Tony Butler: Who was Tony Butler? Tributes pour in as BBC Radio legend dies at 88

Tony Butler, widely regarded as the inventor of the radio football phone-in in England, died on July 14, aged 88. Although the cause of his death has not yet been disclosed, a report from Fresherslive on July 15 indicates that he died peacefully while sleeping.

Tony Butler was a former BBC WM presenter known for his candid and direct style. He aired local BBC radio programming in Birmingham. It also included the BBC Radio WM breakfast show.

The news was initially revealed by BBC Midlands Today. They stated on their Twitter account:

Tony Butler was a celebrated sports broadcaster

Tony Butler, who was born on May 15, 1935, began his journalism career with local journals in Birmingham. At 16, he joined the Birmingham Post and Mail newspaper organization as a trainee reporter. He later completed his national service before working for the Daily Telegraph.

In the 1960s, he began contributing to BBC national and regional radio. In the 1970s, he began working at BBC Radio Birmingham. He was employed as the first sports editor at Birmingham's new independent content in 1974.

Butler eventually began offering sports fans the option to call into his shows with their comments on their teams' performances. It happened after he returned from a tour of radio stations in Canada and the United States. This way, he gave birth to the concept of the "football phone-in."

In addition, the Sony Pictures Network honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 for his contributions to the industry.

Butler was widely recognized as the man who transformed radio sports broadcasting. Listeners adored the broadcaster for his unique style of presentation and his catchphrase, "On yer bike." He also hosted a number of local BBC radio broadcasts in Birmingham, including the BBC Radio WM breakfast show.

Also, the 88-year-old reached a national audience with the help of comedian Jasper Carrott's routine.

He was also credited for his peculiar local dialect as well as his controversies. One of his noted controversies was on a BBC West Midlands radio show broadcast on March 28, 2007.

In the show, he argued that women should not be present in war zones, and about the kidnapping of the British sailor Faye Turney, he suggested that decapitating her would "serve her right." His outburst and comment sparked a flood of complaints from listeners, prompting the BBC to issue an apology.

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

When the news broke, fans and colleagues of Tony Butler took to Twitter to offer their respects to the presenter.

Butler announced his retirement in April 2009, after the 2008-09 football season.

However, despite making the announcement, he continued working for three more years and eventually retired in 2012.

About the author

Bias has been a lifestyle trends writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. She holds a Master's degree in English and is currently pursuing a M.Ed degree. She has previously worked as a creative writing mentor, book editor, proofreader, content creator, and a academic content writer for close to 4 years.

Bias strives to report accurately and ethically by staying true to what she writes and keeping herself up-to-date about everything. She feels lucky to be working under responsible and helpful managers at Sportskeeda, who always push her to do her best.

Bias admires Michelle Obama and Selena Gomez because she sees them both as strong, independent women who have been through a lot but are still standing tall. She has had the privilege of interviewing India's very own Prince of Kolkata - Sourav Ganguly in her career so far.

In her leisure time, she reads, makes DIY crafts, paints, creates scrapbooks, and watches series, and is also working on her own novel.

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