The Man With The Golden Mic

Sid Waddell is a legend in sports commentary. Over the past 30 years he has covered everything from darts to domino toppling – and in January, 70 of Sid’s peers voted him Sports Commentator of the Year.
As Sid put it himself: “This is the ultimate accolade, kidda!”

Sid is in Cardiff this week with Jim Wych, ‘Texas’ Jerry Forsyth and Steve Davis on the Sky Sports commentary team. He warmed up, literally, for this tournament – the 2002 Hasseroder World Pool Championship – in Las Vegas giving it the ‘Geordie Lip’ in 110 degrees as Phil Taylor won the Desert Classic.

Sid’s best quip of the week was the fantastic: “Phil is working hotter than the Romford Gasman” – and Phil, like he always does, took the trophy.

Sid was weaned on billiards and snooker in Ashington, Northumberland, home of soccer stars from yesteryear Jackie Milburn and the Charlton brothers and fell in love with the atmosphere of Docherty’s Billiard Hall, Oxo crisps, ginger beer and fantastic wide-boys!

He dived straight in to the atmosphere of the action at Cardiff with the following lines: “Fabio Petroni makes more signs of the cross than a novice priest” and “Fab is like Pinocchio, the boy of wood, turned flamboyant flesh.”

During the clash between holder Mika Immonen and Shannon Daulton, Sid approached Planet Zog “Shannon used to be given buckshot with his Wheaties when he was a kid, hence the power in the break!”

And On the match in general: “There’s no pattern here, it’s like a Jackson Pollock painting – all patches and splotches.”

Vintage Sid came in the clash between Alex Pagulayan and Daryl Peach: “Alex, the ‘Killer Pixie’ is scattering angel dust on these spheres. Peach’s pants are becoming well acquainted with the Naugahyde.”

As the brilliant young Canadian won, Sid quipped: “Daryl’s done and dusted – stick the fork in!”

With the characters from 42 Pool nations here, Sid reckons he’s never been in such a rich, imaginative vein.

And viewers in the UK and across the globe will echo those thoughts!