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Breaking news ,Murray Walker dies aged 97.
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Always came across as a lovely man, universally liked in the sport.
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To me, he was the voice of motor sport.
RIP
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As teenagers in the mid 60s, we would gather round at my mate's parent's house in the evening. He would signal when he wanted us to clear off by putting his 12"LP of Murray Walker commentating at the IoM TTs onto the turntable.
RIP
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Met him a couple of times.
Always an absolute perfect gent, He will always be the voice of motorsport.
I wonder if my signed autobiography of his is worth more now?
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You know that old thing about who you'd invite to a dinner party if you could?
Well, Murray Walker and of course James Hunt would most certainly have made one of my guest lists. And many more of course.
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For those who missed it first time round, Murray on Desert island Discs in 2014. Very entertaining -
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b03xzx62
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"I'm ready to stop my start watch"
RIP Murray.
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"This has been a great season for Nelson Piquet, as he is now known, and always has been."
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"There's nothing wrong with the car except that it's on fire".
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Lyden Hill Rallycross
"He has special holes drilled in his windscreen so he can see where he's going"
CRASH
"What am I saying"
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 13 Mar 21 at 22:33
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There's a whole load of Coleman(Walker)balls in today's Telegraph:
"There's nothing wrong with the car except it's on fire."
"Unless I'm very much mistaken. I am very much mistaken!"
"And now excuse me while I interrupt myself!"
"It's a sad ending, albeit a happy one, here at Montreal for today's Grand Prix."
"Two laps to go, then the action will begin. Unless this is the action, which it is."
"I'm ready to stop my startwatch."
Murray Walker: "There's a firey glow coming from the back of the Ferrari!" James Hunt: "No Murray, that's his rear safety light."
"Andrea de Cesaris, the man who has won more Grand Prix than anyone else without actually winning one."
"Do my eyes deceive me or is Senna's car sounding a bit rough?"
"And the first five places are filled with five different cars."
"The battle is well and truly on if it wasn't on before, and it certainly was."
"The young Ralf Schumacher has been upstaged by teenager Jenson Button, who is 20."
"The first four cars are both on the same tyres."
"I imagine that the conditions in those cars today are totally unimaginable."
"Tambay's hopes, which were absolutely nil before, are absolutely zero now."
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Surely one of the outtsanding achievements of his career was when he was working in an advertising agency and wrote those unforgettable lines.
"Opal fruits. made to make your mouth water."
only to be topped by
"Trill makes your budgie bounce with health."
A Legend.
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>> only to be topped by
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>> "Trill makes your budgie bounce with health."
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>> A Legend.
Do you remember the sequel to this?
It was so successful that Trill ended up with just about the whole market, which presented an obstacle to increasing sales further.
The answer - "An only budgie is a lonely budgie!"
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That motorsport is a shadow of its former self is beyond dispute.
BTCC? pathetic compared to the tense hate charged days of Menu, Gravett, Cleland, etc.
Rallying? a largely now ignored motorsport compared to the mad group B days
Motorcyling? with no Barry sheen flicking the bird? nah
F1? Now as boring as hell
Motorsport? RIP.
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The main reason motorsport has gone down the pan in this country is because few so people are prepared to pay to watch it. If I wanted F1 and Moto GP I'd have to have both a Sky subscription and another one to BT, something I just don't find worth the expense.
I think that long term a lot of sports are going to wake up one day and find they have become a minority interest. The short term cash from pay per view may be attractive but look at how cricket suffered when it went from free to air, golf courses are closing through lack of use and you'd have a job finding someone who can remember the last time they watched a boxing match.
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>>look at how cricket suffered when it went from free to air
Did it? I thought they benefited rather well from the massive influx of TV cash. I don't remember them having much in the way of infrastructure until Sky got involved.
Look how well soccer has done out of TV money. I understand The Six Nations will go PPV as well.
PPV sport can actually increase the likelihood of spectators at an event.
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but look at how cricket suffered when it went from
>> free to air,
Depends on how you mean suffered, there's a bigger gap between those with grounds that host test matches and those that can't.
Although it's a pretty complicated picture as there are several variations of the game, 20/20, the hundred, test matches etc.
golf courses are closing through lack of use and you'd have a
>> job finding someone who can remember the last time they watched a boxing match.
From my circle of friends I'm always surprised at how many people PPV big name boxing matches that only have a very casual following of the sport. Always made into a bit of a late night party.
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>>
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>> Depends on how you mean suffered, there's a bigger gap between those with grounds that
>> host test matches and those that can't.
