Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Fred TRUEMAN (1931-2006)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Fred Trueman, cricketer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the Anchor Hotel in Southwark, London, having been led to believe he was there to take part in a promotional film for a comedy single.
Fred, who made his debut for Yorkshire Cricket Club in 1948, was awarded his Yorkshire county cap in 1951 and was elected "Young Cricketer of the Year" by the Cricket Writers' Club the following year. Generally acknowledged as one of the greatest bowlers in cricketing history, Fred, who bowled at a genuinely fast pace and was widely known as "Fiery Fred", was the first bowler to take 300 wickets in a Test career.
His talent, skill and popularity were such that British Prime Minister Harold Wilson jokingly described him as the "greatest living Yorkshireman". After he retired from playing, Fred became a media personality through his work in television, and as an outspoken radio commentator for the BBC, mainly working on Test Match Special.
"I walked straight into it, didn't I?"
programme details...
- Edition No: 523
- Subject No: 520
- Broadcast date: Wed 5 Dec 1979
- Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
- Recorded: Wed 31 Oct 1979
- Venue: New London Theatre
- Series: 20
- Edition: 2
- Code name: Fast
on the guest list...
- Veronica - wife
- Karen - daughter
- Rebecca - daughter
- Rodney - son
- Sheenagh - stepdaughter
- Patrick - stepson
- Ethel - mother
- Phyllis - sister
- Florence - sister
- Helen - sister
- Arthur - brother
- John - brother
- Dennis - brother
- Peter Varley
- Ann Varley
- Tommy Stubbs
- Brian Close
- Bill Anderson
- Neil Hawke
- Ken Barrington
- Tom Graveney
- Ronnie Burnet
- Peter Crawford
- Don Wilson
- Phil Sharpe
- Johnny Wardle
- Tony Nicholson
- Don Brennan
- Mike Smith
- John Edrich
- Jim Laker
- Leslie Crowther
- Keith Miller Filmed tribute:
- Harold Wilson
related appearances...
- Colin Milburn - Apr 1970
- Charlie Williams - Feb 1972
- Ray Illingworth - Apr 1972
- Don Revie - Apr 1974
- Susan Masham - Feb 1976
- William Franklyn - Apr 1978
- Brian Johnston - Nov 1982
- Lord Harewood - Feb 1985
- Denis Compton - Feb 1987
- Willie Rushton - Apr 1987
- Hannah Hauxwell - Mar 1992
- Dickie Bird - Oct 1992
- Richard Whiteley - Mar 1997
production team...
- Researchers: John Graham, Tom Wettengel
- Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
- Directors: Royston Mayoh, Terry Yarwood
- Producer: Jack Crawshaw
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
Screenshots of Fred Trueman This Is Your Life
In 1979, Trueman was honoured on This Is Your Life, the biographical show in which the host surprises a special guest.
When Eamonn Andrews startled Trueman with the famous red book, Andrews was even more startled by the reply, 'Hey up, Eamonn, lad, you can't tell my life in half-an-hour, ya know.'
Many former cricketers turned out in tribute, including Neil Hawke, Keith Miller, Brian Close and Don Wilson. Leslie Crowther also took part, as did former Lincoln City manager Bill Anderson.
There were recorded tributes from Tommy Stubbs, the Maltby schoolteacher who'd encouraged Trueman in his younger years, and former Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The piece de resistance was a bizarre family sketch involving Trueman's brothers Arthur, John and Dennis. Filmed at Tennyson Road, Maltby, it showed them lying in the same bed they'd shared as children. The bed was deliberately made to collapse with the brothers still in it, imitating what used to happen for real.
Trueman found the sketch hilarious but for most of the programme looked close to tears. As footage was played of his greatest moments, he bit into the stem of his pipe to stop himself crying. 'Fred was a deeply emotional man,' said Veronica. 'He'd burst into tears at the first line of "God Save the Queen". Sometimes he used to say, "Oh no, I'm going to get emotional," and I used to say, "Fred, there's no need to be afraid of it." He hated showing his emotions in public.'
'Fiery Fred' Trueman is a cricketing legend.
When he popped into the Anchor Hotel at Southwark Bridge, just before flying out to Australia for commentating duties, on 31 October 1979, there was a new barman: Eamonn Andrews.
Even at birth, young Fred looked as if he might be capable of his 100 mph deliveries. The fourth of eight children of a Yorkshire miner, Fred weighed in at 14 lb 8 oz.
On his Test debut against India in 1952, he took four wickets for no runs, and went on to become the first man in the history of the game to capture three hundred Test wickets. Legendary Australian batsman Neil Hawke was the three-hundredth victim. Said Neil: 'The only consolation was that it got me into the record books, too!'
We flew in an old pal and great rival, Australian fast bowler Keith Miller. Keith quoted a letter sent to Freddie from the great Herbert Sutcliffe, of Yorkshire and England, after Freddie had taken his 250th Test wicket. It read, 'In figures alone, this must make you the greatest bowler the world has ever seen.'
Freddie's first Yorkshire cap has a special resting place. It is buried with his proud father.
Series 20 subjects
Pat Seed | Fred Trueman | Noel Barber | Charles Aznavour | Eric Sykes | Andrew Sachs | Gerald Harper | Terry GriffithsPaddie O'Neil | George Martin | Geoff Capes | Roy Kinnear | Nyree Dawn Porter | Emlyn Hughes | Stewart Granger
Clare Francis | Jilly Cooper | Robin Cousins | Brian Bevan | Bill Beaumont | Mike Tetley
Alan Minter | Nat Jackley | Cathleen Nesbitt | Michael Aspel | Clive Lloyd