Bob Willis RIP

[antongould]

As requested.

You are a scholar and a gentleman ......

[Cockney Sparrow]

Patrick Kidd writing in The Times diary column today:

"………Willis was a fan of Wagner’s operas despite their length. “It is a test of the bottom muscles but I can sit there for six hours entranced,” he once told me. “I got good practice from watching Geoff Boycott score at two runs an over.”

[LHC]

It's not often that a sports person loves (or admits to loving) 'classical' music.* From today's news, we hear that Bob Willis was a great fan of Wagner operas.

*No doubt forumistas will point out many exceptions!

Former England hooker, Brian Moore, loves opera, and has even tried to introduce some of his fellow rugby players to it:

Opera can be for everyone, so long as people are introduced to it in the right way. The principal question is how to get someone to a live performance for the first time. Sometimes it requires a leap of faith. I took one rugby player friend to see The Magic Flute and he was very sceptical. After he heard the Queen of the Night's aria live for the first time, he told me the hairs on the back of his neck had been standing up, because he wasn't sure if she'd be able to reach the notes. He now goes regularly.

It can sometimes go wrong. On the British Lions tour of Australia in 1989, the squad were invited to the Sydney Opera House. About half of us went along and unfortunately it turned out to be a performance of Werther. Half the lads left during the interval and, when Werther finally expired, John Jeffrey turned to me and whispered 'thank fuck for that, he took enough time!' Even I had to admit this wasn't a particularly accessible first opera!

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/my-music-former-england-rugby-player-brian-moore

Back on topic, at his best Willis was a superb fast bowler, and will surely go down in history as one of the legends of the game for his 8-43 in the '81 Ashes. There are only 3 English bowlers who have taken more wickets than him even now.

[johncorrigan]

There's a documentary about Dylan where Bob Willis can be seen entering the concert hall. I guess on the '66 tour

I read that he added the middle name, Dylan, to his name in honour of Bob - not sure if Dylan reciprocated. Sorry to see Bob head off - etched in the history of his game.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

His finest achievement: an 8-wicket innings - didn’t even earn him Man of the Match.

[muzzer]

I wonder if RGDW ever met BD? Wish I’d had the presence of mind to ask him, but I was just thinking ***k me, this is Bob Willis, don’t say anything stupid, he can be quite grumpy ;)

[Belgrove]

Back on topic, at his best Willis was a superb fast bowler, and will surely go down in history as one of the legends of the game for his 8-43 in the '81 Ashes. There are only 3 English bowlers who have taken more wickets than him even now.

His record speaks for itself. His comments following the events at this year’s Test at Headingley in relation to his own historic achievement at that ground shows the generosity of the man. Very sad news.