1978: FRED TRUEMAN Hates Cricket Helmets | Tonight | Classic Sport | BBC Archive

[@michaelgpartridge2384]

What a fascinating interview, wow! One of Yorkshire’s greatest men... I hung on every damn word of this conversation, incredible. Being an American who has only played/studied cricket for twenty years (2003) I only have to ask myself “what is wrong with me?” But then Fred answers the question at the end of this - cricket is the greatest leveler. It is the greatest sport, bar nothing. I can watch this over and over again, thanks for posting!!!

[@Lioness_UTV]

What a great personality, and a superb sportsman.

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

Fantastic interview. Quite articulate and well thought was Fred.

[@jacksmith3128]

The great Fred Trueman . Wonderful cricketer and wonderful person much loved by all who had the pleasure of playing against him and meeting him for a quiet pint .

[@barrysheridan9186]

Such a wonderful player and after he retired an outstanding raconteur. My cricketing hero to this day.

[@whouster]

What a great interview. Fred was very affable and entertaining, and spoke a lot of sense. His opinions on Packer were spot on. At that time, there was a lot of animosity toward Packer, Greig, and the players that joined. Fred was right to point out how poorly paid the players were, and that no player could be blamed for wanting a bit of financial security by joining up. Fred became a bit of a moaner about modern cricket as the years went on, but it was always worth hearing the opinions of one of the greatest fast bowlers in history.

[@andrewwallwork1123]

Fred did the commentary for WSC Well received.

[@cardigan3000]

fred was also a very profound racist

[@Ruda-n4h]

@@cardigan3000 He may have used colourful language when the West Indies fielders were encroaching on him Carmody style, or referred to an Indian waiter as Cary Grant's bearer, but does that make him profoundly racist?

[@cardigan3000]

@@Ruda-n4h no but if you read his book - You nearly had him that time and other stories - you will be left in no doubt

[@andrewstewart5721]

and he was one of the world’s greatest fast bowlers!

[@johnenglish929]

All credit to the interviewer here as well. He asks sensible, relevant questions and listens to the answer.

[@stevencornfield6631]

Denis Tuohey

[@johnenglish929]

@@stevencornfield6631 I wish interviews were still done like this - ask an interesting guest a question and let him reply without interrupting. So many interviews now - not just in sport - involve the interviewer giving his/her answer to their own question and talking over the interviewee’s reply when he’s eventually allowed to give one!

[@neiluk78]

@@johnenglish929 Piers Morgan springs to mind.

[@MickHodgson-q1k]

God bless & thank you Fred for some cracking memories

[@geoffjoffy]

I'm not into cricket but Fred was just so interesting to listen to.

[@davidriley1188]

If you get a chance, try and listen to some of his after-dinner speeches. They are hilarious.

[@frankmurphyburr3598]

A great cricket legend talking about cricket and life.

[@andrewoliver8930]

A good interview and his words about cricket at the end were spot on.

[@stepheng8779]

Brilliant. Agree or not Fred had his opinion on everything, ask him a question & he gave you an answer. Far more entertaining than the wishy washy interviews of today.

[@Ruda-n4h]

Pipe and Swan Vestas in his hand as well - classic. He was great at presenting the Indoor League too. He couldn't exist in today's mental, oh so smug 'we've all moved on' woke nightmare. "Ah'll see the'.

[@christopherwatson5869]

Unless your Jonathan Agnew 😂😂🤣🤣

[@keysofthekingdomholybible]

Wonderful character and interview.

[@agr7879]

He’s got a point. Batsmen get hit more now than they did pre helmet days

[@Rover2430]

A great interview. Well posed questions and articulate answers given. No constant interruption or talking over the other person.

[@cymruisrael]

This reminds me of when my younger brother made the school's first XI, he went to the sports equipment shop run by the ex-Lancashire and England batsman, Cyril Washbrook to buy a thigh pad. "Thigh pad!" exclaimed Washbrook. "What do you need that for? Don't you know how to use your effing bat?".

[@SuperRiddlers]

Absolute class from Fred. Don't bounce the tailenders.

