Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to Mike Ingham as the football commentator prepares to step down from BBC radio.
Ingham will retire after Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Germany following 30 years with the broadcaster.
"I am sorry to hear that Mike is stepping down," the Daily Mail quotes Ferguson as saying. "Radio commentary is perhaps the most difficult of all the media. Some are too intrusive, some too opinionated and some too irrelevant with their views - Mike is none of those things.
"He has a warmth and quiet authority in his commentary – painting an accurate picture of the game and allowing his audience to enjoy it. He has been a fixture on the broadcasting landscape for over 30 years now and his integrity, his love of the game and his ability will be sorely missed."
BBC Radio 5 live hse announced that Ingham will be involved next season by presenting special football programmes, but will no longer provide commentary after the World Cup.
Danielle Joynson
