Sid Waddell – A Broadcasting Legend
It is with great sadness the darting world has heard of the loss of commentator Sid Waddell.
Sid was the mainstay of televised darts, and had been manning the microphone since the first ever World Professional Darts Championships in 1978, becoming synonymous in sports broadcasting for his words-punching technique and eccentric style, often combining the two to create some memorable lines, unequalled in modern TV sport:
“If we’d had Phil Taylor at Hastings the Normans would’ve gone home!”
“This lad has more checkouts than Tesco’s!”
It is hard to find anybody who has championed darts on such a large scale as he did, using his popularity to advertise the game he adored. His boundless enthusiasm helped take darts up to the dizzy heights it now finds itself, and so often at the big occasions, Sid was there to pelt us through the action.
The author of 11 published books, including biographies of darts’ greats, as well as the hugely popular “Bellies & Bullseyes – The Outrageous True Story of Darts”, Sid was a BAFTA-winning director and a former nominee for Best Scriptwriting from the Screenwriters Guild – a true wordsmith of his time.
His popularity was reflected by the number of tributes left to him yesterday, from the sporting world and beyond, who recognise there is now a void in the sport that had been ever-present, and is also irreplaceable.
Our deepest condolences go to his family during this sad time.
"Cricket had Brian Johnston and John Arlott. Football - Kenneth Wolstenholme. Athletics - David Coleman. Snooker - Whispering Ted Lowe. Darts has Sid Waddell - the Geordie Lip."
- Sid Waddell