Arthur Montford died at his home on 26 November 2014 at the age 85, after battling illness intermittently over a couple of years. Montford worked as both a print journalist (he was a sub-editor) and a radio broadcaster for the BBC in Scotland, doing around 50 broadcasts for the Sportsreel. After retiring from television at the age of 60, Montford left STV and continued to comment on Scottish football, both in the national press and in the matchday programme at Morton, he also concentrated on playing golf at Glasgow Golf Club at Killermont. During his time on Scotsport, Montford became famous for his trademark checkered pattern sports jackets, and some classic lines of football commentary, including What a Stramash! Born the son of a journalist, Sid, who spent a long career at the Glasgow Evening News and Daily Record, Montford was educated at Greenock Academy after the family moved there from Glasgow.

Montford was raised in Greenock and was a lifelong supporter of local football club Greenock Morton. He was raised in Greenock and educated at Greenock Academy after the family moved there from Glasgow. And he said that during golf outings, when things were tight, Arthur would often start commentating to build the tension. Montford's first audition in Maryhill Burgh Hall was dismal, but he was given another chance at the Theatre Royal and more than passed muster.He and I never had an argument, though that might have been down to Arthur’s good nature more than mine. Montford told the academy rector, Mr William Dewar, that he would become a journalist and, after national service in the army, he joined the News as an office boy, before making the graduation through the ranks to reporter, working for the News, then the Daily Record before joining the sports desk of the Evening Times. Montford remembers “very often we went to air on a Wednesday night while the film was still being processed. Greenock and the academy gave him a lifelong love of the town's club Morton FC and his friend from schooldays, Douglas Rae, owned the club later on in Montford's life. With his pleasant, distinctive voice a singular asset, he joined Scottish Television in August 1957 as a continuity announcer and sports reporter, where Montford shared the opening night announcing duties with Jimmy Nairn, [4] He was then chosen to present STV's new sports programme, Scotsport (originally Sports Desk), where he remained as anchorman for 32 years.

Montford spent 32 years as the presenter of Scottish Television’s Scotsport programme where he was best known for his football coverage, although he was also covered a range of other sports, especially golf. In May 2010, Montford received the SPFA Special Merit award for his services to football broadcasting and journalism alongside fellow broadcaster Archie Macpherson. You lived for these TV highlights, and the sometimes high-octane commentaries of Arthur or Archie Macpherson.He also presented Radio Clyde’s version of Desert Island Discs as well as writing the Scotsport Annual among other books. While there he covered numerous sports, but it was football that became his main sport, and he was asked by the BBC’s well-known producer Peter Thomson to do some match reports for radio.

He came up to me in his checked jacket and said ours was the only game on in Scotland and he’d be reporting on it.The world of Scottish football can be a divisive place at times, but news of the death of Arthur Montford at the age of 85 in November 2014 was met with sadness and tributes from all parts of the game there. Scottish PFA chief Tony Higgins, who played in Arthur’s commentary heyday, said: “He was a giant of his time. A packed Bearsden Cross Church, near Glasgow, heard how Arthur, who died last week aged 85, had still been writing his golfing column for Bunkered magazine until the final weeks of his life.

Sports coverage at the time could be mired by technical faults and of course, the weather, but processing the reels of film in time for broadcast proved the most risky aspect for the presenters. With over 2000 episodes of Scotsport to his name, Arthur Montford’s voice is synonymous with Scottish football’s triumphs and tragedies. Montford told the Academy rector, a Mr William Dewar, that he would become a journalist and after national service in the army, he joined the News as an office boy, before making the graduation through the ranks to reporter, working for the News, then the Daily Record before joining the sports desk of the Evening Times. Montford also commentated or presented items on many other sports, particularly ice hockey – a favourite of his – and golf, where his work for ITV brought him to the notice of a wider public.I met him on 2 January many years ago when I played junior football for Downfield Juniors in Dundee.