[QUOTE=99.94;278094]Returning to the cricket theme (which is where the thread started):
[URL]http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket-writer-peter-roebuck-dies-20111113-1ndg0.html[/URL][/QUOTE]

Sad indeed.
This thread seems to be coming unfortunately prophetic.
11 11 11 11 11 11 etc.

Back in the days when cricket was on terrestrial TV,
he captained a Somerset team containing Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner inter alia.
Perhaps by comparison, Peter struck me as a civilized, modest Englishman.

RIP

I think I'll cry even more than usual when I hear [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUgoBb8m1eE"]Nimrod[/URL] at the Cenotaph in a couple of hours.

Perhaps not the greatest ever, but one who made a real difference:
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/11/19/sports/cricket/sports-us-cricket-doliveira.html?_r=1&ref=global[/url]

[QUOTE=99.94;279232]Perhaps not the greatest ever, but one who made a real difference:
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/11/19/sports/cricket/sports-us-cricket-doliveira.html?_r=1&ref=global[/url][/QUOTE]
And a further appreciation:
[url]http://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2011/11/race-and-cricket[/url]

[QUOTE=99.94;279232]Perhaps not the greatest ever, but one who made a real difference:
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/11/19/sports/cricket/sports-us-cricket-doliveira.html?_r=1&ref=global[/url][/QUOTE]And the subject of one of the best ever [i]Private Eye[/i] covers.

The picture is of the queen being introduced to the England cricket team, at the point of being introduce to D’Oliveira. The speech bubble has her saying "I hear you've been blackballed", to which he replies "Since birth, Ma'am".

Paul

Great man.

Gary Speed dies at 42.

Yes, the BBC website is cheery.

[QUOTE=davieddy;280089]Gary Speed dies at 42.[/QUOTE]
Initial shock over, I can bear to tell this anecdote:

I was in a pub (Earlham Road, Norwich) in 1992, chatting
to a girl I had never met before (as one used to do).
I casually mentioned football.
"Not interested in it".
I persist a bit:
"Couldn't you even name a footballer you like?"
"Gary Speed".

David

didn't know about them but:

[url]http://ca.movies.yahoo.com/news/comedian-patrice-oneal-dies-41-192601185.html[/url]

[url]http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-cricket-farewells-sam-loxton-20111203-1oc8t.html[/url]

Socrates himself is particularly missed
 

[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16017071.stm[/url]