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Search - List of Books by Alan Gibson

Norman Alan Stanley Gibson (28 May 1923 at Sheffield, Yorkshire — 10 April 1997 at Taunton, Somerset) was an English journalist, writer and radio broadcaster, best known for his work in connection with cricket, though he also sometimes covered football and rugby union. At various times Alan Gibson was also a university lecturer, poet, BBC radio producer, historian, Baptist lay preacher and Liberal parliamentary candidate.

He was born in Yorkshire, but the family moved to the East End of London when he was a small child, and subsequently to the West Country, where he attended Taunton School. Apart from his time at university, he spent all his subsequent life in that region, most of his cricket reporting being of Somerset and Gloucestershire matches. After school he went to Queen's College, Oxford, where he gained a First in history and was President of the Oxford Union.

He was briefly a travelling lecturer with University College, Exeter, before getting a job with the West Region of the BBC Radio Home Service. That led him into cricket (and other sporting) commentary on matches in the region, though he did not do much of this until leaving the BBC staff and becoming a freelance. Eventually he graduated to national broadcasts, including appearances on Test Match Special from 1962 to 1975. Subsequently he did some TV commentary on county matches for HTV.

He wrote on cricket at various times for The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, The Spectator and The Cricketer. From 1967 until 1986 he was a cricket reporter for The Times. He also reported rugby union, in print and on radio. He spent some time as an early-morning disc-jockey, as well as appearing on the radio shows Sunday Half Hour and Round Britain Quiz.

As a cricket commentator he was articulate and often drily humorous. On a Saturday afternoon sport programme, Neil Durden-Smith once mentioned that he had been having tea with the Bishop of Leicester. On being cued in, Gibson began his commentary stint with: "No episcopal visitations here." His cricket writing for The Times was generally light-hearted, often concentrating more on his journey to the match (invariably by train, often changing at Didcot, rarely straightforward) than on the cricket itself. In his pieces he coined the descriptions "the Sage of Longparish" for his colleague John Woodcock, "the Demon of Frome" for Colin Dredge of Somerset, the Old Bald Blighter (the OBB) for Brian Close and "the Shoreditch Sparrow" for Robin Jackman. Woodcock said concerning their reports for The Times: "I write about the cricket, and Alan writes about 'A Day at the Cricket'." His cricket books, though still containing plenty of humour, were more serious affairs, knowledgeable and well researched.

He was elected the first President of the Cricket Writers' Club in 1982.

Not a robust man, he had spells of depression, once spending some time in a psychiatric hospital. He also had a drink problem (which was the reason he was dropped from Test Match Special). His reports for The Times often referred to his regular appearances at 'The Star' public house in High Littleton, where he lived, and reports of matches involving Gloucestershire invariably mentioned the GRIP – the Gloriously Red-headed Imperturbable Pamela, the barmaid in the main pavilion bar at the County Ground at Bristol.

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This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Alan Gibson", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Total Books: 26
Wing Chun the Works
2011 - Wing Chun the Works (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780953489527
ISBN-10: 0953489523
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
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Practical Neonatology for MRCPCH and Beyond 1e
2009 - Practical Neonatology for Mrcpch and Beyond 1e [MRCPCH Study Guides] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780443070709
ISBN-10: 0443070709
Genres: Reference, Medical Books
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Understanding the Founding The Crucial Questions
2007 - Understanding the Founding the Crucial Questions [American Political Thought] (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780700615193
ISBN-10: 0700615199
Genres: History, Nonfiction
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Beginning Wing Chun Why Wing Chun Works
2006 - Beginning Wing Chun Why Wing Chun Works (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781840245462
ISBN-10: 1840245468
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
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Coffeehouse Glib
2002 - Coffeehouse Glib (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780898047509
ISBN-10: 0898047501
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Simple ThinkingIntelligent Fighter Simple Thinking Intelligent Fighters v2 Why Wing Chun Works ll
Saints in Stripes A History of the Football Strips Worn by Southampton FC 18852003
Why Wing Chun Works
2001 - Why Wing Chun Works (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781840242140
ISBN-10: 1840242140
Genres: Computers & Technology, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Sports & Outdoors
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Priceless Gifts
1996 - Priceless Gifts (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780785277354
ISBN-10: 0785277358
Genre: Health, Fitness & Dieting
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
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West Country Treasury A Compendium of Lore and Literature People and Places
1992 - West Country Treasury a Compendium of Lore and Literature People and Places (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780948578199
ISBN-10: 094857819X
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Cricket Captains of England
1989 - Cricket Captains of England [Cricket Lib. S] (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9781851453900
ISBN-10: 1851453903
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
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The Cricket Captains of England
1989 - The Cricket Captains of England [Cricket Library] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781851453955
ISBN-10: 1851453954
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The cricket captains of England A survey
1979 - The Cricket Captains of England a Survey (Other)
ISBN-13: 9780304297795
ISBN-10: 0304297798
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A Mingled Yarn
A Mingled Yarn (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780002161152
ISBN-10: 000216115X
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GROWING UP WITH CRICKET
Growing Up with Cricket (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780047960994
ISBN-10: 004796099X
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
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Holding Hands in the Dark Evangelical Appraisal of the Swanwick Interchurch Process
Bittersweet Memories of a Cheddleton Family
Bittersweet Memories of a Cheddleton Family (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781897949696
ISBN-10: 1897949693
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Staffordshire Legends
Staffordshire Legends (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781897949863
ISBN-10: 1897949863
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A History of Rocester
A History of Rocester (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781897949955
ISBN-10: 1897949952
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Wing Chun fr Einsteiger und Fortgeschrittene
Wing Chun Fr Einsteiger Und Fortgeschrittene (Other)
ISBN-13: 9783878920908
ISBN-10: 3878920903
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Effektivnyj Vin Chun
Effektivnyj VIn Chun (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9785222067116
ISBN-10: 5222067114
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