AUSTRALIA lost one of its sporting commentary legends in Norman "Nugget” May OAM when he died last Sunday aged 88. May was synonymous with broadcasting on the ABC across four decades, a common fixture firstly on radio and then on our television screens.

But May was also a big supporter of Clarence Valley sport his "celebrity” felt here on many occasions when he arrived in Grafton to compere The Daily Examiner's Annual Sports Star of the Year Awards.

The Examiner was lucky to have May host the event periodically in the late '70s and '80s, bringing a national presence and prestige to our home-grown event.

The gifted commentator who was admired by his ABC colleagues for his ability to work without an autocue, worked his magic on stages at the South Grafton and Grafton District Services Club on many occasions.

Winner of the 1985 Sports Star of the Year Award, champion canoeist Bruce Pole remembers the night he had to stand up there with the great commentator.

"I was only 17 and really hopeless in those situations. Norman carried me. I was so overawed that I'd won but he made me feel very comfortable up there.

"He was a real professional and very nice man.”

Both May's own ABC Sports Awards of Year and The Daily Examiner's were at one point the longest running sport awards of their kind, the ABC's kicking off in 1951, the Examiner's in 1960, going on to clock up more than 40 years a piece.

The Australian Sports Hall of Famer retired from the ABC in 1984 and was well know for his Olympic commentating which saw him cover the events when the likes of Dawn Fraser were dominating the pool.

It's fitting we leave the final words of May's tribute to the great voice and supporter of Australian sport himself with his most famous piece of commentary, one that still features today on ABC promos and recorded at the swimming at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, the men's 100 metre medley relay:

"Ten metres out. (Neil) Brooks in front. It could be Australia's gold. Five metres. Four, three, two, one. Gold! Gold to Australia! Gold!”