2004.
Bob then returned to freelance journalism before finding a spot beside Stelling on the popular show.
Broadcasters Bob Warman and Gary Newbon have now paid tribute.
Gary told Birmingham Live: “It’s a huge shock, we’re all stunned.
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“As a presenter, Bob was a really solid, safe pair of hands, very professional, a good presenter.
“He never let you down. He was a good operator and a good professional.”
Bob said he was “one of the best”, adding: “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.”
Black Country Radio said Mr Hall was a “brilliant broadcaster”.
“We’re sad to hear the news that veteran ITV Central presenter Bob Hall has passed away,” they said in a statement.
“He was a brilliant broadcaster and lovely man. He’ll be missed.”
One viewer said one of his “first memories of football” was Mr Hall, Mr Newbon and Jimmy Greaves hosting Central Soccer.
“Live games, every Midland teams from the first division would be on it before Sky ate everything up,” he said.
“RIP Bob Hall.”
Another said it was “such terribly sad news”.
Actor and director David Alacey said Mr Hall 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,” he said.
“Being old school and extremely polite, Bob would often use the term ‘sir’, as in, ‘how are you, sir?’, when, of course, he really did have the gravitas to be called sir.
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“So I say – thanks for the memories Bob, I really will miss you, sir.”
The Celeb Report has approached ITV and Sky for comment.
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