Des Lynam: Charlotte Green, first female to read football results on BBC radio, has one of the last remaining great broadcasting voices Unfortunately, the job has already been taken and on Saturday evening, for the first time on national BBC Radio, a female voice will be reading the scores. And what a voice. It belongs to the former Radio 4 newsreader, Charlotte Green. She is taking over the role which James Alexander Gordon made his own for some 40 years until his recent retirement. It is an imaginative appointment and I forecast that any doubters will soon be won over. I have long been an admirer of Green. She could always make the most horrific world event sound just a little more bearable, delivered in her soft, cultured, honeyed tones and I loved her reading the letters in The News Quiz, when you just knew she was moments away from cracking up with the giggles. And then it happened on Today when she did break up during a bizarre news item, not helped by the worthy James Naughtie trying to retain his composure opposite her. Giggles, snorts, attempts at regaining control, more snorts, grunts - it was the most contagious bout of hilarity ever. I found myself crying into my porridge. Of course, it endeared Green to the listening millions even more. In my world of sports broadcasting there have been a few, but probably the best was the dulcet tones of Sir Peter O'Sullevan. Others could provide accurate racing commentaries. He did more, he brought a symphony of words to your ears, delivered in his rich tones, complementing perfectly the action before your eyes. The first sports broadcasting voice I remember was that of the late Michael O'Hehir, commentating on hurling on the radio in Ireland. His voice was higher pitched but nonetheless entirely distinctive and in later years he worked alongside Sir Peter on the Grand National. Away from sport, there have been many memorable voices. That of Richard Dimbleby stands out for me. Recordings of his wartime broadcasts are moving and are classic radio reporting. There was also the great Alistair Cooke's Letter from America. The content was always compulsive, but the delivery was impeccable. During my broadcasting career, I got away with having a reasonable voice but there were a couple of occasions when I had to remind myself that it was strictly Conference standard when I was in the company of Premier League voice quality. I had been invited by a radio colleague to come and listen to Richard Burton record Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood for the BBC and afterwards I was delighted to meet the great man, but as he spoke I realised the noise coming from me seemed to be a sort of shrill little squeak in comparison to what I was hearing from him. It happened again at one Grand National when I had the pleasure of interviewing the legendary Gregory Peck - his deep baritone made me sound as though I had taken a huge gulp of helium. Over the last 40-or-so years, only four men have held the job of reading the classified football results for any length of time for BBC Radio and television. All had outstanding voices. On Saturday, broadcasting history will be made as Green takes over the job on Radio 5 Live and the way she will enunciate the words "Ipswich Town" even before she gets to the score this evening will tell me whether or not my visiting team have had a good day at Portman Road. Now, Charlotte, no giggling. This is football. It is serious.