Tony Gubba: Sports Commentator Dies Aged 69

Sports presenter Tony Gubba has died following a short illness, his family have announced. He was 69.

Gubba spent much of his career with the BBC but most recently worked as a commentator on the ITV series, Dancing On Ice.

Dancing On Ice presenter Philip Schofield said his colleagues on the show would miss him "terribly".

"We were all aware how poorly he was but this is very sudden and is dreadful for everyone who knew and loved him," he said.

"A genuinely delightful, kind, dedicated and talented man."

Schofield, who said he was speaking with the "saddest of hearts", went on: "All my love and condolences to his family.

"I'm so glad I had the privilege of working with him and getting to know him. All of us at Dancing On Ice will miss him terribly."

Gubba had been with the show since its launch in 2006.

He started out in print, working for a local newspaper in Lancashire before moving to the Daily Mirror.

Gubba joined BBC Sport in 1972, replacing David Coleman as the presenter of the midweek sports programme Sportsnight.

He later went on to work on Match Of The Day - both as commentator and front man - and to introduce Grandstand as a stand-in for Frank Bough.

As well as football, Gubba commentated on hockey, table-tennis, golf, tennis, bobsleigh, ski-jumping, darts and ice-skating.

He also covered every Olympic Games, both summer and winter, from 1972 to 2012 and every World Cup from 1974 to 2006.

Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker wrote on Twitter: "Deeply saddened to hear that Tony Gubba has passed away.

"One of the great voices of football who graced Match Of The Day for so many years."

Fellow BBC commentator John Motson said: "Tony was a great friend and colleague for over 40 years and I shall miss him greatly.

"He was one of the original probing reporters - never afraid to ask a difficult question."

Gubba leaves his partner of 15 years, Jenny, his two daughters, Claire, 40 and Libby, 38 and three granddaughters.