[@essbee2316]

Indeed. As a bowler in my young days, I never short pitched to tail-enders. 1) Because you were more likely to get them out pitching towards their toes, and 2) we had to go to work on Monday. As I was a tail-ender my eye speed wasn’t good and I got hit on the side of head as I tried avoid a ball that was pitched short of a length. That’s why I didn’t short pitch tail-enders.

[@dickmiles6639]

@@essbee2316 he bowled bouncers at bomber wells

[@chrissleight5292]

But the batting of tailenders has greatly improved in the modern game - they just don't fall over like they used too! Plus they're wearing helmets, thigh pad, arm guard so they're not so intimidated by the fast bowler as they used to be!

[@PK-yf3hd]

He was England on legs ..fast,firery,totally committed,and a boundary entertainer ..his run up is frightening to watch from behind...I always wonder at the nerves of the batsmen facing him

[@agr7879]

Brilliant. Could listen to him all day

[@geoffbanton4049]

A pipe and box of swan vesta matches..Priceless

[@MichaelBurke-z9x]

Love him. A true great and wonderful character

[@boxingjerapah]

Great man from an era when that was still ok.

[@TheMiketyson9]

Ok what?

[@MattSwain1]

I’m not going to criticise Fred because we’ve learned a lot in the past 40+ years but I’m glad we’ve moved on from just accepting concussions and brain injuries were part of the game. And maybe, in line with his comments, maybe some batsmen do take more risks because they are wearing helmets. All that said, his sense of fair play is something that a lot modern sports have lost now so much money is at stake.

[@ajs41]

Hardly any batsman received brain injuries back then.

[@juanestadian8471]

@@ajs41 man i was about to say that. I'm not saying cricket is not a less dangerous sport, if fact we know its a safer sport. Not the most serious injury in the 80s was probably Gatting getting his nose smashed by Marshall. No international cricketer ever got killed. What trueman said was instructive, even with rudimentary helmets, batsmen had already started to get into the wrong position to play short pitched bowling. We also know Hughes got into a very bad position, which is why he became unbalanced on his feet and virtually swung himself until his back was facing the bowler. with the exposed part of the neck a target. Viv, larry gomes, gavaskar, richardson and many others never wore helmets and they never got brain injuries, and this is despite the fact that every team had at least one great and very fast bowler. West indies had four, Australia had lillee and thomson, Pakistan had imran and by 1984 had wasim and a little later waqar and aqib javed, england had bob willis, NZ had richard hadlee

[@iandavis1723]

Batsmen before helmets kept their eyes on the ball a lot more. Watch a lot of modern batsmen now, they turn away from short balls because they know they have the protection.

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

Concussions and brain injuries weren't part of the game. As Trueman says, batsmen got into position.

[@juanestadian8471]

@@WilliamSmith-mx6ze you see it today, sometimes batsmen don't even duck....they just take it on the helmet

[@tomhickson8313]

Loved that the greatest game in the world no augments from me only wish he was hear today and hear his views on Baz ball 🙏🙏🙏

[@lingolarker9318]

Astounding to think that this man was the last England bowler to average in the early 20s over a Test career. All time great fast bowler. He retired in the late 60s……

[@davidbrear8642]

When I look at Fred, I always think of possibly the most-unlikely meeting in all history - Raquel Welch and Fred. Raquel's son, Damon, married Fred's daughter, Rebecca, in the church at Bolton Abbey in 1991.

[@blackbob3358]

That's a great "obsevation" David. Pun NOT intended.

[@gjef9971]

I agree. I had to do a double take when I saw that on the news.

[@davidbrear8642]

@@gjef9971 Back in the day, it was not unusual to encounter Fred drinking and playing darts in pubs in Skipton. He was a naturally humorous man. When Damon and Rebecca divorced after only a couple of years, Fred was quoted as saying: 'My run up lasted longer.'

[@smfvmd]

@@davidbrear8642😂😂😂

[@smfvmd]

Fred was lying face down on the massage table and Richard Hutton remarked on the size of his backside. Fred responded, “It takes a big hammer to drive in a big stake.”

[@jlg5967]

People today don't realize how unusual helmets were in 1978.A few months earlier,David Hookes had his jaw broken by an Andy Roberts bouncer.

