| World of Sport | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Presented by | |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 29 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Gordon Bennett |
| Production location | HSV-7 |
| Running time | 240 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 16 May 1959 (1959-05-16) – 22 March 1987 (1987-03-22)[1] |
World of Sport was an Australian sports program that was broadcast live byHSV-7 inMelbourne from 1959 to 1987 on Sundays between 11am and 2pm. By the end of its run, the show was claimed as the world's longest running sports program.
A unique combination of talk, banter, highly informed commentary, invented and real sports, the program held a unique place in the sports-obsessed culture of Melbourne and made stars out of a number of ex-sportsman, particularly Australian rules footballers.[citation needed]
The show premiered on Saturday 16 May 1959, less than three years after the debut of television in Australia.
Initially sponsored byWestinghouse, it ran for two hours and was hosted by radio commentatorRon Casey. The sponsor turned down an opportunity to renew after a thirteen-week run, but Casey saw the opportunity inherent in the concept and enlisted the help of another well known radio presenter,"Uncle Doug" Elliott.
The duo bought the concept, purchased air time on a Sunday and enlisted a new sponsor, Vealls, for 1960.
Appearing on the show with Ron Casey were racing journalistJack Elliott, professional footrunnerMike Williamson, Publican and footballerTed Rippon, boxing journalistMerv Williams,[2][3] footballer and journalistKevin Coghlan, broadcaster and member of theVictorian Legislative Assembly 1960–1979 Doug Elliott, Victorian policeman and champion axemanJack O'Toole, Geelong footballing championBob Davis, triple Brownlow medallistBob Skilton, Collingwood Goalkicking LegendGordon Coventry, actor, boxer and international boxing refereeGus Mercurio (also the father ofPaul Mercurio), singer and racecaller "The Accurate One"Bill Collins, racing journalistRollo Roylance, Brownlow MedallistNeil Roberts, boxer and sports reporter and football commentatorPeter Landy. One of the delights was seeingBruce Andrew, "whose hair was parted so emphatically down the centre that it was claimed he used a theodolite",[4] judging the short and long kicking contests.
Dyer in particular was known for some of his legendary one-liners, or "Dyerisms", such as:
The show also featured woodchopping contests, contest involving sand and blue-metal shovelling, sheaf tossing, track-cycle sprint-racing on rollers (with world champion cyclistSid Patterson taking on all comers), and a game of indoor football invented specifically for that show in that particular studio space. The show was also famous for having championVFL footballers of the day appearing on the show to contest the Handball Competition, and receive prizes such as meat pies and hairdryers.
A group involved in the Melbourne-based post-punklittle band scene of the 1980s named themselves after the show.
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