WRW FRIDAY: Memories of Bleddyn
SELFLESS TO THE END
It was 2005 and Tigers were playing at Bath on a chilly but soaked Saturday night at The Rec.
A hugely forgettable game. All I remember is the pitch being boggy even by tbe standards of the Rec, but earlier that night, England had gone to Cardiff to play Wales there for the first time since Martin Johnson lifted the World Cup.
Presumably Bleddyn had been looking forward to it as much as any other Welshman and when Wales won, he lapped it up.
Steve Johnson and I could never get his impish smile out of our heads. It was a draining night all round.
To the car then. Johnno could put pedal to the metal like every ex-copper since Gene Hunt and John Thaw. He wasn’t looking fot tbe scenic way home tbat night.
They used to ssy Muhammed Ali was so quick he’d be in bed before the light switched off.
On the way home from any game, Bled would hit the ZZZs way before old Cassius and well before Johnno had left the car park. Not that night, the little bugger.
We were forced to pull up on the outskirts of Bath. Roadworks everywhere.
“How the f*** do we get to tbe motorway from here?” Johnno cried out.
Quick as a flash, Bleddyn pipes up.
“I know the way. Let’s go to Cardiff!” And on it went all the way home…
That sense of fun was always part of the ex-headmaster who was willing to give so much to so many others.
Rarely did he head into a bar across the UK or France on a European trip, without being welcomed by any amount of fans. We used to play a game where whatever game we went to in Europe, when we would see the first Tigers fan. And the first words inevitably were…”All right, Bleddyn!”
He would always say hello, with that beaming, beautiful smile of his. That didnt help the presenter if it was at a ground and the second half was about to start. “Where’s Bleddyn?” would always be asked by someone every weekend - and never without a smile.
He had strong opinions which mirrored the steel of his playing days, but allowed the less self-effacing to get in first.
Now, Steve Johnson is well-known for that but Bled - in a polar opposite way - wasn’t far behind him, as their reactions showed when results on the field declined until recently. The car journeys to games where you’d listen to Bled and Steve swapping stories about past team-mates and also put the world to rights, well they were sometimes as memorable as the games.
You never saw him lose his temper but he could laugh at himself hugely. Bleddyn was not a clown - you cant achieve as much in your life as he did, if you’re that - but like we all do, he had his lapses. Just this last season, getting him to talk on radio proved challenging when he was holding binoculars…forgetting to pick up the more important microphone in the process.
For someone willing to give so much, you’d forgive him anything. Im sure Valentino Mapapapapapalangi would agree.
Bleddyn remained to his heart a family man. I know how deeply proud he was to see his son Gareth become a commentator in his own right. They actually commentated on the same game together - one for Leeds and one for Leicester. He deeply loved his daughter Helen so much and of course, his treasured Sue.
Bleddyn had planned to retire at the end of this season and only Covid had forced him to stay at home. He was planning a return in the most glamorous way possible, much to his amusement - Sale away in front of no fans on a Friday night in Salford.
It’s our intense sadness that Bleddyn never saw what love he generated among staff, colleagues, ex-teammates and especially those he never knew. We are seeing now what a send-off it would have been.
The vast response to BBC Radio Leicester on Wednesday speaks volumes. If you were minded to send a card to his family, I would send it to the station and it will happily be passed on.
We are all better for knowing Bleddyn. If he made you smile once, imagine what being his friend, relative or colleague was like. There was not a day where you wouldnt smile in his presence.
Otbers knew him for longer and were closer. There have been so many eloquent tributes in the last 48 hours. I’m so glad Adam Whitty got to know him. What a sterling job he did with Wednesday’s tribute.
These scribblings - and probably tonight’s commentary - may not do justice to the man at a time when we’ve all shed a tear. But knowing Bleddyn for nearly 20 years has been and will be one of the great privileges of my life.
These are just a few of the memories and tributes, from the game and Leicestershire as a whole:
And a selection of comments from WRW readers:
Richard Morris
He played in the first match I ever saw at Welford Road; the Midlands East against the 1973 All Blacks. Irreplaceable as the voice of Welford Road, he was our Bill McLaren
Sally
A true Tiger in every respect. We were lucky enough to enjoy an afternoon in his company a couple of years ago, when we were on the same Burleigh’s Gin School session as him and his wife -(chatting rugby and drinking gin, what a great way to spend a birthday!) and although we’d never met before he was charming and friendly. In commentary, we all took the mickey out of his mis-pronunciations but that made him special, and despite that, his huge rugby knowledge and his love and devotion to the club shone out. Thanks for all the memories, RIP Bleddyn.
Iain Morton
A complete gentleman and a very interesting guy to chat to. In an age where if you weren’t at the game you were listening to the radio, Bleddyn was an important figure in my generation’s formative years of being a Tigers fan. I only wish I’d been old enough to see him play too.
Louise Brooks
Oh how sad 😥. He and Tudor will always be my voices of Tigers. I will miss him. My sincere condolences to his friends and family x
Daktari
RIP Bleddyn ,, born in Wales, adopted by Leicester , a Tiger in spirit and actions. a gentlemen in life.
Ian Cockerill
A sad loss of a very fine man. I feel proud and privileged to have counted him as a friend. I was lucky enough to provide summarising duties to his commentary on a fair number of Tigers games and he was completely professional and treated me with support and respect, as well as unfailing good humour!
A genuine role model for any decent human being.
Stephen Baum
Bleddyn has been a dear friend since 1970 when he lodged in Mountsorrel after taking up his first job as a teacher in Leicester. I count him as was one of the nicest and kindest men Ive ever met , followimg him initially as a player and then as a broadcaster but more importantly as a soul mate.
Its so fitting that there will be a minutes silence for him at the ground on Friday and just wish we could be there after his association with the club for over 50 years. What an achievement. A Tiger through and through.
Words cannot adequately express the deep sense of loss at times like this but our thoughts and prayers are with Sue and his family . Sleep well dear friend.
Rob
Wonderful guy and how loyal to Tigers. Having seen him talk on several occasions my favourite memory is of him talking to our Rotary club at breakfast one day. He entertained us for over half an hour, clutching his outside broadcast mike, as if it was gold! To him it probably was. Lovely guy and so sad. RIP.
Cameron Sim
Such sad news! Bleddyn was my primary school head teacher and years later when I was in university we got chatting at Welford Road and he saw me, remembered me and was asking how I was doing!
It was such a pleasant surprise to know he remembered me and sought me out to check how I was doing! A true measure of the man! I can remember giving a talk with another student at Leicester City with Bleddyn, as our head master giving us a lift to the stadium and attending with us but he had left his glasses at Welford Road from the previous weekend’s match and needed to pick them up! It was a lovely day as not only did we get a tour of the King Power but also inadvertently, a tour of welford road! As a 10 year old local lad it was the best day ever! Thoughts are with the family at this time!
Nigel Kay
What a lovely man. He was a delight to work with and a great favourite with BBC Wales when they were looking for Welsh language coverage of Tigers v Llanelli. Sometimes I would listen across the Welsh feed. I couldn't understand a word, but Bleddyn's hallmarks were there: a wonderful exuberance and a deep-felt passion for the game.
Thanks to those of you who called or who sent kind messages since Wednesday. It’s been of great comfort in a tough period. Itll be a relief to get to some rugby tonight.
No WRW on the Bank Holiday next week. Back to normal on Wednesday.
Chris
Isaa Mr Bleddyn Jones RIP 😪
😔RIP Bleddyn