Voices of Sport: Bryon Butler - The timeless radio broadcaster who described great football moments for decades

In our weekly series, Yahoo Sport’s Nick Metcalfe features a famous voice of sport. Ahead of this weekend’s Euro 2016 final, the great BBC radio commentator Bryon Butler goes under the spotlight.

If ever there was a voice to remind football fans of a bygone era, it belongs to Bryon Butler.

He described the highs and lows of the game to millions of fans for generations, and will long be remembered for his 23-year spell as BBC football correspondent, from 1968 to 1991.

Like so many distinguished figures from that era, Butler excelled in different forms of journalism.

He started in the business at the age of 16, working in Taunton and Exeter for the Express and Echo. He later moved to the Midlands, where he had jobs with the Nottingham Evening News and the Leicester Mercury. During that time, he covered the fortunes of Leicester City.

Butler then joined the News Chronicle, shortly before its closure in 1960. Soon after, he moved to The Daily Telegraph, while at the same time reporting on matches for BBC radio.

With due respect to his excellent written work - he continued writing for The Telegraph throughout his life, and also compiled official histories of the FA Cup, FA and Football League - it was as a radio broadcaster that he’ll be most remembered.

Many fans still recall him as the host on those Monday lunchtimes when we crowded round the radio to listen to the FA Cup draw. “And now we cross to Lancaster Gate, and Bryon Butler.”

It has become a cliche to say it, but the old competition was truly in its pomp at the same time Butler was the leading football voice at the BBC.

In an era long before wall-to-wall TV sport, winning the competition was almost as prestigious as claiming the league title.

The final was a national event, as it was sometimes one of only a handful of matches to be live on television during the year.

And every draw truly meant something important. Those hushed tones, the sound of balls rattling around the bag. There surely can’t be many more nostalgic throwbacks in the game.

Butler would usually say: “The first person you will hear is…” before handing over to the FA secretary, which in his time was Sir Denis Follows, and then for 16 years Ted Croker.

Butler was also a commentator for decades of course, at all the occasions in football that really mattered. Six World Cups, from the iconic tournament in Mexico in 1970 through to the joy and tears of Italy in 1990. European Championships. Memorable FA Cup finals. Great success for English teams in Europe.

Every week throughout the long winter months, that familiar voice would speak to us through the magic of radio. Those warm, authoritative tones that you instantly trusted. Alongside Peter Jones, who I recently profiled in this series, Butler was at the very top of his profession.

Most commentators have a finest hour behind the microphone, and there’s no doubt as to Butler’s. It came on a hot and sunny afternoon in Mexico City at the end of June in 1986.

England had reached a World Cup quarter-final under Bobby Robson, and came up against Argentina. It was a match that remains vivid 30 years on.

Argentina’s brilliant talisman Diego Maradona had already scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal when he produced something very special to ruin England’s hopes of reaching the last four. And in the commentary box, Butler came up with something that verged on the poetic.

“Maradona turns like a little eel, he comes away from trouble, little squat man, comes inside Butcher, leaves him for dead, outside Fenwick, leaves him for dead, and puts the ball away. And that is why Maradona is the greatest player in the world.

“He buried the English defence, he picked up that ball 40 yards out. First he left one man for dead, first he went past Sansom. It’s a goal of great quality by a player of the greatest quality. It’s England 0 Argentina 2. The first goal should never have been allowed but Maradona has put the seal on his greatness. He’s scored a goal that England just couldn’t cope with, they couldn’t face up to, it was beyond their ability. It’s England 0 Diego Maradona 2.”

It was little surprise that the official World Cup film, “Hero”, used that Butler commentary. Barry Davies had come up with something special enough for BBC television, but Butler had topped everybody.

There were sadly many dark times for the game during Butler’s time too, with hooliganism rife in the 1970s and 1980s, and disasters like Heysel and Hillsborough casting a shadow over the sport.

He was a hugely respected figure among his peers and colleagues, known by all as “BB”. Rob Nothman, a familiar voice to listeners of BBC radio’s sports coverage for decades, remembers very well the days of Butler, and told me: “Bryon was a lovely, gentle man - regularly to be seen with a pipe in his mouth.

“He remains the best broadcaster I’ve worked with in terms of vocabulary and turn of phrase. Fair, balanced and able to paint pictures with strong imagery and metaphors. And his rich voice was one to die for.”

Butler finished his long run as BBC football correspondent in 1991, handing over to Mike Ingham. He continued reporting on matches for Radio 5, and then 5 Live, until 1997, and also presented programmes on the station.

After suffering with cancer for some years, Butler died in April 2001. It was the end of an era in sports broadcasting.

Paying tribute, BBC TV commentator John Motson called Butler “the finest one minute wordsmith in the business”, and also said: “He could turn a phrase better than any other commentator of his generation.“

But I’ll leave the final word with Ingham, the man that replaced Butler as football correspondent. Doesn’t this say it all?

“His voice fitted like an overcoat in winter and made you feel comfortable and warm.”