In his early union career, he toured with the British and Irish Lions to New Zealand aged only 22. But for those who loved McLarens sayings and laughed at the descriptions he dreamt up of the competitors, here are a few famous phrases from the Bill McLaren rugby commentary scrapbook, spoken both on and off air *Its high enough, its long enough AND ITS STRAIGHT ENOUGH. Butler took over from McLaren as the BBCs senior commentator in 2002. [11] His funeral took place on 25 January at Teviot Church in Hawick, followed by a private burial at the town's Wellogate Cemetery after his hearse was applauded through the town of Hawick by hundreds of well-wishers who lined the streets to pay their respects to the "Voice of Rugby". Dooley towered over the opposition at 68. The image would haunt him for the rest of his days. Here are seven quotes. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Tell a coach or teacher. This is what McLaren had to say about Phil Bennett, the great Welsh flyhalf. Butler, who played 16 times for Wales and was called up as a replacement for the Lions in New Zealand in 1983, was a tireless charity fundraiser. But taking centre stage will be the recreation of Bill's study. Early life and rugby career. Invite us to tell stories in your school or club. He played in the second row and captained New Zealand eleven times. In 1947 he was back in Hawick and playing in a Scottish trial. During his final commentary, Wales v Scotland in 2002, the crowd sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"[8] and one Welsh supporter displayed a banner claiming "Bill McLaren is Welsh". We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. The Late Great Bill McLaren did! Eddie Butler became the voice of Welsh rugby and a contributor to the Guardian and Observer. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The place-kicking routines of some modern fly halves may seem to be increasingly odd and elaborate. Brilliant Jasen Id forgotten did ye notice? which was such a great way of grabbing your attention and generating the option for something trivial or intriguing. Butler became, more specifically, the voice of Welsh rugby, his mellow tones from those chilly, winter afternoons high in TV gantries and press boxes warming the listener, while his printed words on the game equally delighted readers of the Observer and Guardian. But by the time his international career was over in 1984, the No 8 had become slightly disillusioned with life in the goldfish-bowl of Welsh rugby. *Im no hod carrier but Id be laying bricks if he was running at me (description of Jonah Lomu). Bennets got his first cap for Wales when he came on as a substitute for an injured teammate. Bill's preparation was meticulous and involved a lot of card-play. Eddies mother, Margaret (nee Asplen), was a Londoner and later the couple ran a guesthouse in Raglan, Monmouthshire. Murray added: "Bill was like the Wikipedia of rugby, long before there was Wikipedia. 1953 was his first appearance on national radio and he went on . In the summer break the teenager was introduced to the Pontypool club, a more villagey, earthy Valleys side than the traditional east Wales big clubs, Cardiff and Newport. Mark Andrews played 77 tests at lock for South Africa from 1994 to 2002. He particularly enjoyed having the Sunday pulpit to himself at the Observer rather than the daily grind at the Guardian. [2] In 1953, he made his national debut for BBC Radio, covering Scotland's 120 loss to Wales. One of his grandfathers was a brickie in the steelworks in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. Scotland always won. Siege Gun a gem. I just love this quote. Until his retirement in 2002, he was known as 'the voice of rugby'. I dont know which big man won the ball. The great man from Hawick thrilled both radio and television listeners for almost half a century as a national broadcaster before retiring back in 2002. At 63, Meads wasnt particularly tall. A look back at the glorious career of the BBC's world-renowned rugby commentator Bill McLaren, who passed away in January 2010 at the age of 86.John Inverdal. McLaren is describing the kicker action. The beloved commentator sadly passed away in 2010 but his legacy will live on forever. Read about our approach to external linking. And tributes to Bill McLaren poured in last night from some of the greatest players to have ever graced the. [2] Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many.