Long ago we missed the opportunity to hold a match to commemorate the passing of Des O’Connor, described as the ultimate light entertainment professional, who had appeared on British TV in a mainstream show every year since 1963. During this time he regularly showed his multiple talents as a singer, light comedian, compere and genial host, all of which were displayed in his own TV shows over the years - The Des O’Connor Show 1970-71 & Des O’Connor Tonight 1977-03 & Des 1972 & Des O’Connor Entertains 1974-76 & Des O’Connor Now 1984-5; also as a game show host - For Love or Money 1960-61 & The Golden Shot 1968-74 & Take Your Pick 1992-9 & Pot of Gold 1993-5 & latterly Countdown 2007-8; he compered and appeared in The Good Old Days 1964-73 & Sunday Night at the London Palladium and Royal Variety Performances, in fact appearing onstage at the Palladium in London over a thousand times, and was a regular guest on the shows of other stars, famously with his own connivance being the butt of the humour of Morecambe and Wise; as regards his singing, much maligned by those two, he had two top ten hits with Careless Hands and I Pretend (which was a #1), made 36 albums and sold 16 million records, which cannot be that bad; in later years he was brought in to boost daytime TV with Melanie Sykes in Today with Des and Mel 2002-6. He was given a Special Achievement Award 2001 at the British National Television Awards and awarded the CBE in 2008. Born in Stepney, East London he was moved out before the Blitz to Northampton where he grew up and started work, also playing football for Northampton Town FC but found his vocation when he became a Butlin’s Redcoat in Filey, North Yorks, which led to him turning professional. Never made it big in America, albeit appearing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but was popular in Canada (Toronto) and Australia (Sydney). He was a keen Arsenal supporter, loved and owned racehorses (when younger having an amateur jockey licence) and as well as his home in Buckinghamshire had a home in Marbella, Spain. We believe him highly worthy of a match in his honour and hope you accept; if the numbers or ratings do not suit, then please make contact.
Equaliser769
