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Funeral due for 'voice of darts' Sid Waddell Pudsey funeral for 'voice of darts' Sid Waddell
(about 11 hours later)
A funeral service for darts commentator Sid Waddell is due to take place in West Yorkshire later. A funeral service for darts commentator Sid Waddell is taking place in West Yorkshire.
Mr Waddell had been battling against bowel cancer for nearly a year when he died aged 72, on 11 August. Known as the "voice of darts", Mr Waddell had been battling against bowel cancer for nearly a year when he died aged 72, on 11 August.
His funeral is due to be held at Pudsey Parish Church. His funeral is being held at Pudsey Parish Church between Leeds and Bradford.
The son of a Northumberland miner, Mr Waddell became known as the voice of darts for his commentary over many years on the BBC and Sky. Stars Freddie Flintoff and Eric Bristow are attending, along with Barry Hearn, of the Professional Darts Corporation.
The broadcaster was known for his colourful and excitable commentary style. The son of a Northumberland miner, Mr Waddell was known for his colourful and excitable commentary style, over many years on the BBC and Sky.
"There's only one word for it - 'magic darts'," was one of his famous lines and he also described the challenge of a player trying to defeat multiple world champion Phil Taylor as "like eating candy floss in a wind tunnel". 'Colossus of trade'
'Brilliant man' He described the challenge of a player trying to defeat multiple world champion Phil Taylor as "like eating candy floss in a wind tunnel".
Friends, colleagues and sporting stars paid tribute to Waddell following his death. Football commentator John Helm said as he arrived: "If we'd had an Olympic games for commentators he would have won the gold medal so many times.
Colleagues described him as "a brilliant man" and "totally irreplaceable". "He was top of the tree.
BBC Sport's Gary Lineker wrote on Twitter: "He really was the voice of his sport. A brilliant, witty, colourful commentator." "We are here to pay tribute to a colossus of his trade.
Former deputy prime minister John Prescott tweeted that Mr Waddell "did so much for darts". "Every time I was with Sid he always made me laugh.
Mr Waddell also wrote BBC children's programmes Jossy's Giants and Sloggers and received a nomination for best scriptwriter from the Writer's Guild of Great Britain for the latter. "He was a man with so much eloquence he could stop the world with his commentaries."
'Magic darts'
Mr Waddell was one of the most recognisable figures in the sport, famed for his excellent one-liners delivered in his trademark north east accent.
Northumberland-born and a Cambridge graduate, he was a central part of Sky Sports' coverage of PDC darts events since 1994.
He was known for his commentary style, with his best-known lines including "There's only one word for it - 'magic darts'."
He also noted, while watching Bristow become world champion: "When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer ... Bristow's only 27."