Les Scott

Les Scott (born 3 August 1952) is an English writer and broadcaster. He is best known as a football writer and ghost-writer of football autobiographies, many of which have appeared in the Sunday Times Best Sellers List, notably Sir Stanley Matthews' autobiography, The Way It Was. Jimmy Greaves described him as, ‘One of the best football writers of our time’. Reflecting on his autobiography of 2000, Sir Stanley Matthews said, ‘At the risk of sounding immodest, I could have chosen to work with many writers when I chose to commit my life to book form, but chose to work with Les, whose writing I have greatly admired for some years now.’. Scott has also written and performed extensively for radio, television and theatre.

Early life Scott was born in Sunderland, Tyne-Wear, to David (a dock foreman) and Lucy Scott (a shop assistant). He had one brother, David, nine years older, who died in 2023. Scott attended Bede Grammar School, Sunderland (1963–68) but left without any qualifications. He attended Monkwearmouth College of Further Education, Sunderland (1970–71) where he achieved both GCSE ‘O’ levels and ‘A’ level qualifications in one academic year of study. He attended Keele University/Alsager College (1971–1974) where he graduated as a teacher.

Whilst teaching in Stoke-on- Trent (1974–1980), he began writing musical plays for young people; comedy for BBC radio programmes such as ‘Week Ending’ and ‘The News Huddlines’ and TV programmes such as ‘The Two Ronnies’, ‘Not the Nine O’Clock News’, ‘Fast Forward’ and ‘Razzmatazz (ITV). In 1980, he became a full-time freelance writer.

Journalism Scott has written extensively about football for both national and regional press. He penned a thrice-weekly sports column for the Evening Sentinel (1998-2012) which was syndicated to several newspapers in the Northcliffe Group. He was the Daily/Sunday Telegraph’s Football League Correspondent, North and Midlands, (2012-2016)

Radio Scott has appeared extensively on national and local radio. He presented ‘Saturday Sport’ on Signal Radio (1995–96) and BBC Radio Stoke's ‘Daily Drivetime’ and ‘Saturday Sport’ programmes (1997–1999). From 2010 to 2023, he wrote and co-presented, with Den Siegertsz, ‘World Of Sport’ (BBC Radio Stoke), as well as writing some 6,000 jokes and sketches for he and Seigertsz to perform in ‘Seigertsz’ Comedy Slots’ His BBC Radio Fou r credits include, Off The Page and Escape From Victory, with Ian McMillan, (2006, Producer Ali Serle).

Theatre Rockafella, with Ken Bolam and Roy Oakes, Samuel French, 1980; United We Stand, with Ken Bolam and Roy Oakes, Samuel French 1983; The Frankenstein Monster Show, with Ken Bolam, John Crocker and Tim Hampton, Samuel French 1984.

Scott has acted as MC/Compere for several touring sporting theatre shows including, Best and Marsh (with George Best and Rodney Marsh), Heroes and Villains (with Gareth Chilcott and Gareth Davies), From The Pavilion (with Freddie Trueman), A Night with Greavsie (with Jimmy Greaves), Dennis Waterman at Large and The Football Nostalgia Show (with Nick Johnson of SkySports, 2023 - current).

Television Credits include The Two Ronnies, BBC TV, 1976–1982; Not The Nine O’Clock News BBC TV, 1979–1982; Razzmatazz, with Suzanne Dando and Alistair Pirie, ITV, 1981; Fast Forward BBC TV, 1981; Alfresco, Granada TV 1983; Roll With It, with Noddy Holder and Toyah Wilcox, Sky/Challenge, 1996; Football's Golden Greats, Sky/Bravo, 2006; More Football Golden Greats, Sky/Bravo, 2007.