BILL MCLAREN would have been the first to play down the celebration that took place at Murrayfield last Thursday night.
That was never disputed among the 4,000 people, including his family, who filled Murrayfield’s West Stand to remember the life of Hawick’s voice of rugby.
However, even the great man couldn’t fail to be impressed by the many tributes, both oratori
cal and musical, which held the crowd enthralled for two hours on a chilly, but thankfully dry, spring evening.
As fans, officials and rugby greats made their way to their seats to the strains of a Glen Miller recording the air crackled with anticipation of the prospect of a very special occasion. And that it was.
BBC presenter Dougie Donnelly opened the night with some history, backed by memory-provoking video footage, before introducing the massed pipes and drums. Tributes followed, covering many of the well-known moments from Bill’s career, and others less known, with Hawick legends Colin Deans, Jim Renwick, Hugh McLeod and Tony Stanger adding their recollections to those of Chris Paterson, Andy Irvine, Gavin Hastings, Gerald Davies, Mike Gibson and Bill Beaumont.
Deans recalled the excitement of knowing McLaren was to teach him gym the next day as being like “the night before Christmas” while Stanger admitted his memories of his 1990 Grand Slam-winning try came complete with Bill’s commentary over the top.
Tributes were interspersed with footage of commentaries, from McLaren’s first television matches in 1960 right up until his last, when Scotland played against Wales in Cardiff in 2002, and recollections from family members, including his nephew Bill Johnstone and grandson Rory Lawson.
Hawick historian Ian Landles also took to the stage for a rousing rendition of the now weel-kent poem, The man that oo ca’ Bill.
Live music was provided by Ronnie Brown and the Morriston Orpheus Welsh male-voice choir while Dougie MacLean added his tribute, a rendition of Caledonia, via a video recording sent all the way from Australia. Elsewhere in rugby, following their 23-12 defeat at the hands of Stirling County in the cup last weekend, Selkirk can turn their full attention to league business but will have to wait next Saturday to play their postponed fixture against Stewart’s Melville.
Melrose are also free this weekend but will tackle Perthshire in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Premier Cup the following week, while Gala have a much trickier draw at Ayr the same day. For this weekend’s fixtures see the sporting week ahead at the foot of the page.
