I didn't report on this yesterday, because I thought of it as a sport, not culture story. But, I've given it further thought, and you know, we do cover TV. And he was a TV person. And his commentaries were completely wicked.
 
Hawick born rugby commentator Bill McLaren died yesterday at the age of 86. He began his career on BBC radio in 1953, moving to TV six years later, and was widely regarded as  the best in the business (and not just within rugby either, sports generally). He became well known for his descriptive bent, coining memorable phrases like "He’s like a demented ferret up a wee drainpipe", and "that ball’s gone so high there’ll be snow on it when it comes down".  

Sports stars have been queuing up to pay their respects. Former Scotland rugby captain Gavin Hastings said: "First and foremost, Bill was a very proud and passionate Scot but such was his professionalism that you would never really have known that. He always remained very unbiased in his commentary and I think that that was unquestionably one of his endearing qualities. He was a wonderful commentator and he just brought the world of rugby into so many people's homes".

Former England captain Bill Beaumont said: "Bill McLaren is synonymous with what is good about the game. Every player respected Bill, they respected his judgement. To sit alongside him you just admired the professionalism and homework that he put into his commentaries and also his passion for the game".

Hawick Rugby Club's secretary John Thorburn has also commented, saying: "We're devastated, obviously - we've got a room named after him at the rugby club. It was very close to his heart, Hawick Rugby Club. He's a huge loss to rugby worldwide".