Sam Leitch

'''Samuel James Leitch''' (1927– 24 January 1980) was a Scottish journalist and television sports presenter. He worked at no less than eight newspapers as either a reporter, sports editor or columnist. Leitch was responsible for editing BBC sports programmes such as ''Match of the Day'' and ''Sportsnight'' before he was appointed head of sport on BBC Television in 1974. He was appointed controller of sport and outside broadcasts at Thames Television in 1978.

== Career == Leitch was born in Glasgow,<ref name="WhosWhoES">{{cite news |date=13 January 1973 |title=Who's who behind the scenes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-whos-who-behind-the-sc/196725965/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Evening Standard |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and received most of his training in Greenock.<ref name="GreenlockObituary">{{cite news |date=25 January 1980 |title=Sam Leitch trained in Greenock |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/greenock-telegraph-obituary-for-sam-leit/196726317/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Greenock Telegraph |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He moved to London in 1951, where he worked for the ''Daily Mirror'' newspaper.<ref name="WhosWhoES" /> In 1967, he was voted the recipient of the Sportswriter of the Year Award while working for the ''Sunday Mirror''.<ref name="TimesObituary">{{cite news |date=25 January 1980 |title=Mr Sam Leitch |work=The Times |page=14 |issue=60533}}</ref><ref name="GuardianObituary">{{cite news |last=Hart |first=Alan |date=25 January 1980 |title=Always a headliner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-always-a-headliner-the-gu/196725787/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=The Guardian |page=20 |via=Newspapers.com |authorlink=Alan Hart (television executive)}}</ref> Leitch worked as a sports journalist, sports editor or columnist at a total of eight newspapers over the course of his career, such as the ''Daily Express,''<ref name="WDPObituary">{{cite news |date=25 January 1980 |title=TV sport boss Sam Leitch dies, 52 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-tv-sport-boss-sam-le/196726213/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Western Daily Press |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="StageObit">{{cite news |date=7 February 1980 |title=Sam Leitch |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001180/19800207/144/0020 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=The Stage |page=20 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref> the ''Manchester Evening News'',<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 January 1980 |title=TV sports ace Sam Leitch dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news-tv-sports-ace-sa/196726614/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Manchester Evening News |page=16}}</ref> the ''Leicester Mercury'' and the ''Greenock Telegraph,'' travelling across Europe principally as a table tennis reporter.<ref name="GreenlockObituary" /> He joined the staff at the BBC in 1968, having worked freelance for them since 1960.<ref name="WhosWhoES" /><ref name="GuardianObituary" /> Leitch was the editor of ''Match of the Day'' and ''Sportsnight'' at the corporation for some years.<ref name="TimesObituary" /><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vtoldboys.com/saturday.htm |title=Saturday Sport on BBC Television |first= |last=|work=BBC Engineering |accessdate=19 December 2014|date=September 1973}}</ref> For several years up to 1974 Leitch presented and wrote the script for the ''Football Preview'' slot on ''Grandstand'' on a Saturday, previewing the day's matches. This was later to evolve into ''Football Focus''.<ref name="GuardianObituary" />

He was appointed head of sport on BBC Television in March 1974,<ref name="TimesObituary" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=26 March 1974 |title=(Untitled) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-telegraph-sam-leitch-to-quit-bb/196725358/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Daily Mirror |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> replacing Bryan Cowgill and worked on the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1974 FIFA World Cup.<ref name="StageObit" /> In May 1977, Leitch asked the BBC to release him from his contract two years early after he was approached by the American television network NBC to work in Europe.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 May 1977 |title=Sam Leitch to quit B.B.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-telegraph-sam-leitch-to-quit-bb/196725358/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=The Sunday Telegraph |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He additionally worked for West German television,<ref name="StageJanuary1978">{{cite news |date=26 January 1978 |title=Boost for London sport; Sam Leitch goes to Thames |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001180/19780126/093/0013 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=The Stage |page=1 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref> selling Iron Curtain television spots to the world for Lother Boch's agency.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 June 1977 |title=Sam's Spot |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-people-sams-spot-sunday-pe/196727304/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Sunday People |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In January 1978, he was appointed controller of sport and outside broadcasts at the London weekday television broadcaster Thames Television by managing director Cowgill and began work the following month.<ref name="TimesObituary" /><ref name="StageJanuary1978" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Peter |date=23 January 1978 |title=Ex-BBC sports chief to join Thames TV |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-ex-bbc-sports-chief-to/196725181/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Evening Standard |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Leitch was the executive producer of ITV's coverage of the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.<ref name="TimesObituary" /> At the time of his death, he was set to be the executive producer of ITV's coverage of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow,<ref name="WDPObituary" /> working with his Thames deputy Paul Lang and London Weekend Television's controller of sport John Bromley.<ref name="StageObit" /> == Personal life == Leitch was married to Shirley.<ref name="GuardianObituary" /> He died from a heart attack in London on 24 January 1980 at the age of 52.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sport chief dies |work=Reading Evening Post |date=25 January 1980 |accessdate=6 October 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002471/19800125/159/0014| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Leitch's funeral was held at Golders Green Crematorium on 4 February,<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 February 1980 |title=Funeral of Sam Leitch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-obituary-for-sam-lei/196723813/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=Western Daily Press |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and a memorial service for him took place at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street on 4 March.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 March 1980 |title=Mr Sam Leitch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-obituary-for-sam-lei/196723916/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |work=The Daily Telegraph |page=14 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Leitch, Sam}} Category:British television personalities Category:1927 births Category:1980 deaths