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Archie Macpherson

Episode 4 of 6

How Archie Macpherson鈥檚 broadcasting career saw him become the voice and face of Scottish football.

How Archie Macpherson鈥檚 broadcasting career saw him become the voice and face of Scottish football. His commentary style made him a feature of TV sport for over 50 years, and he was witness to some of the biggest moments in Scottish football history.

Originally a teacher, Archie also dreamt of being a writer, and he made the leap to broadcasting after having a short story accepted by 麻豆社 Scotland. After offering to be the voice reading his story, he also found himself auditioning for the 麻豆社 Scotland's sport department, who ended up hiring him. He made his debut on 27 October 1962, commentating on Hamilton Accies v Stenhousemuir.

Archie was there when football TV broadcasting was in its infancy, making a name for himself with his confident style. He was also there when Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen challenged for glory in European finals, and at various World Cups, including Scotland鈥檚 infamous 1978 Argentina campaign.

Archie鈥檚 voice became known to a new generation in the 90s, when his commentary became part of Trainspotting, one of the biggest films of the decade, and his style and delivery was impersonated and caricatured as part of hit comedy series Only an Excuse. However, along with all the amazing highs of travelling the world to work at some of the biggest sporting events, there were also the lows, including a battle with depression. Archie opens up on how depression affected him, and how he eventually overcame it.

His iconic style, confidence and talent kept Archie at the forefront of sports broadcasting, and in Scottish living rooms, for decades. So how does he feel looking back about living his life in the public eye?

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29 minutes

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