[Other Sport] R.I.P John McCririck

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jul 5, 2019

Kosh said:
I remember him, well laughing at him (not with) along with my brother back in the day as our Grandad was a 'races' fanatic. He's one of that breed of 'out there' TV personalities of yore whom seem even more ridiculous when viewed through the eyes of the (modern) world. How he made it, I'll never know, why he was so popular - again - I'll never know. People used to laugh at Love Thy Neighbour I guess, so times change... He strikes me as a flag bearer for the dinosaur personalities who we are finally leaving behind... You know, loud boorish blokes, with a nasty sideline in sexism etc. yet (in spite of this) they were somehow popular for what they 'did.'

The days where local loonies made it on TV are, as I say, diminishing and I say thank God for that.

He had a good run, especially for such a one trick pony, something I'm sure he'd appreciate.

In spite of all of that, no winds of ill will tumble down my scree filled mountain slopes, so good luck to his spirit in the void beyond.

Other 'absolute legends' who had carte blanche to ponce around on the telly and graze on whatever came their way with absolutely no checks and balance included:

Sir Robin Day
Noel Edmunds
Jimmy Hill
Jeremy Beadle
Patrick Moore
Cilla
Robert Kilroy-Silk

and of course, the absolute legend that was Jimmy Savile

:facepalm:

A1X · Jul 5, 2019

Stat Brother said:

02:56 - "Well it's going to be a pleasant evening for the Booby when he gets back home this evening. She'll be cowering in the corner already I should think."

Sounds a thoroughly charming man.

Mackenzie · Jul 5, 2019

Knowledgeable and sharp when it came to the horses and betting, worth listening to. Very eccentric and non-PC which I kind of liked. The betting previews he gave in the ring were often funny, especially folk giving him the tosser sign behind his back with him telling them to grow up. Getting into an argument with Barney Curley.

Not everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed what he did for racing.

Pinkie Brown · Jul 5, 2019

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Other 'absolute legends' who had carte blanche to ponce around on the telly and graze on whatever came their way with absolutely no checks and balance included:

Sir Robin Day
Noel Edmunds
Jimmy Hill
Jeremy Beadle
Patrick Moore
Cilla
Robert Kilroy-Silk

and of course, the absolute legend that was Jimmy Savile

As a one time employee of a well known airline, there were many stories of Cilla being one of the most snooty & obnoxious celebrities to deal with. She was widely disliked amongst cabin crew. When her husband was alive, by accounts he was equally obnoxious.

Blackadder · Jul 5, 2019

Tom Hark said:
Met Jeffrey Bernard once. He was an absolute ****.

To be fair, he may have been unwell.

Is it PotG? · Jul 5, 2019

The ice cream in the fizzigog will be TV Gold forever.

RIP

Brovion · Jul 5, 2019

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Other 'absolute legends' who had carte blanche to ponce around on the telly and graze on whatever came their way with absolutely no checks and balance included:

Sir Robin Day
Noel Edmunds
Jimmy Hill
Jeremy Beadle
Patrick Moore
Cilla
Robert Kilroy-Silk

and of course, the absolute legend that was Jimmy Savile

You personal experiences of Patrick Moore are different from mine then. I met him on several occasions and whilst he was barking mad he was a thoroughly decent bloke. And afaik no one has come forward with a #metoo moment regarding him.

dazzer6666 · Jul 5, 2019

Pinkie Brown said:
As a one time employee of a well known airline, there were many stories of Cilla being one of the most snooty & obnoxious celebrities to deal with. She was widely disliked amongst cabin crew. When her husband was alive, by accounts he was equally obnoxious.

I've heard exactly this (from two separate, unconnected employees of a well known airline)

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jul 5, 2019

Brovion said:
You personal experiences of Patrick Moore are different from mine then. I met him on several occasions and whilst he was barking mad he was a thoroughly decent bloke. And afaik no one has come forward with a #metoo moment regarding him.

He was a supporter of the UK Independence Party and served as chairman of the short-lived anti-immigration United Country Party. Proudly declaring himself to be English (rather than British) with "not the slightest wish to integrate with anybody", he stated his admiration for controversial MP Enoch Powell. Moore devoted an entire chapter ("The Weak Arm of the Law") of his autobiography to denouncing modern British society, particularly "motorist-hunting" policemen, sentencing policy, the Race Relations Act, Sex Discrimination Act and the "Thought Police/Politically Correct Brigade". He wrote that "homosexuals are mainly responsible for the spreading of AIDS (the Garden of Eden is home of Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve)".
In an interview with Radio Times, he said the BBC was being "ruined by women", commenting that: "The trouble is that the BBC now is run by women and it shows: soap operas, cooking, quizzes, kitchen-sink plays. You wouldn't have had that in the golden days."

So, a devotee to opposition of what one of the early NF leaders described as the 'triple enemy': Women, homosexuals and blacks. Presumably he was pleasant enough to other folk, though....

Top, top lad :facepalm:

rippleman · Jul 5, 2019

"Levels you devils"..that was his catchprase. E.J. Thribb 17 and 5/4on

Was great on the racing. Liked the way he challenged the big bookies.

But he was a complete arse.!! RIP John

Brovion · Jul 5, 2019

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
He was a supporter of the UK Independence Party and served as chairman of the short-lived anti-immigration United Country Party. Proudly declaring himself to be English (rather than British) with "not the slightest wish to integrate with anybody", he stated his admiration for controversial MP Enoch Powell. Moore devoted an entire chapter ("The Weak Arm of the Law") of his autobiography to denouncing modern British society, particularly "motorist-hunting" policemen, sentencing policy, the Race Relations Act, Sex Discrimination Act and the "Thought Police/Politically Correct Brigade". He wrote that "homosexuals are mainly responsible for the spreading of AIDS (the Garden of Eden is home of Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve)".
In an interview with Radio Times, he said the BBC was being "ruined by women", commenting that: "The trouble is that the BBC now is run by women and it shows: soap operas, cooking, quizzes, kitchen-sink plays. You wouldn't have had that in the golden days."

