PHILIP GREENE: PHILIP GREENE, who has died aged 90, was one of RTÉ Radio's best-known sports commentators for many years, with his work on international football matches stretching from 1951 to 1985.
This newspaper’s radio critic Mary Leland in 1977 lauded his “encyclopaedic knowledge of sport in general and a quality of voice which seems to breathe excitement into every syllable and full-stop”.
Probably his most memorable commentary was on the World Cup football qualifier against England in 1957 when the English striker John Atyeo equalised in the dying seconds of the game.
He later remarked that the silence in Dalymount Park when Atyeo scored could be heard at Nelson’s Pillar. He also commentated on cricket and athletics.
His father, a Bohemians supporter, fostered his interest in football. On Saturdays he was brought to Dalymount Park to see Bohemians’ home games, while on Sundays he watched Dublin’s Gaelic footballers at Croke Park.
But it was Shamrock Rovers that won his support. “Every time I saw Rovers play I thought they were so magnificent. It was just the way they played. They never gave up.”
Such was his devotion to the club that he became known as “Philip Greene and White”, after the team colours. He began his broadcasting career in the 1940s, working on programmes such as Sports Stadium and Soccer Survey. In 1953, he was appointed as Raidió Éireann’s first full-time sports officer.
In 1953 also, he provided commentary for Ireland’s match against France in Paris, the first live broadcast by Raidió Éireann from mainland Europe.
In 1955, he made headlines when he announced that if Raidió Éireann broadcast a friendly match against Yugoslavia he would not be available to commentate on it. This followed the call by archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid for the match to be abandoned in light of the “unjust treatment” of cardinal Aloysius Stepinac and others in Yugoslavia. The match was not broadcast but a crowd of 21,400 saw Yugoslavia win 4-1 in Dalymount. With the establishment of Telefís Éireann in 1961, Greene assisted Michael O’Hehir to launch television sports broadcasting in the Republic.
There were pitfalls in commentating on matches involving Shamrock Rovers. “I’ve been abused throughout my life by so-called Rovers supporters . . . It’s always been difficult since I set my stall out but I’ve never denied what I am and I would have gone to the North Pole to watch Rovers.”
He had his supporters. He told Gay Byrne on the Late, Late Showin 1987 that a priest who also was a dedicated Rovers' fan admitted to listening to one of his commentaries with an earpiece and transistor radio while simultaneously hearing a confession.
He was the author of two books for young people, Scarlet and Gold(1946) and Let it be Told(1951), and wrote a column for the Evening Press.
As a young man he played cricket with Phoenix, and later was a keen golfer. He was honoured with merit awards by the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland and the Football Association of Ireland.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia, daughters Rhona and Edeana, and sons Philip and Eoin.
Philip Desmond Greene: born 1920; died; May 15th, 2011