Costello gone

The BBC loses ace radio commentator Mike Costello this week, leaving after 45 years with the organisation. 

He started with Auntie as a filing clerk in accounts, straight from school in Camberwell. A restructure moved him to the World Service, where later he became a runner and then a Broadcast Assistant on the BBC World Service sports desk.  Costello reported on cricket for the BBC World Service in the late 1980s and early 1990s, He also reported on athletics, including the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

He started appearing on domestic radio in 2002, and became lead commentator for boxing and athletics when John Rawling moved to ITV. 

In June this year, Costello signed a deal with Eddie Hearn's DAZN network to commentate on their coverage of boxing. He says he was a decent amateur boxing in his younger days, and then trained heavyweight Henry Akinwande at Lynn AC.