BILL THRELFALLKnown by many as the “voice of Wimbledon,” Bill Threlfall died on 7 March, 2007, aged 81.For some 30 years his mellifluous voice could be heard describing the action for BBC TV.As a former player who remained active as a coach, Mr Threlfall spoke with authority on the game he loved.An encyclopaedic knowledge of players past and present allied to a wry sense of humour ensured his commentaries remained on the ball.William Winn Threlfall was born on 24 April, 1925, in Penang, Malaysia, the son of a career diplomat in the Colonial Service, himself a keen amateur tennis player.Educated at Brighton Grammar School, he volunteered for the Fleet Air Arm on his 18th birthday and spent most of the Second World War in Orkney defending the islands flying from a Canadian aircraft carrier.His love of tennis, which had been fostered at school, was furthered in the Royal Navy where Mr Threlfall won the RN men's singles on eight occasions.In 1952, he played at Wimbledon in the mixed doubles with Jean Petchell, but went out in the first round to the Australians Ken Rosewall and Beryl Penrose in two sets.He retired from the navy with the rank of lieutenant-commander in 1965, landing a job commentating on ITV's World of Sport at Wimbledon the following year. When the BBC took over the Wimbledon franchise, Mr Threlfall moved to BBC radio and then, in 1974, to television.A meticulous researcher, he quickly became a respected voice of reason in the game.He recognised sporting greatness in Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and John McEnroe – and also rated Mr McEnroe the finest commentator he had ever worked with. Australian Rod Laver, thought by many to have been the greatest player of all time, Mr Threlfall believed “might have struggled more in the modern game”.Towards the end of his career, he also worked with Sky Sports for whom he covered many overseas events, including the US Open.A five-time winner of the National Veterans Championship, Mr Threlfall played for Great Britain in veterans competitions many times. He always remained keen to pass on his knowledge of the game and coached at West London’s Hurlingham Club until shortly before his death.He married wife Anne, a former Wren, in 1953, after proposing while flying her upside down in a Meteor aircraft.He covered a total of 41 tournaments for BBC radio and television and alongside fellow commentating great Dan Maskell, remains the “voice of Wimbledon”.Speaking in 2005 he said: “They will have to retire me, not the other way round, because I enjoy it all so much.”
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