Death of a true 'Great'.

[Dodger]

Sad to see the most recognisable voice in sport pass away today....Bill McLaren the voice of rugby.

He had a voice that just conveyed the action so well and was so impartial it was a credit to him.....I just wish that *** Moore had taken a leaf out of his book!

 

[USER1999]

Yep, a real shame.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Another icon gone. Very much in the same league as Maskell, Carpenter, Pickering, Vine, Coleman, Laker and Arlott

He made what for me as a youngster a complicated game easy to watch and painted an extra layer onto the pictures being shown. Like all the best his "less is more" delivery made him a joy to listen to. A sad loss

 

[bobmac]

There will be tears and prayers in Hawick tonight

 

[Screwback]

Sad to see the most recognisable voice in sport pass away today....Bill McLaren the voice of rugby.

Very sad... He actually taught my dad at school. my dad said he was a great laugh always had something to say and that he had played a few rounds of golf with him at Hawick.

As a teacher though he was not a man to cross!!!

 

[TRS30]

One of my favorites along with Johnners on TMS, a sad loss indeed.

 

[stevek1969]

LEGEND

 

[SS2]

His impartiality is something we don't see much of today amongst commewntators. Johnathan Davies refers to Wales as "we" or "us" and John Beattie of Scotland isn't much better.

McLaren rarely stuttered and you always got the sense that he was a true fan of the game.

A legend in every sense. RIP Bill McLaren.

 

[DCB]

A real Gentleman.

 

[Tommo21]

I was really lucky to play golf with Bill around 30 years ago in a pro cel am thingy at Haddington golf club. He was the voice of rugby at that time and what a star, an absolute gentleman in every sense of the word. He could play reasonable golf and he was good company, cracking some good jokes on the way round. What I liked about him was his down to earth approach to things and he didn’t rush off after the event, choosing to stay and have a good laugh with us all.

86 is not a bad round.

 

[HTL]

A true great. I grew up listening to him, Rugby commentary has not been the same since he left. Jonathan Davis + Eddie Butler being the worse offenders.


"A little bit of argy-bargy there."

"It’s high enough, it’s long enough, it’s straight enough.”

"Those props are as cunning as a bag o’ weasels."

"He’s like a demented ferret up a wee drainpipe.”

"He plays like a runaway bullet.”

"He’s like a raging bull with a bad head."

"He kicked that ball like it were three pounds o’ haggis.”

"That ball’s gone so high there’ll be snow on it when it comes down.”

“And it’s a try by Hika the hooker from Ngongotaha.”

"He’s as quick as a trout up a burn."

"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."

 

[centuryg5]

A sad loss,I could have listened to his tones all day,Great shame.Good night,God bless.

 

[algar5]

A True Class Act and a Gentleman.

 

[Bigfoot]

His voice always showed a great passion for the game. When I played I always recorded the matches to watch later because his knowledge was exceptional.

 

[viscount17]

He had the very rare ability to describe a game in a way that both educated the unknowing yet entertained the majority without talking down to either.

 

[madandra]

I will always remember the Stanger try when Scotland won the Grand Slam. You tube it as the wee man used the F word at 1:00 in this clip. A man with passion, knowladge and respect for others.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plKhGUKRZ2I

 

[Dano]

As Homer said.."a true icon"...one of the best by a country mile...up there with all the broadcasting legends..henry longhurst, brian johnson, dan maskell, cliff morgan and peter o'sullivan...the bbc had some wonderful commentators to grow up with...

 

[vig]

Not many of the true greats of sports commentary left now.

 

[CannyFifer]

A gem of a man, rugby never sounded the same if he wasnt commentating. He was never biased and his knowledge of every player was amazing. Sadly missed.

 

[GB72]

Truly the voice of rugby and he will be sadly missed

With the current obsession of having bland ex sportsmen in the commentary box there is unlikely to be another in the same league