Eddie Waring
Encyclopedia
Edward Marsden "Eddie" Waring (21 February 1910 in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire
– 28 October 1986) was a British rugby league football coach, commentator and television presenter.
Waring's commentaries on rugby league divided opinion: for some viewers he would be "Uncle Eddie" the warm and friendly voice of the north but others believed that his voice simply conformed and promoted stereotypes.
. Waring began his career as a typewriter salesman in his home town of Dewsbury, but he swapped that career to use typewriters instead as he joined a local newspaper reporting on rugby league matches.
Alongside his fledging journalist career he ran the local Dewsbury Boys Rugby League Club, chosing to rename them the Black Knights, which foreshadowed how Super League
clubs became branded some 60 years later. During World War II
Waring managed Dewsbury RLFC
as he was exempt from armed service due to an ear condition. Making use of men from the nearby military camp, he led the club to its second ever Challenge Cup
victory in 1943 - the club's last ever success in the competition.
Waring travelled on the HMS Indomitable with the Great Britain national rugby league team
on the first post-war tour of Australia. On returning home via the United States - he met Bob Hope
who alerted Waring to success of televised sport is believed to have inspired him that television would crucial for the success of his beloved sport. Upon returning to the UK, he continued to push forward his case to the BBC
having written to them as far back as 1931. After several rejections, he was given a chance to become a broadcaster when the Corporation began to cover the sport.
During the 1960s, his eccentric mode of speech (rugby league was pronounced r), Hull Kingston Rovers
as "Hulking Stan Rovers", and northern accent, began to be widely impersonated, largely due to the influence of Mike Yarwood
. Students formed the Eddie Waring Society in his honour.
One of his most notable commentaries came in the 1968 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, a rain-affected game in which he described Wakefield Trinity
player Don Fox
with the line "He's a poor lad" after he missed a last minute kick from in front of the posts against Leeds
- the miss handed the cup to his opponents.
Many of his commentary lines would become catchphrases connected to the game including, "It's an up and under" (a rugby tactic consisting of kicking the ball in a high arc, while the rest of the team rushes toward the landing point, hoping to gain possession and field position) and "He's goin' for an early bath." (frequently heard during a game when a player was sent off the field for a serious foul). The Times
newspaper in March 2006 published a list of 25 favourite sporting quotes and one of Waring's appeared there.
, and as the UK's representative on the international umpiring team for the European version of the show, Jeux Sans Frontieres
, where his striped blazer made him easy to spot.
Eddie also had an endearing sense of humour, taking on occasional appearances in such famous TV comedy programmes as The Morecambe and Wise Show
and The Goodies
.
It was illness that would affect him over the next few years and in some of his later commentaries it was clearly noticeable that he was beginning to struggle to identify players. He commentated on his last Challenge Cup Final in 1981.
and died at High Royds psychiatric hospital
in Leeds in 1986.
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
– 28 October 1986) was a British rugby league football coach, commentator and television presenter.
Waring's commentaries on rugby league divided opinion: for some viewers he would be "Uncle Eddie" the warm and friendly voice of the north but others believed that his voice simply conformed and promoted stereotypes.
Early career
Waring was never a noted rugby league player, he was actually more proficient at football - once having trials with Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. Waring began his career as a typewriter salesman in his home town of Dewsbury, but he swapped that career to use typewriters instead as he joined a local newspaper reporting on rugby league matches.
Alongside his fledging journalist career he ran the local Dewsbury Boys Rugby League Club, chosing to rename them the Black Knights, which foreshadowed how Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
clubs became branded some 60 years later. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Waring managed Dewsbury RLFC
Dewsbury Rams
Dewsbury Rams RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They are arguably most famous for becoming Champions in 1972-73 after finishing the regular season in 8th place. In the playoffs they beat Featherstone away, Warrington away, and then Leeds in the...
as he was exempt from armed service due to an ear condition. Making use of men from the nearby military camp, he led the club to its second ever Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
victory in 1943 - the club's last ever success in the competition.
