Obituaries and Remembrances - Other Sports

[Stoodley Pike]

Pole Wojciech Grodzki, a speedway referee since 1996, has died at the age of 54. Grodzki, one of the most experienced referees in his native country, officiated at Speedway Grand Prix rounds, as well as at PGE Ekstraliga matches.

 

[Cherryhopper]

Racing trainer Zoe Davison has lost her four and a half year battle with breast cancer on the same day two of her horses claimed wins at Plumpton. She was 60 years old.

 

[Barnsley Dave]

Sad news about Zoe, she fought so bravely. RIP Zoe and condolences to all your family

 

[Cherryhopper]

Ken Middleditch, Poole Pirates Speedway legend of the 1950's and father of current team manager Neil Middleditch, has passed away in his sleep at the age of 95.

 

[Bigaitch]

Ken Middleditch, Poole Pirates Speedway legend of the 1950's and father of current team manager Neil Middleditch, has passed away in his sleep at the age of 95.

Very sad news. Condolences to Neil Middleditch and his family. I hope Ken is at peace.

 

[noprogs]

Prince Khalid bin Abdullah has died aged 83
One of horse racing's most successful owner/breeders via his Juddmonte Farms Stud. So many notable winners, Dancing Brave, Frankel, and Enable are just three that stand out.

 

[Barnsley Dave]

Sad to hear as he was a very decent man who stood by Henry Cecil when he was having a bad time. Had some great horses as noprogs mentions

 

[Wheelbarrow]

Sad news indeed, a huge figure in thoroughbred breeding and racing.
Not only did he own 118 Group 1 winners, 102 of those were homebred.

A nice tribute in the Racing Post, and a list of some of those finest horses.
Most owners would feel lucky to have had any one of them in a career.

Racing Post Tribute

Prince Khalid bin Abdullah's 10 finest horses (Racing Post)

 

[Cherryhopper]

England's oldest surviving test cricketer, Don Smith, has died aged 97. He scored 16,960 runs and took 340 wickets in a first class career for Sussex. After playing he became a coach and groundsman at Lancing College, later coached Sri Lanka in their early test years before emigrating to Australia in 1986 and living in Adelaide.

 

[noprogs]

Alex Olmedo died in December aged 84.
He was the only Peruvian to win major tennis singles titles, Australia & Wimbledon in 1959. Somehow he was able to represent USA in the Davis Cup.
Like many of that era, he turned professional soon after winning Wimbledon, and had retired before the sport went open, in 1968.

 

[Stoodley Pike]

The BBC's former head of sport Alan Hart has died at the age of 85.

Hart also served as controller of BBC One from 1981 until 1984, during which time he commissioned the popular drama EastEnders.

He spent a long period as editor of Grandstand and was also editor of the coverage of the Olympics and the BBC's Sports Review of the Year shows.

Hart leaves behind his wife Celia and children Dominic, David and Gabrielle.

"Alan was a major figure in the BBC - a key pillar of BBC Sport in the 1960s and '70s, when he was such a distinguished editor of Grandstand in its heyday, among many other successes, before heading up first the sports department and then BBC One," said Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport. "All our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends."

Credit: bbc.co.uk

 

[Stoodley Pike]

Former Great Britain rugby league stand-off Dave Bolton has died. He was 83.

Wigan-born Bolton played 300 games for his hometown club. He spent a decade, spanning the 1950s and the 1960s, at Central Park. Bolton, a drop goal expert, then had five years with leading Australian club Balmain Tigers (a part of the present day Wests Tigers) before ending his career at Blackpool Borough, for whom he played a single season.

Bolton won championships in England (1960) and Australia (1969); a rare feat. He helped Wigan to Challenge Cup successes in 1958 (13-9 versus Workington Town) and 1959 (30-13 versus Hull FC).

After hanging up his boots, Bolton coached Parramatta Eels, another top Sydney club.

Bolton was later inducted into the Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame.

In a tweet, Wigan told of their "great sadness" and described Bolton as a "legend".

 

[John Treleven]

Hank Aaron, aged 86

Baseball player who broke Babe Ruth's "unbeatable" 714 home run record in 1974

Aaron retired with 755 and was then overtaken by Barry Bonds in 2007
who now holds the record with 762

 

[John Treleven]

Tributes have been paid to legendary Irish cricket figure Roy Torrens following his death at the age of 72. The former international pace bowler represented Ireland 30 times and went on to become national team manager. He played for Brigade and took 77 wickets during his time playing for Ireland.

His time as national manager witnessed some incredible successes for Irish cricket, notably wins against Pakistan, England and West Indies at successive World Cups in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Torrens was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2009.

Torrens also played Irish League football for Coleraine and Ballymena United.

 

[MattRam]

Tributes have been paid to legendary Irish cricket figure Roy Torrens following his death at the age of 72. The former international pace bowler represented Ireland 30 times and went on to become national team manager. He played for Brigade and took 77 wickets during his time playing for Ireland.

His time as national manager witnessed some incredible successes for Irish cricket, notably wins against Pakistan, England and West Indies at successive World Cups in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Torrens was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2009.

Torrens also played Irish League football for Coleraine and Ballymena United.

He was talked of in today's ODI match, the Irish obviously wearing black armbands.