[@billmago7991]

I was there that day and seeing it from the stands behind Andy Roberts it was a cracker of a ball that really could have killed him.... the wicket was a drop in via helicopter ...sports ground as packer wasn't allowed on the scg😅

[@jlg5967]

@@billmago7991 I saw it on live TV,with all the gory close ups.

[@TheCleaner76]

A batsman never forgets his box

[@royturv]

Fiery Fred was my hero when I was a kid and, in my opinion, the greatest fast bowler England has ever had, & I’m not even a Yorkshireman!

[@gulqur123]

Well said Fred. He had good insight.

[@gary1642]

I heard Michael Holding repeat much of this in an interview probably 30yrs after Fred. Batsmen are hit more often as they have no fear and get all too often in the wrong position. They no longer know how to play the short ball.

[@larshenssen335]

No wonder he doesn't like helmets. He's already wearing one. Great hair 😉

[@dfb1976]

The 70s style

[@skar5541]

Beat me to it. What a hair unit. Spectacular

[@andrewoliver8930]

Solid lego barnet.

[@brendos5289]

Had his hair cut at trumpton barbers. Still, a great cricketer in his time though.

[@michaelgpartridge2384]

Absolutely fantastic hair. Top-class

[@normansmith8184]

Cor blimey did anyone notice how polite and chattable the interviewer was. bbc? he was hardly recognisable as being in the same profession as the snarky, sensation seeking overpaid yobs persistently asking leading questions trying to get one sports professional to drop another in it these days. Mind you Fred would have had them for breakfast. That interview was pure magic.

[@moses5161]

Great information!!

[@markhayward7400]

Fred Truman is right, I think, in saying that helmets have contributed to a decline in technique against the short ball. They provide protection against injury whilst making injury more likely

[@lightningleaf23]

But on the flip side it’s a more watchable game as people are less worried about their life they take more on

[@cosmicman621]

@@lightningleaf23...yeah the game is now distinctly in favour of the batsmen...with their,go for the slog...bionic bats...and a seemingly endless display of cloned medium-fast trundles to be hit to the 20/20 boundary.

[@tonyfranklin8306]

@@lightningleaf23 And yet more deaths since wearing became a thing. Same increases in deaths and injuries in every sport plus in the wrokplace. 30 years in health and safety and pouring over data sets tells me the whole PPE mantra is wrong and harmful.

[@roberteustace4152]

Best of his generation!❤

[@lordcaff]

This should be played in both dressing rooms for the 3rd test Eng/Aus 23

[@eclectica1]

Might be a bit of a sensitive subject for the Aussies given what happened to Hughes.

[@andrew7440]

​@@eclectica1 Ironically he was wearing a helmet though. Sad as it is, the helmet didn't help.

[@garybuller5656]

Absolutely spot on, in every particular. Fred was always a joy to listen to.Could quite easily be from Fulham..if he wasn't from ...where was he from...?🙃

[@rohitnikesh7148]

One of the greatest craftsman of red ball

[@geoffharris9396]

Jim Laker had the same sentiments as Fred. He thought it laughable batsmen started wearing helmets. But it has saved the lives of a lot of professionals and probably avoided many players from getting early dementia . We have learnt a lot from the time of this interview about concussions and their long term effects.

[@juanestadian8471]

@geoffharris9396 good technique protected players from getting early dementia. they didn't get hit as often as they do now because they knew how to get out of the way and hook properly. Viv, sobers, larry gomes, richardson, don bradman and a host of others never wore helmets and lived or are living long and healthy lives. Barry richards scored a triple hundred at perth at its fastest against Dennis Lillee at his fastest and he does not suffer with dementia or any effects of a brain injury

[@geoffharris9396]

@@juanestadian8471 Agree with what you say about technique but the players you mention are amongst the greatest that played the game. It's the other 90% that are in danger from the quicks. Harold Larwood even knocked over Bradman in the bodyline series and left others needing treatment. There technique didn't stop Larwood leaving them black and blue.

[@AlunThomas-mp5qo]

@@geoffharris9396 Also a good technique does not prevent even the greatest batsmen from getting a top edge into their face, nothing you can do about it, e.g Edrich by Tyson, Ponting by Harmison etc.

