Regency journalist Pierce Egan is father of sportswriters [audio 15min]

The man accepted by many to be the father of sports journalism is Pierce Egan. As well as documenting the exploits of the prize fighters of the day, Egan was also known for his wonderfully colourful depictions of London life and a style of writing that is the direct forebear of Dickens. Thus our current obsession with sporting prowess is not really such a modern phenomenon. Well-known English TV presenter William G Stewart argues that the Georgians were just as likely to sing the praises of men like Tom Cribb, John Gulley and Jem Belcher as they were Nelson, Wellington or William Pitt.