Beloved football broadcaster Danny Kelly dies aged 69
· Yahoo Sports
The popular sports broadcaster Danny Kelly has died aged 69 after a battle with cancer.
A lifelong Tottenham fan, but beloved by fans from all clubs, Kelly announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
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Kelly featured on popular shows Kick Off, Sporting Life and Trans-Euro Express, while also becoming a major part of The Athletic’s Tottenham podcast The View From The Lane as its presenter. Kelly was also a music lover and spent two years as editor of the NME.
And the football community is mourning the loss of the beloved presenter, with talkSPORT paying tribute to Kelly and sharing one of his most iconic quotes on air: “I love football, Stan. I love it.”
The broadcaster added that Kelly was “a cherished part of talkSPORT for so many years” and brought “extraordinary wit, warmth and knowledge to our airwaves. His passion for football, music and life was infectious, and his kindness touched everyone around him.”
Danny Kelly has died aged 69 (TalkSPORT)Tottenham paid tribute to their famous supporter, stating: “The entire Tottenham family mourns the loss of one of our own, broadcasting legend Danny Kelly. Our thoughts and love are with his family and friends at this incredibly sad time. Rest in peace, Danny.”
Kelly, who had moved to Ireland, announced he was stepping away from broadcasting in March and encouraged listeners to get checked. His passing has prompted a flood of tributes, including his long-time broadcasting partner Danny Baker, who said: “My great friend, supreme broadcaster and funniest man I ever knew, Danny Kelly, died yesterday afternoon. I cannot believe I will never hear his voice again.”
While former Crystal Palace owner, talkSPORT pundit and friend Simon Jordan said: "He was a brilliant broadcaster, editor, writer and friend, the reason I'm able to broadcast is because of Danny, it started with Danny, he nurtured me. He was an ideas factory. He fought this battle, the adversity he went through, the sadness, I feel choked, we thought Danny was coming through. He showed such strength and courage.
“We had such fun, during Covid we had such little material, nothing was going on, we had ideological debates, we disagreed, but we still created a dynamic between us, it’s stayed with me. I know him from years back. He will be missed, by those who knew him, the way he’d tell stories, strong views.”
talkSPORT colleague Ian ‘Moose’ Abrahams added: “Absolutely heartbroken to hear Danny Kelly has passed away. One of the best broadcasters I’ve worked with. One of the most amazing, kindest, funny, passionate people I knew. Danny, we’ll always have “I love Football”. I will miss you my friend, sleep well.”
Another colleague and former Liverpool, Tottenham and England midfielder Danny Murphy said: "The warmth and the humour, the knowledge, I thought, 'I'd bring up a song I like from the 60s and 70s, try catch him out', every time he would say, 'I met him,' I'd always laugh with him."
Broadcaster Laura Woods said: “I felt so sad, I had so many great memories with him, he was a guidance to me. We had production meetings, sitting around Danny, it was like kids at school, great stories. The level of knowledge he had, about anything and everything. He was so pure and genuine, that’s so unique.
“He would say it how it was, I loved that, I was in awe of him. He challenged me, in the right way, very gentle and kind, interesting. He’d give you so much knowledge, I credit him with my early development, I will miss him.”