[@BigBlack81]

@@AlunThomas-mp5qo As well, I think something that gets lost in the recollection of this is that in the 70s, in particular, the game itself was getting much, MUCH quicker merely due to the training and fitness of the players improving from the 40s through to the 60s. You look at the fitness levels and overall athleticism of the late 70s sports around the world and you can see a MARKED difference in how the players looked and moved. The game was revving up as the world was revving up, and Kerry Packer realized this.

[@AlunThomas-mp5qo]

@@BigBlack81 That's why I NEVER compare players from different eras. Because so much is different, I have noted this from reading many books written at the time giving detailed descriptions of test matches at the time they were played. For example in one 1930's Ashes test England bowled 120 overs in a day, assuming that it takes one minute to change positions between overs that leaves two minutes to bowl each overs. With Australia's score at 380 for 2 England were still bowling to a field of 4 slips 2 gullies and not one fielder in front of the wicket on the off side. That looks very much like they were not planning any bowling strategies and just letting the game drift on.

[@assassinsunite3434]

The best English fastbowler ever 🇬🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@mikejohnson6301]

This is the greatest analysis and criticism for present day cricketers- if u do not respond to bouncers then u should not play cricket - I played at the local level - not professionally- but avoid getting hit - but other players get hit all the time

[@anamitramukherjee6281]

Heard this for the first time… reminds me of my dad’s outlook practical and principled

[@njd2342]

I bowled six (6) bouncers in an over to sow the seeds of doubt....

[@marktucker208]

Fascinating guy

[@joeyslats31]

A lot of this is being mirrored with the IPL at the moment. If you go back to the C19th, a similar this was happening between county and international cricket.

[@sfwplant]

And these fellas at the battle of Agincourt with shields. Getting themselves in the wrong position when the lad comes at them with a lance - F.S.Trueman

[@mitchrils]

😂😂😂 I was just thinking this interview is straight out of Monty Python

[@guharup]

Good interview

[@c1v1lwar24]

I agree with him. As someone from the 70’s when I’m on a building site I use traditional British safety gear. I always remember to wear a flat cap and smoke a roll up.

[@thehound9638]

Surely you'd be better off wearing a high vis vest in the afternoon?

[@AmanPandey-o2t]

In 70s 80s cricket had wider fan base all around the world. Now it has morevfan base only in South asia

[@msaleemteepu169]

A great entertainer of game and jolly. Character as described bt little master hanif muhammad

[@kfreckle5453]

A fast bowler can use any delivery to any batsman. I see no problems with a fast bowler applying the bouncer to a tailender and it doesnt take anything away from them.

[@raumshen9298]

He already said, what a shame if bowlers cannot get tailenders without resorting to bouncers In addition, it's understood that bowlers are not primarily batsman, they can get injured, so it's.a code of conduct i guess

[@NorthWalesKid]

Fred was so tough that Chuck Norris had nightmares about him

[@thecarpetman7687]

When Fred started his run up….Chuck Norris gave himself out.

[@ishyandmikkischannel8811]

My favourite memory of Trueman is during the 1982 test matches vs Pakistan. When Imran Khan twice hooked Bob Willis for 4, Trueman said, "That's a problem innit. England's fastest bowler, quick as he is, is a yard and a half slower than Imran Khan. Imran Khan knocks their helmets off, they can't hook him, so they bounce him. And he says, thank you very much. What's going on out there! If it were me I wouldn't be bouncing him. He has got 4 slips and 2 gullies, and he is still bouncing him. Madness."

[@timporter9192]

How do you think Fred would get on with Cindy Butts ,the lady how has overseen the latest review into ECB and cricket?

[@bigphil2053]

He'd say , get in the pavilion lass and get those cucumber sandwiches made

[@kenclayton5088]

An authority....great listening....

[@Fireblade918]

Everything Kerry Packer tried to achieve 45yrs ago is the game we know today🤔

[@ilikestuffandstuff4127]

I'm 33 and i first came across this guy in an episode of Dad's Army (The Test), had no idea he was an ACTUAL Test cricketer 😮

[@anilchauisms]

wonderful

[@chrisbayes2972]

"One of the helmeted brigade [...] Tony Greig..." 😂

[@a34rwl]

That is a HELL of a comb-over.

