Snooker world bids fond farewell to Ted Lowe

Ted Lowe, who became as integral to the snooker boom years as the great players, was yesterday remembered as one of sport's finest commentators following his death at the age of 90.

Lowe, born in 1920, worked for the BBC for 50 years and with his distinctive, hushed growl he acquired the nickname 'Whispering Ted'. He began commentating while seated in the audience and had to keep his voice low so as not to distract the players.

He described many unforgettable moments, including Cliff Thorburn becoming the first man to record a World Championship 147 in 1983, and Dennis Taylor's famous victory over Steve Davis in the 1985 final, when 18.5 million tuned in. He also devised the Pot Black series, which launched in 1969 and played a major part in raising snooker's profile as it gained a large television following.

Taylor said yesterday: "He had a lovely, lovely voice. To hear his voice and have him commentating on the 1985 final makes it special." Lowe's death on the morning of the start of the World Championship final prompted a poignant moment inside the Crucible as the audience assembled for the final.

A minute's applause turned into a standing ovation as a row of snooker personalities assembled next to the table.

There stood Davis and Taylor, Ken Doherty, Willie Thorne, John Virgo and John Parrott, all players who have gone on to sit in the commentary box in recent years, along with referees Alan Chamberlain, Eirion Williams and Jan Verhaas, and from the media Clive Everton and Phil Yates, both currently active commentators.

Virgo, who knew Lowe for many years, said: "He set a standard for us all. I commentated with him and he was wonderful. He had an impish sense of humour and while cricket had its John Arlott, Wimbledon had its Dan Maskell, we had Ted Lowe. He was one of the BBC greats.

"Those hushed tones, 'Whispering Ted', it's a sad day for snooker. He'll be sadly missed."

As well as Maskell, Arlott and Lowe, the commentating world has also lost legends such as Harry Carpenter, Bill McLaren and Kenneth Wolstenholme in recent years.

Lowe uttered as many immortal words as any of his peers.

On the occasion of Thorburn's 147, as the Canadian prepared to play the final black, Lowe muttered: "Good luck mate."

And as the ball sank, he exclaimed: "Oh, wonderful. That is really truly wonderful."

Some of his most famous lines were perhaps not his proudest moments.

"And for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green," he told one TV audience.

Another time, as Fred Davis leaned over the table to strain for a difficult shot, Lowe said: "He is getting on a bit and having trouble getting his leg over."

Lowe worked from the BBC from 1946 to 1996, retiring after the World Championship final, but made a one-off return to the box in 2005 to take part in commentary on the 2005 Crucible showpiece between Shaun Murphy and Matthew Stevens.

Lowe's widow Jean, to whom he had been married for 21 years, said: "He had been poorly for the last ten weeks and had been in a hospice for the last week.

"For two days I never left his side, but I could see he was slowly going. He still loved snooker and was watching it on TV this week."