A touching tribute was paid to the late Welsh rugby commentator Eddie Butler seconds before Wales’ crunch Group B World Cup clash against Iran in Qatar.
Butler, a former Wales captain and an icon behind the commentator’s microphone, passed away at the age of 65 in September. As Wales walked out onto the pitch in Al Rayyan in Qatar on Friday morning for their second game at the World Cup, a former BBC colleague paid a fitting and emotional tribute to the “great Welshman”.
Steve Bower, leading the commentary team for BBC One’s coverage of the game alongside former Wales defender Danny Gabbidon, spoke about Butler just before the Welsh players belted out Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau on the pitch.
“I would like to give a word to the great Welshman, Eddie Butler - a master of the written and spoken word," said Bower. “Our former BBC colleague who passed away in September. Football might not have been his game but my goodness Wales was his country. If he could have been here today, they would have heard him singing this national anthem all the way across the Persian Gulf in Iran itself.”
The anthem was then duly sung with its usual gusto by the Wales players and the fans in the stand, and Bower’s words were a fitting tribute to a man whose voice became synonymous with rugby for a whole generation of fans.
READ NEXT
Gwyn Jones: Wayne Pivac now in no-win situation and his fate may have already been sealed
Graham Price: Wayne Pivac must go and take the rest of his sorry coaching crew with him
What Wales need against Iran to continue bid to qualify for next round of World Cup
This Wales fan was all of us during passionate and emotional Welsh national anthem at World Cup