[@stuartwilliams-fw4vo]

Of course Fred was first off to Australia to commentate on World Series. And quite right too- World Series Cricket was magnificent and there has been nothing like it since.

[@shaundgb7367]

As a young kid that started watching cricket in this time period Fred's voice in commentary box during World Series Cricket is one of my first cherished audio memories of cricket on tv here in Australia. The characters from their era that could still hear on radio or tv coverage at start of the 1980's was so engaging to listen to. Fred Trueman, Frank Tyson and Keith Miller I appreciate more now than I did then as over time I understood how important they were to shaping my enjoyment on watching and playing the game myself in backyard and locally. Meanwhile early in 2023 I had to often mute the commentary in the series I was watching from India when Australia was playing them as the commentators were trying to sound interesting rather than were interesting. The India commentators and Matthew Hayden were putting me to sleep virtually. Man, How I appreciate hearing someone like this talk and actually are interesting. Funny how he said he might bowl underarm to make a mockery of helmets if he was still playing. Greg Chappell also knew you could still bowl underarm in those times and would direct his younger brother to do it in a match in 1980 v New Zealand. Rules must have changed sometime soon after so you could no longer do it in the modern game.

[@kenclayton5088]

Champion bowler...

[@seanbonella]

im sure that Australian batsman would disagree

[@davidglow3]

Statistically Fred is the best fast bowler in English cricket history..Wickets to tests played is incredible

[@Millmiglia001]

In Truemans day there were only 3 'True' fast bowlers -Trueman/Hall/Grifith. Today ,EVERY test team has 1/2 bowlers who can hit 90 mph or more . What would Trueman have done if he had face the Windies fast bowling lineups from1976-1988?. It's fine being disparaging about helmets -but,as Sobers remarked when asked about them -"I would certainly have worn one if i waa playing today ,have you seen how many 90mph plus bowlers there are in test cricket today - EVERY test team has a pair and some have 3. When i played ,a 90 mph test bowler was both a novelty and a rarity".

[@sugarnads]

Hated wearing helmets. Couldnt see properly. Got too hot too fast too long. Made my footwork lazy. When i didnt wear one the short ball was easier to avoid or hit.

[@shylo8590]

Completely agree, could never get on with them as a kid so stopped wearing them. Fred made a good point, batsmen tend to get hit more than ever because they dont watch the ball like they did before helmets

[@andrew7440]

​@@shylo8590Me too, wore one for about 4 balls in the nets when my coach told me to. The grill kept hitting my shoulder, and I couldn't turn my head properly, took it straight off again.

[@Bob-ts2tu]

when i started played in the 70's no-one wore helmets, and i can remember going to headingly to see england vs the windies, and they had some scary fast bowlers. they used to say you needed to learn how to bat properly and defend yourself. having said that i wasn't that good a batsman myself and having a ball rushing past my head & occasionally hitting me was'nt nice, so given a choice i'd probably have chosen one had they been around. RIP fred, a truly great cricketer (and presenter of indoor league) - 'i'll si thi'.

[@mikejohnson6301]

I see some the batsmans these days with their space suit and wondering if they are going on a space mission - I never see viv richards with all that body protection and he was facing Lillie , Thompson , snow etc - some of the fiercest fast bowlers

[@andrew7440]

To be fair to though none of us are as good as Sir Viv!

[@melvynslote457]

Fred was very intelligent and erudite.

[@tomhickson8313]

Didn’t call him firer Fred for nought 👍👍👍😊

[@rukdropov]

What about limited the short ball height to below neck height? I personally don't think bouncers are in the spirit of the game.

[@tonyknight9912]

Talking lots of sense here. I'm sure he would eventually accept helmets as well as they have revolutionised the game.

[@Jimfowler82]

What are his views on French letters.

[@PremierComputerFairs]

His views on them, they are absolutely rubbish!

[@shahidahmed7892]

Brilliant

[@jamesvickers5998]

Top stuff from Fred

[@Eat-MyGoal]

One of the finest medium-fast bowlers this country's produced...

[@newtronix]

Ooh cutting!

