Bill McLaren, the distinctive Scottish commentator who became known as the "voice of rugby" in over 50 years with the BBC, has died aged 86.
McLaren, a schoolmaster by profession, commentated on the game he loved from 1948 when he first worked for local BBC radio all the way through to 2002 when he finally laid down his TV microphone after commentating on Wales's Six Nations game against Scotland.
After the final whistle the crowd spontaneously sang "For he's a jolly good fellow" to McLaren up in the stands.
Former Scotland captain Gavin Hastings, who worked with McLaren, said: "First and foremost, Bill was a very proud and passionate Scot but such was his professionalism that you 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 just such a gentleman as well."
McLaren, a true son of Hawick, was a fine player and had already earned a final Scotland trial at lock in 1947 when he contracted TB and spent an agonising 19-month period at an Edinburgh clinic before recovering, thanks largely to the discovery of a new drug.
"I was desperately ill and fading fast when the specialist asked five of us to be guinea pigs for a new drug called Streptomycin," McLaren said in 2001.
"Three of the others died but I made what amounted to a miracle recovery."
His playing days were over and thereafter his love of rugby was confined to teaching a succession of future Scotland internationals at Hawick School and imparting his rugby knowledge and wisdom to readers of the local Hawick Express and listeners on BBC local radio station and, later, television.
During the Second World War he had acted as an infantry spotter, notably at the siege of Monte Casino in Italy, and often attributed his powers of observation on the rugby pitch to those long, dangerous hours, spent in forward postions scouting out enemy placements.
His first match for national radio came in 1953 when he commentated on Scotland's 12-0 defeat to Wales and the call from TV came six years later.
A precise and particular man when it came to detail his 'match crib' became works of art and now sell for a small fortune at charity auctions. McLaren accumulated a vast store of data that often failed to see the light of day but was always there in emergency.
Former Scotland and British and Irish Lions player and coach Sir Ian McGeechan said: "You will never know how many people Bill brought to the game by the way he commentated.
"He was an absolute gentleman, totally unbiased. He had the knack of always looking for the best in players and had a massive positive impact on us.
"I don't think anyone could ever estimate just what his value has been to the game and what he has done.
"But above all Bill didn't just have a massive impact because of rugby. It was also because of his knowledge and understanding of people."
Rugby ran deep in McLaren's veins and it was a matter of enormous pride that his son-in law Alan Lawson became a notable Scotland scrum-half and his grandson Rory, who now plays at Gloucester, has also won full Scotland honours.
Back where it all began, at Hawick, club secretary John Thorburn paid tribute to McLaren. "We're devastated, obviously," he said. "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."
-- What are your favourite "Bill McLaren-isms"? Read a collection of his best quotes and send us your favourites.
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