Sid Waddell R.I.P

Darts commentator Sid Waddell has died at the age of 72, his manager has said.Waddell, who had been suffering from bowel cancer since last September. Rest In Peace.

one word = legend

I'm so shocked and saddened to hear this news,Sid was an Absolute Legend,his comedic yet informative commentary was second to none.
RIP Sid you'll be sorely missed.

Here are justsome of the great man's quotes

http://www.xlab.co.uk/extras/quotes/?source=waddell

Darts will never quite be the same again

RIP

Sid was the voice of darts ' and will be sadly missed. R.I.P

R.I.P. to a true Geordie legend.

A brilliant, witty commentator but above all, a top bloke.

Tyneside & Northumberland has been a lot quieter today.

Real sad to hear the news of the passing of the greatest darts commentator ever Sid Waddell, will miss his enthusiasum, wit, and passion he showed for the love of his favourite sport. R.I.P Sid, a true legend.

Treble 20, Double 6 One day after his birthday, too...

Also the writer of "Jossy's Giants", and a man who could have taught Stephen Fry a few things about the power of words.

RIP.

Ahhh you know cancer is such a horrid dreadful disease which I hate sooo much.

A friend of mine lost a family member to it just yesterday, my best mates wife is going through it again for the 3rd time in 4 years, have had other family suffer from it in recent years and also lost a few broadcasting collegues to it in recent years too including the late Tony Allan from Radio Caroline with his fight against throat cancer.

I'm a real big fan of Darts as is my Dad too (who still plays Darts competively local to where I live) and was soooo saddended to hear about the sad passing of darts commentary Sid Waddell.

Sid's wit, knowledge, inane fun lively commentary and banter such a big important part of British Darts and its TV coverage for over 40 years.

An ex-university graduate, Sid almost single handedly at the turn of the 70's played such a big part of bringing Darts and other common man's pub style games and sport to British television at the turn of the 70's and a vital part of the development of Darts TV coverage over the years up until his sad forced retirement.

Despite his crazy darts persona, Sid was a very clever man indeed and very modest too. Even in his biography skipping the story of some of his big achievements in broadcasting.

As well as bringing Darts and other similar sports to British TV, he was at Yorkshire and Tyne Tees TV in the early 70's responsible for much of their regional news coverage and reporting and development of how regional news was broadcast. At ITV bringing in people reading news with local accents and dialects which the BBC regional TV and radio news later followed.

Was also involved in writing TV drama and childrens TV, most notably the networked Yorkshire TV 1970's Sunday afternoon drama "The Flaxton Boys" which he wrote and I remember watching as a youngster on ATV.

It was also Sid who also brought Yorkshire MP Austin Mitchell into TV and radio as a news reporter and general madman and crazy stuntman on Yorkshire TV's evening news programme "Calender" in the early 70's as Yorkshire TV's then sort of answer to Chris Tarrant on ATV and the ATV Today evening news programme in the 70's too. To think had Austin Mitchell not ended up as an MP he could have been Yorkshire TV's answer to Tis-Was LOL!!!

There was sooo much more to Sid than darts, but he was generally to modest to talk to people about it, he was never brash or big headed.

A real gentleman of TV, Sport, Darts and British broadcasting and will sadly be missing my very many amongst the general public and the broadcasting industry as a whole.

Sid Waddell - RIP!!! Will miss you lots.............

sad news darts commentary wont be the same without him! RIP Sid