Bill Arthur

[Tommygilf]

RIP

[Dave T]

RIP Bill. 

Never met him, but he always seemed a good bloke.

[gingerjon]

Very sad news. RIP.

[Gomersall]

RIP Bill

[Mumby Magic]

Wow RIP. 

[dkw]

RIP Bill, sad news.

[M j M]

 

[Martyn Sadler]

I'm so sad to hear this news.

I knew Bill had cancer but I thought it was in remission.

He was a genuinely lovely guy.

Condolences from everyone at League Publications to Bill's family.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

Very sad news.  RIP, Bill.

[Agbrigg]

Sad news, I really liked Bill. I bumped into him a few times when Sky were at Wakey and he always had time for a chat.

[SUPERSTUD]

Never personally met Bill just observed him on Sky. Portrayed a great demeanour and came across as knowledgeable and very professional. You can just tell when someone is good guy. RIP Bill.

[Padge]

A sad loss, always came across as amiable and likeable. 

R.I.P. Bill.

[phiggins]

Sad news. RIP Bill

[daz39]

Spoke to Bill many times over the years when he was part of the Sky team at Huddersfield, always had a good craic and banter with him.

Condolences to family, friends and colleagues.

RIP BLARTHUR....

[Harry Stottle]

I thought his looks belied his age, didn't realise he was 68.

Such sad news, RIP Bill.

As a foot note which I am sure Bill would endorse.

He was diagnosed at 53 with Prostate Cancer, this should sound as a warning for all men over 50 to regularly get a PSA blood test.

[muckymunksy]

Has he been commenting this season? 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

RIP Bill, the ultimate voice of RL for such a large generation of fans! You'll be missed Bill!

[Coggo]

I was shocked to learn of this. RIP Bill

[Phil]

Very sad  

[Anita Bath]

20 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I thought his looks belied his age, didn't realise he was 68.

Such sad news, RIP Bill.

As a foot note which I am sure Bill would endorse.

He was diagnosed at 53 with Prostate Cancer, this should sound as a warning for all men over 50 to regularly get a PSA blood test.

Cant emphasize this too much. Like many cancers treatable with close to 100% effective treatment if caught early. And if you dont like the idea of a blood test then get the digital exam…a real fun way to engage with your medical provider.

[Just Browny]

RIP Bill. Very sad news and always seemed like a nice fella.

[StandOffHalf]

He fought the brave fight with dignity and resilience.

I don't think he'll be remembered primarily for his commentary, which could be a bit anodyne.

He was though in his element as an enthusiastic pitch-side reporter and features reporter on Boots 'n' All.

His voice and cheerful knowledge of the game will be missed, even if Sky perhaps could have used his talents better in recent years.

RIP Bill

Edited July 25 by StandOffHalf

[StandOffHalf]

His looks belied his age. I agree with Harry; he could easily have passed for 10 or 15 years younger than he was.

[Northern Eel]

A tribute to Bill;

I first met Bill in person when he was out in Perpignan some 15+ years ago. I was with my mate, both of us sporting our Brentwood Eels t-shirts, a club we had built from a standing start. There was a photo opportunity on the pitch with the Sky Sports crew, and Bill invited us, strangers, across for a picture. He was keen to know where we were from, and why we were in France. We explained our passion for expansion, and our mutual love for what the Dragons were doing too. He thanked us for what we were doing in Essex, and wished us well. I thought that would be the end of it.

Following a work-move to Nottinghamshire in 2011, I wandered into the local pub for a pint. I was probably one pint too deep, but could have sworn that in the corner, was Bill Arthur. 'It can't be', I thought to myself. 'Why on earth would Bill be in this pub?'. I went home and told my wife. She thought is was probably more than a pint too deep! Time passed, once or twice more, the same happened and I eventually plucked up the courage to introduce myself. It transpires that I needed no courage at all. It was Bill and he was a delight to talk to. From there, our friendship grew, and our mutual love of rugby league was the driver for this.

I remember telling him that I was starting up a rugby league team (Bassetlaw Bulldogs) in our locality. He thought I was mad, but was so warm and encouraging of what I wanted to achieve. In the early days of the club, he was pivotal in our development, but such was the man he was, he would never have once taken any credit for it. Let me explain.

One bitterly cold night in Wakefield, the Bulldogs were 'born', as a gaggle of young players took to the pitch as mascots and flag wavers at a Super League game which Bill was heading up in the commentary box. A few days before, he had given me the heads-up and we quickly arranged for a shout out on the Sky Sports commentary. Bill duly obliged, emphatically. The weekend after, with his own kids in tow, he was down at the ground ready to help out in any way he could. This would continue, often with Bill getting back late from his commentary gigs the night before, yet still hauling himself out of bed to help around the club.

As time went on, Bill joined the club committee and continued to give the Bulldogs fantastic airtime in his commentaries. It became a bit of an in-joke with his commentary team, as the mentions were getting frequent. At one stage, I dropped a bit of a hint to Bill that he was indeed allowed to name drop other clubs from time to time! 

Bill was always willing to come to our end of season awards ceremonies. Sometimes he would compere for us, other times, he was just happy to come and help us set up, lending us some gear to make the audio/visual element look the business! During the covid years, we couldn't meet as a club to celebrate the season, so we did an online programme and screened it on YouTube. Bill was kind enough to put on his professional voice and do a voice-over of some season footage for the kids. 

Bill was hugely generous with his time and often invited club members behind the scenes at the Sky Sports Media van. There, they would press buttons and wear the headphones etc. At other times, he would introduce us to his commentary colleagues, often on Super League Grand Final day. I was always struck that for such a busy man, he was never phased by our presence so close to his own big commentaries. 

Bill worked tirelessly to prepare for his commentaries. His knowledge of rugby league was immense. His love of the game was manifested by his desire to see the game grow beyond the heartlands. He loved Catalans Dragons and was the go-to man for Sky Sports out in Perpignan. In latter years, he would find himself having to commentate from a screen in the London studios, rather than sunning it up in the South of France. His commentaries were thoroughly well researched. 

For a man who was, by virtue of his job, thrust into the public domain, he was such a humble, private and unassuming man. Our local area owes Bill so much, well beyond rugby league. Bill's struggle with cancer was one he never complained about. He fought it with the same dignity that he did everything else. Many of us here are mourning the loss of a wonderful gentleman and loyal friend. 

As the microphone falls silent, I take a moment to reflect on a life well-lived, from a man who brought such support and friendship to myself and many others. Rest in peace Bill.

Edited July 25 by Northern Eel

[Damien]

RIP. Bill was obviously a huge fan of the game and was very knowledgeable about the sport.