Sid Waddell facts for kids

Sid Waddell (born August 10, 1940 – died August 11, 2012) was a famous English sports commentator. He was also a well-known television personality. People often called him the 'Voice of Darts'. This was because he was so famous for commentating on darts games.

Sid worked for many big TV companies. These included Granada, Yorkshire, BBC, and Sky Sports. He was also known for telling jokes. Because of this, he sometimes got the nickname Thief of Bad Gags. He was nominated for two important awards and wrote several books.

Sid Waddell's Early Life

Sid Waddell grew up in Northumberland. His father worked as a miner. Sid went to King Edward VI School in Morpeth. After school, he earned a scholarship. This allowed him to study at St John's College, Cambridge University.

He graduated with a good degree in Modern History. While at Cambridge, Sid played rugby for his college team. He also played for the university's second rugby team. An injury stopped him from playing rugby. This led him to discover darts. He even started a darts competition between the colleges.

Sid Waddell's Career in Television

Starting at Granada and Yorkshire TV

After university, Sid Waddell worked in academia for a few years. In 1966, he joined Granada Television. There, he worked on local news shows. In 1968, he moved to Yorkshire Television. He produced over 600 episodes of the news program Calendar.

Sid also created a children's TV series. It was called The Flaxton Boys. This historical adventure show ran for three years. It started in 1969.

The year 1972 was important for darts on TV. ITV broadcast the News of the World Darts Championship. Sid Waddell watched the event. He was very impressed by a player named Alan Evans. In 1972, Sid also created The Indoor League. This show featured different pub games. These included darts, pool, and arm wrestling. The Indoor League became a national show in 1973.

Working with the BBC

In 1976, Sid Waddell moved to the BBC. His experience with darts on TV was very helpful. He became one of the commentators for the first World Professional Darts Championship. This event started in 1978. Sid stayed with the BBC until 1994. He commentated on all darts events shown by the BBC.

During his time at the BBC, Sid wrote for children's TV. He wrote ten episodes of Jossy's Giants in 1986. This was a very popular show. He also wrote two series of another children's show called Sloggers. This ran from 1994 to 1996. Sid also worked as a director and assistant producer for other shows.

Commentating for Sky Sports

From 1994, Sid Waddell worked as an independent commentator. He was mostly known for his work with Sky Sports. His first darts tournament for Sky Sports was the 1994 World Matchplay. For the next 17 years, he was a regular commentator. He covered all darts tournaments shown on Sky Sports.

In September 2011, Sid was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Even with treatment, he returned to commentate on darts. He worked during some Premier League nights in 2012. Sid's last darts commentary was in the 2012 Premier League final. He passed away on August 11, 2012. The World Championship trophy was later renamed in his honor. This was to recognize his great contribution to darts.

Sid's last interview was in June 2012. He talked about his life and his commentary work. This interview was shown on Sky Sports after his death. It was a tribute called Sid Waddell – A Life in His Own Words.

Awards and Recognition

Sid Waddell was nominated for two TV awards. In 1992, he was nominated for a BAFTA award. This was for best director for a documentary. In 1994, he was nominated for best scriptwriter. This was for his children's cricket series Sloggers.

Sid Waddell's Personal Life

Sid Waddell was married to Irene. He was a big fan of the Newcastle United football team. He lived in Pudsey, England. In September 2011, it was announced that he had bowel cancer.

Sid passed away from bowel cancer on August 11, 2012. This was just one day after his 72nd birthday. His funeral was held in Leeds on August 22, 2012. Before the funeral, he was cremated in a private ceremony.

See also

In Spanish: Sid Waddell para niños