BBC Breakfast presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay announced the sad death of a “familiar face” on Wednesday’s show
Sally Nugent and Jon Kay broke some devastating news on Wednesday’s BBC Breakfast. The presenting duo shared details of Dickie Bird’s death, with Jon describing him as a “familiar face”
Sally began: “Now tributes are being paid to one of cricket’s most famous and beloved characters, the umpire, Dicky Bird, who has died at the age of 92.”
Jon added, “Such a familiar face for so long throughout his career, he earned the admiration of players and fans alike.”
“We’ll hear from some of them in just a moment, but first, let’s have a look back at Dickie’s incredible career,” reports the Express.
Dickie Bird’s death was announced on Tuesday, with officials confirming he ‘died peacefully at home’.
“He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy, and a legion of admirers across generations,” Yorkshire County Cricket Club stated.
“The thoughts of everyone at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club are with Dickie’s family and friends during this time.
“He will be truly missed by all at the club, having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here, and will be remembered as one of the greatest characters in Yorkshire’s history.
“Further details regarding memorial arrangements will be shared in due course, and the club will be looking to honour him in a variety of ways in the coming weeks.”
During the heartfelt tribute, Sally and Jon also spoke with David Gower and Graham Gooch, who shared their fond recollections of Dickie.
Jon greeted their guests, stating, “Good morning to both of you. David, shall we start with you? I mean, we just saw some clips there. It’s hard to know where to begin. He was such a huge character and presence for so long.”
David shared his tribute and memories, stating, “Dickie was, I suppose, the first celebrity umpire in many ways because of his character, primarily because he was a very good umpire.
“You don’t get to that sort of level and stay around for 60-odd Test matches as an international umpire without getting a lot of decisions very, very right. And I think the two key things are always, first of all, to get the decisions right, and secondly, to be able to interact with players, to deal with players.
“And there are countless stories of pranks being played on Dickie, but countless stories too, of Dickie handling the great players from all around the world.”
He added, “Any hint of trouble, he would smile and giggle, just gently deal with it. And everyone was his friend.”
BBC Breakfast is broadcast daily at 6am on BBC One.
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