[3]. By 1980 Butler had won his first cap in the defeat of France in Cardiff. Nicknamed the Viet Gwent, they notoriously took no prisoners with their hard-nosed pack of forwards, spearheaded by the Wales front row of Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor and Graham Price. There must have been something inside me that wanted to describe rugby football to people, he once said. This video contains content from Six Nations Rugby, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds Bill McLaren's 'Best Bits' - Highlights from the Voice of Rugby Bill McLaren. *Theyll be simply chuffed to bits down at. He was awarded an MBE in 1992, an OBE in 1995 and a CBE in the 2003 honours list. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? He would then resume his consultation of his match chart, a mass of tiny notes in many colours, before, at kick-off, turning his back on us. His nickname was Pine Tree. Sidestep in a phonebox was referring to Robert Jones (Welsh scrum half). His career included winning the 1995 World Cup. All 60 Of The Best quotes are categorised as follows: Celebrations x 1; Fisticuffs x 3; Tough Guys x 5; Big Boys x15; Running x 12; Passing x 1; Kicking x 10; Jumping x 4; Weather x 2; Absolute Classic McLaren x 5; Looking Back x 2 Encouraging students x 1; Sportsmanship x 1. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. *Hes like a raging bull with a bad head. 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But he was broad-shouldered and had a big physical presence. He did so, rushed back to the hospital, but she had died that afternoon while he was on air. Enter your email address below and we will email you new posts: 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from Bill McLaren (part 1 of 4) Celebrations, Fisticuffs, Tough Guys, Big Boys and Bills Daughter, Linda, The Triumph Of Human Spirit Wins African Cup Of Nations, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from Bill McLaren (part 1 of 4) | Great Moments Of Sportsmanship, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from Bill McLaren - Part 2, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from the Late Great Bill McLaren (part 3 of 4) | Great Moments Of Sportsmanship, 60 Of The Best Great Quotes from the late great Bill McLaren (part 4 of 4) | Great Moments Of Sportsmanship. Running (can anyone tell us who Bill was referring to here? [15], McLaren has continued to be honoured for his legacy in Hawick and in the sport of rugby. McLaren would have chuckled at that notion, but the love of rugby in Wales was something he always compared to his native Scottish border country. The switch to television came six years later, and it was throughout the following four decades and more that McLaren came to be seen as the foremost authority in rugby commentary. Oct 20 Celebrate what would have been Bill's 100th year with fantastic company & storytelling from @JiffyRugby & @MrAndrewCotter, plus special guests! *My goodness, that wee balls gone so high therell be snow on it when it comes down. Known as 'the voice of rugby', he retired from commentating in 2002. The All Blacks that day looked like great prophets of doom. That feared Welsh team of the seventies won three Grand Slams, with Davies tearing up the wing in each of them. Butler. Scott played at centre and was bigger than most players at that level. Geoghegan was one of the best wingers of his generation but had to retire early due to a foot injury. Please do pass the word on so many more people can enjoy the spirit of the late great Bill McLaren. Bill McLaren was the best rugby commentator of all time and one of the best men the world has ever seen. He was renowned for his jerky sidestep that he executed at high speed. He was educated at Monmouth School and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he studied French and Spanish between 1976 and 1978.Butler played as a number eight and gained Cambridge Blues in 1976, 1977 and 1978, Butler played in 16 matches for the Welsh national side between 1980 and 1984 and captained the side in six of those matches. "It was full of books, newspaper cuttings, magazines and videos - there were three piles of videos from floor to ceiling. McLaren, from Hawick in the Borders, was known as the "voice of rugby" and died . Meads grew up on a sheep farm and raised his own family on a farm. By 1983 he was captaining the Wales side while working as a teacher at Cheltenham college, whose Cotswold stone cloisters were a world away from the slag-black surroundings of Pontypool. Barry John, yes, maybe. Bill Mclaren would never be so uncouth. The couple famously used to play 18 holes of golf together every day. There is another more coarse use of the term laying bricks which could also apply at the sight of Lomu charging towards you. Phill Bennetts club was Llanelli (part of which would morph into the Scarlets in the professional era). I dont care! Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Anyone else know for sure who Bill was referring to when he said He could sidestep 3 men in a telephone box ? When he hits you, you think the roof has just fallen in. But in that same year he contracted tuberculosis, and so began the second fight for his life. *Tweet, tweet, tweet commentary on Scottish full-back Peter Dods strange run up to a penalty kick. When he hits you, you think the roof has just fallen in. McLaren also featured as a commentator on the video games Jonah Lomu Rugby and EA Rugby 2001, and also did voice work for Telewest Communications. Share our stories. 138KG of prime South African beef referring to the Springboks heaviest player ever, Flippie van der Merwe. Something went wrong, please try again later. He was the player who won 16 caps for Wales and captained his country on six occasions before retiring from international rugby union aged 27. On the very few occasions that he got the ball without a defender in sight, he would charge up the field with knees lifted high. Perhaps it was the . ), He could sidestep 3 men in a telephone box, Hes like a demented ferret up a wee drainpipe., On Scotlands towering Doddie Weir running with the ball, like a run-away giraffe., On Irelands Simon Geoghegan, Irish winger Hes like Bambi on speed., On NZs Grant Batty: He plays like a runaway bullet., On SAs Carel Du Plessis the prince of left wings.. He almost jumped to his left and right without changing speed. Here is McLaren watching two locks leaping to take the ball in a lineout. His club was the Hawick Harlequins, Hawick being a town in Scotland. They had 5 grandchildren, three through Linda: Scotland scrum-half and Gloucester player Rory, Morphsuits co-founder and former Scotland 7s player Gregor and a daughter Lindsay. That teammate was Scott Quinnell. The son of a knitwear salesman, during the second world war Bill found himself in Italy, a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery. Butler was born on 8 May 1957. On Victor Ubogus behind England v South Africa. Regarding He could sidestep 3 men in a telephone box would this be a welsh wizard, Barry John? McLaren had wanted to stay at her bedside but she insisted he go and carry out a commentating duty in Edinburgh on the Saturday afternoon. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Bill Beaumont played in the second row for England 34 times between 1975 and 1982. Stradey is a location in the middle of the town of Llanelli. Arguably the greatest sports commentator ever, certainly the greatest rugby commentator, Bill McLaren, known as The Voice Of Rugby believed passionately in sport and sportsmanship. Here is McLaren on one of the greatest players in the history of the sport: I look at Colin Meads and see a great big sheep farmer who carried the ball in his hands as though it was an orange pip. His charging runs may be what Maclaren is referring to in the quote. A statue was unveiled in Wilton Park in Hawick in February 2013 followed in November that year by a bust of McLaren in the main reception area of Murrayfield Stadium. With reference to Moss Keane prime Irish beef? He was known as 'The Voice Of Rugby'. No, coo isnt a typo. I think hes muttering a few naughty Hawick words. Ive already described Doddie Weir in the previous quote. It is not being overly melancholic to say that the Six Nations Championship has never seemed quite the same since McLaren retired. He would never have said anything about himself in such a way, for he was famously modest, a son ofHawick for whom adayaway from his home town was aday wasted. Hes not a man you could hide in a lineout! He loved the characters in the game. He became more famous once his playing days were over for his work as a broadcaster, journalist and novelist. Max Boyce whose home village of Glynneath has played annual matches against McLarens hometown of Hawick for more than 56 years called for a minutes silence at Wales Six Nations clash with Scotland at the Millennium Stadium on February 13. The WRU said it will remember Bill McLaren at the Wales v Scotland match at the Millennium Stadium on February 13, though it had yet to decide how. Historians in Hawick are working through thousands of books, videos and clippings in a bid to recreate Bill McLaren's "chaotic" research room. I think it might be easier to tackle a snooker table than Lomu. Sometimes you had to tug away for a wee while. He has two famous sons-in-law, Linda married former Scotland rugby scrum half Alan Lawson and Janie married horse racing commentator Derek Thompson. About the author Bill McLaren 11 books2 followers
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