Gary Newbon

Gary Newbon began his career as an ATV sports reporter for their ATV Today programme in the early 1970s. The continuing illness of his boss, Controller of Sports Billy Wright, the former England football captain meant that he and a small team - including Trevor East - had to carry out Wright's functions whilst covering up the extent of his ill-health. He himself later became Controller of Sports (West Midlands) for ATV and, later, Central Television, Newbon reported on football and hosted boxing and darts programmes for the ITV network, whilst hosing sports coverage on ATV and Central, while also presenting sports reports on the regional news programmes and performing his executive role.

Now retired from ITV, he is currently a Sky Sports presenter. He hosts the football phone-in show You're On Sky Sports, which is usually scheduled immediately after the evening's main game. He also hosts the greyhound racing on Sky Sports.

In 2004 he presented a phone-in show on UK national radio station talkSPORT, "Final Whistle", which was broadcast on Saturdays between 5.00 and 8.00pm after the day's league fixtures. The show is now presented by Terry Christian and Micky Quinn.

But Newbon is back on talkSPORT with weekend breakfast programmes from August 2008

He became well known as a roving reporter for ITV Sport, especially in obtaining match reactions from players in the tunnels during UEFA Champions League games. His role was later filled by Gabriel Clarke.

After his ITV Sport reporter job, Gary joined up with Central Television and became the Central Sports reporter on Central's flagship News programme Central News at Six, before being replaced by Sarah Jane Mee and Matt Teale in 2005. He also led the ITV Sport team at his time at Central, during which they won various awards for their UEFA Champions League and Formula One coverage.

Gary subsequently returned on to Central screens as a pundit on Central Soccer Night in 2005 before moving to his current job at Sky Sports.

He was educated at Culford School, in the same year as John Motson.

Newbon is a Leicester City F.C. fan and was seen wearing a Leicester shirt when he was ordered to Tamworth F.C. after saying on Central Soccer Night that Tamworth would not progress to the FA Cup 2nd Round, which Tamworth in fact did, and which ended up seeing Newbon at the Lamb Ground having kicked at him in jest.

Gary and his wife Katie live in Solihull. They have three children: Clare Newbon, a journalist for Grazia magazine; Neil Newbon, an actor who has had numerous film and television appearances, including a particularly famous appearance as an English waiter in the award winning British comedy Goodness Gracious Me, and a film role acting opposite Stephen Fry; and Lawrence Newbon, twin brother of Neil.

Infamous Incidents

Gary presided over the unveiling of the Brian Clough Statue in Nottingham in November of 2008, and infamously stated within minutes of taking the stage that the statue was a great tribute to the people of Birmingham. He corrected himself and apologised shortly after making the mistake, but not before a round of boos has passed through the gathered crowd.

He was called an "old cunt" live on "You're on Sky Sports" by a caller known as "Ben from Southampton"