Arthur Montford :: Tributes pour in

• Legendary Scottish broadcaster mourned
• Passes away at home after illness, aged 85
• Had been bunkered contributor for 18 years
• Former First Minister Alex Salmond leads tributes

Tributes have been paid to Scottish sports broadcaster and long-standing bunkered contributor Arthur Montford who has passed away. He was 85.

Best known for hosting over 2,000 episodes of STV’s immensely popular Scotsport programme for over 30 years, Montford also wrote a regular column for bunkered for 18 years, and continued to do so right up until his death.

He passed away at home after battling ill heath over the past couple of years.

His trademark chequered pattern jackets became the stuff of legend, as did his numerous catchphrases, including “What a stramash” and “Disaster for Scotland”.

Born in Greenock, Montford was a lifelong fan and former director of his beloved Morton and, in a varied career, also served as rector of the University of Glasgow in the 1970s.

“He was a one-off and we will miss him hugely.” Bryce Ritchie, bunkered editor

For bunkered, he provided regular glimpses into the lives and careers of some of golf’s greatest ever players, including the likes of Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen, with whom he is pictured above (left).

bunkered editor Bryce Ritchie said: “Arthur was our longest standing columnist and started writing for the magazine in 1996. We always thought we were hugely honoured to have a journalist of such standing and reputation working with us and sharing his memories.

“Arthur was from a different era. Not many writers could say they witnessed every single shot Ben Hogan hit during his Open victory at Carnoustie in 1953, or had the very rare pleasure of interviewing Bobby Jones. He was a one-off and we will miss him hugely.”

CONTINUES BELOW…

• Pic courtesy of the University of Glasgow

Echoing those sentiments, Paul Grant, the managing director of PSP Publishing Ltd, said he had been ‘delighted’ when Montford agreed to write for bunkered in 1996 shortly after the magazine’s launch.

“Arthur was one of our original contributors and I can still recall our huge excitement at having him agree to write for us,” said Grant. “He was a great and loyal supporter of our magazine, of golf, and of sport. With his marvellous vocabulary, extensive knowledge and attention to detail, he was the ultimate professional, whether talking into a microphone or writing on his trusty old typewriter. He is a huge loss.”

Tributes also flooded in on Twitter, where users were quite to adopt the hashtag  ‘#stramash’ as a mark of respect to Montford.

“I’m proud to have walked in his Scotsport footsteps.” – Jim Delahunt on Twitter

Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond wrote: “Sad to hear of the death of Arthur Montford. The real voice of Scottish football. A fan with a microphone but also a consummate professional.”

The BBC’s Jim Spence described him as ‘an integral part of growing up and an absolute gentleman’. His colleague Jonathan Sutherland added: “Arthur Montford was a true legend of Scottish sports broadcasting. Virtually invented it. Dignity, gravitas, wit. Sad news.”

Jim Delahunt, a fellow former Scotsport presenter, called him a ‘legend’ and a ‘gentleman’, adding: “I’m proud to have walked in his Scotsport footsteps.”

Fans of his work were also quick to pay tribute to him, particularly on the bunkered Facebook page, where memories of his finest moments have been flooding in since news of his passing broke.

Arthur Montford: A Tribute

A full tribute to Arthur Montford will be published in issue 136 of bunkered, on-sale December 18.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor