Radio WM

[KRS]

There's a blast from the past...George Gavin...what ever happened to him?

[Rotterdam 82]

Did he go to Sky?

[Clampy]

Radio WM: file under "irrelevant"

I'd go far to say that it is one of the worst radio stations I've ever had the misfortune of listening to...and if you go beyond the football coverage, you will find a whole new level of shameful radio broadcasting funded by our license fees. From the early morning phone ins, to the pathetically outdated music selection and inaccurate travel news, Radio WM is reason enough for license fee to be abolished.

Was Radio WM ever relevant? 

I always thought of it as an "old people's station", with Ed Doolan going on about gas bills and the NHS.  I never bothered with their sports coverage - always preferred BRMB with Tony Butler then George Gavin.

The only show I can ever remember tuning into was "Samantha's Sunday Night Party", which was early 90s (I think).

I remember Samantha's Sunday Night Party. It was actually quite good.

[Villan For Life]

Did he go to Sky?

The last I recall he was fronting Sky's Championship coverage which is about his level.

[john e]

I thought I was told George Gavin was a nose,
 but one in the Tom Ross, Ian Danter mold where you don't instantly turn off

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I thought I was told George Gavin was a nose,
 but one in the Tom Ross, Ian Danter mold where you don't instantly turn off

George Gavin is claimed as a 'celebrity' Everton fan here:

http://www.vintagebluekipper.com/toffee_celebs/1.htm

[AV82EC]

I thought I was told George Gavin was a nose,
 but one in the Tom Ross, Ian Danter mold where you don't instantly turn off

George Gavin is claimed as a 'celebrity' Everton fan here:

http://www.vintagebluekipper.com/toffee_celebs/1.htm

He's definitely an Evertonian, though was always pro-Villa in his time here to act as the counter balance to Tom Ross. His added delight whenever we did Liverpool in those days was the biggest giveaway.

[john e]

I thought I was told George Gavin was a nose,
 but one in the Tom Ross, Ian Danter mold where you don't instantly turn off

George Gavin is claimed as a 'celebrity' Everton fan here:

http://www.vintagebluekipper.com/toffee_celebs/1.htm

He's definitely an Evertonian, though was always pro-Villa in his time here to act as the counter balance to Tom Ross. His added delight whenever we did Liverpool in those days was the biggest giveaway.

y

All these years I've been wrong about him

[saunders_heroes]

Gavin was always pro Villa and it was great when he wound up the Noses. Since he left BRMB I can't think of anyone since who on either that station or WM who stuck up for us. Ross for all his faults at least tries to be fair. All we get on WM is snide little digs at Villa.

[Billy Walker]

I always loved George Gavin and the whole vibe to his show was just brilliant.  I think it was George who officially knighted Graham Taylor "Sir", and it was George who introduced the idea of playing musical clips to accompany each local team's goal reports (for Villa it was SGT singing "Jersusalem").  Whenever he did a fan forum featuring Villa you got a real sense that he liked and respected the Club.   For the teenage me, in those days long before the internet, listening to George Gavin covering Villa was essential stuff.  His phone-ins were great too: a better wind-up merchant you could not find.   

[dave.woodhall]

I could never understand why anyone took George Gavin seriously. He was a clown who would come out with ever-more hysteria and hyperbole, his shock jockism was so clearly faked as to be embarrassing and above all he was a coward who could dish it out but was totally unable to take even the mildest criticism. That he's been doing the Sky Sports graveyard shift for twenty years sums him up.

[AV82EC]

I could never understand why anyone took George Gavin seriously. He was a clown who would come out with ever-more hysteria and hyperbole, his shock jockism was so clearly faked as to be embarrassing and above all he was a coward who could dish it out but was totally unable to take even the mildest criticism. That he's been doing the Sky Sports graveyard shift for twenty years sums him up.

I quite enjoyed your dissection of his criticism of H & V in one of the early editions. So whilst he stuck up for the Villa he was indeed the paupers Tony Butler of local radio.

[Richard E]

I remember listening to George Gavin on the radio on the way back from Villa Park once and he was expressing the view that he knew more about football than anyone else in the West Midlands. He stressed he wasn't bragging, just stating a fact.

[dave.woodhall]

I could never understand why anyone took George Gavin seriously. He was a clown who would come out with ever-more hysteria and hyperbole, his shock jockism was so clearly faked as to be embarrassing and above all he was a coward who could dish it out but was totally unable to take even the mildest criticism. That he's been doing the Sky Sports graveyard shift for twenty years sums him up.

I quite enjoyed your dissection of his criticism of H & V in one of the early editions. So whilst he stuck up for the Villa he was indeed the paupers Tony Butler of local radio.

He would often devote large chunks of his programme to slagging us, although never saying why. He went through one issue page by page, but missing out the page where he was criticised. I don't think he ever understood what good advertising it was.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I could never understand why anyone took George Gavin seriously. He was a clown who would come out with ever-more hysteria and hyperbole, his shock jockism was so clearly faked as to be embarrassing and above all he was a coward who could dish it out but was totally unable to take even the mildest criticism. That he's been doing the Sky Sports graveyard shift for twenty years sums him up.

I think everyone knew he was a wind-up merchant, but at least it was directed more towards Blues/Tom Ross, and was somewhat entertaining.  Better that than the "Bronx Hat Request Show" or whatever WM are serving up.

Personally, George Gavin was the voice of Villa's European adventures in the early 80s, and match reports and sports forums (fora?) thereafter; so my memories are mostly positive.