Waring travelled on the HMS Indomitable with the Great Britain national rugby league team
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
on the first post-war tour of Australia. On returning home via the United States - he met Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
who alerted Waring to success of televised sport is believed to have inspired him that television would crucial for the success of his beloved sport. Upon returning to the UK, he continued to push forward his case to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
having written to them as far back as 1931. After several rejections, he was given a chance to become a broadcaster when the Corporation began to cover the sport.
Broadcasting style
Waring's commentaries polarised opinion over the next decades - for some viewers he would be "Uncle Eddie" the warm and friendly voice of the north but others believed that his voice simply conformed and promoted stereotypes.During the 1960s, his eccentric mode of speech (rugby league was pronounced r), Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
as "Hulking Stan Rovers", and northern accent, began to be widely impersonated, largely due to the influence of Mike Yarwood
Mike Yarwood
Mike Yarwood, OBE is an English impressionist and comedian. He was one of Britain's top-rated entertainers, regularly appearing on television from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s. He left Bredbury Secondary Modern School in 1956 and worked as a messenger and then salesman at a garment warehouse...
. Students formed the Eddie Waring Society in his honour.
One of his most notable commentaries came in the 1968 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, a rain-affected game in which he described Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
player Don Fox
Don Fox
Don Fox was an English rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s for Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity. He is the brother of Peter and Neil Fox, and together they formed one of the legendary rugby league families...
with the line "He's a poor lad" after he missed a last minute kick from in front of the posts against Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
- the miss handed the cup to his opponents.
Many of his commentary lines would become catchphrases connected to the game including, "It's an up and under" (a rugby tactic consisting of kicking the ball in a high arc, while the rest of the team rushes toward the landing point, hoping to gain possession and field position) and "He's goin' for an early bath." (frequently heard during a game when a player was sent off the field for a serious foul). The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper in March 2006 published a list of 25 favourite sporting quotes and one of Waring's appeared there.
Celebrity appearances
Waring branched out, appearing as a presenter on the television series, It's a KnockoutIt's a Knockout
It's a Knockout was adapted from the French show Intervilles. It ran between from 7 August 1966 to 25 December 1988 on BBC1, 28 May 1990 on ITV, 3 August 1991 to 24 December 1994 on S4C and from 3 September 1999 to 6 January 2001 on Channel 5, produced by Richard Hearsey and Ronin Entertainment...
, and as the UK's representative on the international umpiring team for the European version of the show, Jeux Sans Frontieres
Jeux Sans Frontieres
Jeux Sans Frontières was a Europe-wide television game show.In its original conception, it was broadcast from 1965 to 1999 under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union and featured teams from different European countries in outlandish costumes competing to complete bizarre tasks in funny...
, where his striped blazer made him easy to spot.
Eddie also had an endearing sense of humour, taking on occasional appearances in such famous TV comedy programmes as The Morecambe and Wise Show
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
and The Goodies
The Goodies (TV series)
The Goodies is a British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s. The series, which combines surreal sketches and situation comedy, was broadcast by BBC 2 from 1970 until 1980 — and was then broadcast by the ITV company LWT for a year, between 1981 to 1982.The show was...
.
Decline and retirement
The split in opinion regarding his contribution to the game plus illness led a decline for Waring's popularity. A petition had been organised by some hardcore supporters asking the BBC to remove him from commentary as he was perceived to be portraying a poor image of the game and its northern roots. The BBC however stuck with him as their main commentator.It was illness that would affect him over the next few years and in some of his later commentaries it was clearly noticeable that he was beginning to struggle to identify players. He commentated on his last Challenge Cup Final in 1981.
Death
Waring's overall health declined very quickly after his retirement from the commentary box. He was diagnosed with dementiaDementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
and died at High Royds psychiatric hospital
High Royds Hospital
High Royds Hospital is a former psychiatric hospital south of the village of Menston, West Yorkshire, England. The hospital is located in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough as the border with the City of Bradford metropolitan borough passes between the hospital and the village...
in Leeds in 1986.
Further reading
- Being Eddie Waring: The Life and Times of a Sporting Icon by Tony Hannan (ISBN 1845963008)