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And that's bad for the future of the sport, fewer people taking an interest in the game and in the long run fewer viewers.
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The big money tour of golf is driven by US money. They have little interest in F1 or cricket.
Crowds at F1 races have dropped, as has western european viewing, The influx of money hiked the costs of competing and now they are suffering financially as advertising revenue has dropped.
Ditto cricket, Sure a 5 day test at Lords will be full, next week the only crowds at the Oval for a Surrey game will be the pigeons. The money is in the Indian sub continent. Even the Aussies are turning their backs on cricket.
Restricted costly viewing is not good for the long term future of any sport.
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> Ditto cricket, Sure a 5 day test at Lords will be full, next week the
>> only crowds at the Oval for a Surrey game will be the pigeons.
Been that way for decades, you'd have to go back to the 50/60s to see County cricket matches packed out regularly.
Some still do OK, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire.
If you mean shorter over stuff, Surrey and lots of the smaller counties do well especially in the 20/20.
The money
>> is in the Indian sub continent.
Absolutely
Even the Aussies are turning their backs on cricket.
Why do you say that?
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>> Even the Aussies are turning their backs on cricket.
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>> Why do you say that?
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I have aussie relies who tell me that
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Can't say I've heard or picked up on that one. What are they turning to, RL RU ozzie rules?
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The very small sample of the Australians at Anglo American here would be that Aussie Rules is absolutely taking over from cricket. I was out with a few of them about a week ago getting told exactly that.
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>> Can't say I've heard or picked up on that one. What are they turning to,
>> RL RU ozzie rules?
RL and Aussie Rules RL always been more popular than RU
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> And that's bad for the future of the sport, fewer people taking an interest in
>> the game and in the long run fewer viewers.
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I'm not sure the bigger test venues getting a bit bigger will matter too much, however under the new process of bidding for international games I think they may well narrow.
Free to air is more important, we'll see what comes out of the hundred this summer, I believe that's free to air.
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>> golf courses are closing through lack of use and you'd have a
within 10 miles of my pad I have the choice of 24 golf courses ranging from clubs that wouldn't accept anyone on here, clubs no-one on here can afford, to clubs that will offer us all a round of 18 holes and a bacon roll for 15 quid. 40% of them were opened in the last 20 years. They all seem to survive ok tho there has been management buyouts and rationalisation into groups.
Only one I know has closed.
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>> golf courses are closing through lack of use
Are they? I am surprised. They don't seem to have got any cheaper.
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>>The main reason motorsport has gone down the pan in this country is because few so people are prepared to pay to watch it
I don't think so, it's money. Trying to get more money by ramping up entrance fees, charging too much for everything, and then seeking TV money through PPV is what has done for it.
Trying to make significant money out of an increasingly expensive sport is what does for it.
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... and the orig mention you quoted said motorsport - some motorsports are extraordinarily cheap and quite well attended. At these, the drivers often have autograph sessions where the piblich get to speak to them, and you get the chance to wander round the pits and not be totally scared to ask the price of anything.
I'm thinking of Le Mans, which always attracts about 250,000 people, and costs (I think) about €80 for a week long entry (includes quallies and practice) and maybe €120 for a grandstand ticket. Or the WEC race I would have gone to last year at Portimao which was about €15 for the whole three days, with free grandstand. F1 the weekend before was about €170 I think for a weekend ticket. more for the grandstand.
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I look forward to getting back and being able to visit whatever motorsport is around but it won't be the expensive ones.
A few years back I used to get hospitality at various Grand Prix. I was amazed at the prices for everything from entrance to a hot dog or a drink. I am not surprised that people attend less. I wouldn't pay either.
Le Mans does sound great though, I'd happily give that a go one day.
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It's cheap to camp there too, about €80 for the week. Pretty basic facilities though and camping spots are very hard to come by. Somehow I got on a magic list years ago where they write to me every year to ask if I want the same. Others regulars just have take their chance when tickets go on sale.
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Do you still go? Can I tag along at some point?
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Never seen this before
Murray Walker Snooker commentary
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaeabUmhXbc
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That was very funny, even it it might just have been have been rehearsed.
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There's a lovely tribute from Williams today on their 'halo' to legendary commentator Murray Walker.
It includes one of Murray's most famous quotes of "and I've got to stop, because I've got a lump in my throat"
which he used as Damon Hill became world champion back in 1996.
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Murray Walker RIP - Timeonmyhands