So, a devotee to opposition of what one of the early NF leaders described as the 'triple enemy': Women, homosexuals and blacks. Presumably he was pleasant enough to other folk, though....

Top, top lad

Yeah, like I said he was barking mad. He wasn't a friend or anything (we met through music as he was an amateur composer) but in company he was perfectly decent man.

Sorry, but I'm not going to let someone who never met him put him in the same bracket as Jimmy Savile just because he was 'a bit right-wing' (to put it mildly). My dad had similar views as he was from a similar era.

Tom Bombadil · Jul 5, 2019

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Other 'absolute legends' who had carte blanche to ponce around on the telly and graze on whatever came their way with absolutely no checks and balance included:

Sir Robin Day
Noel Edmunds
Jimmy Hill
Jeremy Beadle
Patrick Moore
Cilla
Robert Kilroy-Silk

and of course, the absolute legend that was Jimmy Savile

I can understand why the others may have made your list, but I'm lost as to why Jimmy Hill is there.

Billy Seagull · Jul 5, 2019

He was a breath of fresh air for racing and certainly helped to get me interested in racing and betting in the 80s and 90s and he revolutionised the presenting of racing. The Morning Line when he was on with Francome and McGrath was magnificent viewing as they were three extremely knowledgeable judges of a racehorse. Did meet him once at Butlins at Bognor on a sporting weekend and still have signed book somewhere.

A wonderful obituary by Julian Wilson who himself died five years ago.....
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/05/john-mccririck-obituary

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jul 5, 2019

Brovion said:
Yeah, like I said he was barking mad. He wasn't a friend or anything (we met through music as he was an amateur composer) but in company he was perfectly decent man.

Sorry, but I'm not going to let someone who never met him put him in the same bracket as Jimmy Savile just because he was 'a bit right-wing' (to put it mildly). My dad had similar views as he was from a similar era.

I think that's over-reading into my post. My point was that the telly seemed to tolerate 'characters' far too easily in the past, with the subject of this thread being one. I added Savile as an extreme example to illustrate the point that the appointments were somewhat eccentric to say the least, with employers easily dazzled by 'characters' without much regard for their foibles. I was not putting anyone in the one particular bracket occupied by Savile that you seem to infer. As far as the man himself is concerned (Moore) he used his celebrity to promote his views, and there is a difference between being a bit old school and being a political campaigner for a fringe lunatic neo-nazi party (etc etc). Being lovely and polite to white men, and undoubtedly courteous to white women does not make a person beyond criticism.

vegster · Jul 5, 2019

RIP John, never had any interest in racing myself but, you were certainly different.

The Lemming Stomper · Jul 5, 2019

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Other 'absolute legends' who had carte blanche to ponce around on the telly and graze on whatever came their way with absolutely no checks and balance included:

Sir Robin Day
Noel Edmunds
Jimmy Hill
Jeremy Beadle
Patrick Moore
Cilla
Robert Kilroy-Silk

and of course, the absolute legend that was Jimmy Savile

Jeremy Beadle...Are you sure ?

Met him a couple of times and a cracking bloke, a quick look on Wiki estimates his total charitable fund raising to be around £100 million...

What do you know you put him on that list ?

Megazone · Jul 5, 2019

Simster said:
RIP and all that, but you were a tedious misogynistic bore.

If he hadn't have been on telly, would anyone really have cared?

What a lovely thing to post about someone on the day they die.

You sir are a total bellend.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jul 5, 2019

Voroshilov said:
I can understand why the others may have made your list, but I'm lost as to why Jimmy Hill is there.

Personal antipathy is my explanation here. I thought he condescending. As it happens, however a quick look online reveals....."In 2004, Hill defended fellow pundit Ron Atkinson over racist comments he had made which were broadcast in the Middle East. Hill was asked whether he thought Atkinson should resign over the comments, to which he said it was the "language of the football field". Hill went on to say: "In that context, you wouldn't think that words like ****** were particularly insulting: it would be funny. Without meaning to insult any black men, it's us having fun ... I mean, ****** is black - so we have jokes where we call them niggers because they're black. Why should that be any more of an offence than someone calling me chinny?". ".

Bantz. :facepalm:

But as I say, I don't recall that episode. It was just personal antipathy for me. I much preferred Brian Moore. His wiki says "In retirement he joined the team of readers for Bromley Talking Newspapers, making weekly recordings for the blind of items taken from the local papers. His experience and microphone skills were obvious but he never played "the big man" and his presence was sadly missed when his illness meant he had to leave. ". It pleased me to read that.

symyjym · Jul 5, 2019

He didn't look well when he was last on TV and had lost half his weight.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jul 5, 2019

The Lemming Stomper said:
Jeremy Beadle...Are you sure ?

Met him a couple of times and a cracking bloke, a quick look on Wiki estimates his total charitable fund raising to be around £100 million...

What do you know you put him on that list ?

Nothing. Yes, it seems like he was a very good citizen. I simply found him in his telly programmes to be extremely irritating. I'm happy to have him officially removed from my list. Perhaps we can swap him for Paxman?

I think it may be worth remembering, however, that my list is not 'official' and is merely a collection of people I dislike, and not always for any good reason. A bit like my 'NSC' ignore list.....

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[Other Sport] R.I.P John McCririck

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