A giant of the sporting community and a broadcaster whose knowledge of the round ball game was unrivalled, Les Murray introduced football to a generation of Australian children.
Born in Hungary in 1945, Les migrated to Australia with his parents in 1956. The family relocated to Wollongong, where Les’ love of football began.
After working as a journalist in the 1970s, Les found his true calling in 1980 when he joined SBS. He would remain with the broadcaster for 34 years, becoming the network’s head of sport in 1996 before taking up the role of sport editorial chief in 2006.
Throughout his illustrious career at SBS, Les presented numerous programs including The World Game, SBS’ flagship football show. During his time at the network, Les became famous for his coverage of the FIFA World Cup, bringing expertise and professionalism to the biggest event in sport.
SBS twice won the TV WEEK Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Sports Coverage for their work on the FIFA World Cup.
Les retired from media and broadcasting in 2014, leaving a huge hole in the sport. At the time he said: “It’s not an easy decision to step down from doing what I have enjoyed so much for over three decades. But, as Johnny Warren used to tell me, you have to allow yourself a point when you can smell the roses you’ve planted.
“I hope I can legitimately claim that football is in a better place now than it was when SBS and I first went on a mission to build its profile. “
While the final whistle has blown for the man they call “Mr Football” his memory and legacy will live long.