[@neilperry2241]

🤡

[@SuperRiddlers]

Thank god he's not still alive. He's have belted you about the head with his pipe

[@martinspencer366]

Fred was genuinely fast and he could swing the ball away. Probably Englands best ever fast bowler.

[@ianbetts4435]

In his day very few bowlers over 80 mph

[@alenton81]

I'LL SEE THEE!!!

[@PremierComputerFairs]

This is one of Fred Truman jokes! Women and Cricket have a lot in common when you batting! You tickle it down fine leg, you stroke it through the covers, but some times, you give it, a damn good belting!

[@Wally-H]

To be fair, those white helmets that were worn at the time did look ridiculous. Once the design was refined they looked much better and of course it's right they became commonplace. you can understand why at the time, some people like Fred thought the way they did. He was far more forward-thinking regarding his views about Packer - he was of course absolutely right and history has shown that Packer did indeed demonstrate the true commercial potential of cricket.

[@raydegs1602]

Spot on fred.

[@raumshen9298]

Perfect

[@MrVorpalsword]

Freddie Truman predicts Sky TV, 12 years before it was invented? you what?

[@tonyfranklin8306]

wear PPE, take more risks, also bowlers take more risks and don't feel so curbed in bowling bouncers at any batsmen incl tailenders. A lot more head strikes and even more deaths since helmets became a thing. In ALL sport, more injuries and deaths have occured since helmets were introduced. In cycling and Ice hockey particularly, boxing has seen a huge jump in concussions in the amateurs such that they removed them in the mens. if you want to reduce head injuries, change the rules reagrds what bowlers can do whether that's an opner or a no.11! Gridiron changed the rules and concussions dropped 15% in one season! Tygby league and union have massively fewer concssions per minute of play than Gridiron despite lack of helmets.

[@simonboland]

Tell Steve Smith after he was hit by Jofra Archer that helmets are some sort of comedy. Even the best cricketer may not be in the right position.

[@vikingfitz9088]

If Steve Smith gets in the right position, it’s by luck. He has a brilliant eye but he moves around all over the shop!

[@dante666jt]

Phil Hughes would like to have a word with you sir!

[@harshaphukan5091]

With due respect to Phil Hughes, he did get into trouble because of misjudging the length of the balll. He was wearing a helmet

[@WELLBRAN]

someone who knows what he is talking about

[@willhovell9019]

A great cricketer , but no regard for human injury or even death. We are now in the age of scientifically proven head injuries , dementia in football, rugby and cricket. Sky has destroyed English free to air cricket and marginalised our national summer gamè. Fred was correct about underpaying of professional cricketers. Respect to Fred from a Middlesex CCC supporter 🏏

[@PremierComputerFairs]

Heading in football should be banned!

[@jimmypostlethwaite]

when England was a great and United nation , I seen Fred bowl at my beloved Lancashire ( when Liverpool was part of the greatest county in England ‘’ till some silly politician made us Merseyside ‘’ Jimmy poss Liverpool

[@mikepxg6406]

Didnt mind a bit of Grecian 2000.....

[@cquilty1]

@mikepxg6406 And the Hitlleresque hairstyle the icing on the cake.

[@PremierComputerFairs]

Fred did not use it! He was not going grey! He was only 47 years old!

[@pallabdatta6926]

Cricket can only become enjoyable when there will be no helmets, no hand guards and body guards and no limitation to bowling bouncers.

[@frankeastop7233]

Can any modern sporting superstar speak this well, and not even put their pipe down?

[@clintonjacobson3282]

I was taught to use the bat sunny

[@RalphBrooker-gn9iv]

Sir Fred ‘We never had cricket gear’ Trueman who, in spite of this alarming penury, managed to pick up some wickets. - ‘Wickets’! I never saw one …

[@douglashopping8267]

Sir Fred

[@mpsymonds1]

I have a friend who is a Yorkshireman. Very rarely wrong if ever. 😂

[@gavingray5275]

I do miss proper chin music.

[@terranceparsons5185]

By eck, he nearly clobbered our Captain Mainwaring!

[@paulburns-dt9eq]

Fred Trueman was a total gentleman...Geoffrey boycott is also a legend and also hilarious making refs about sticks of rhubarb and his Grannies pinny but neither of them got on and i follow Lancashire!

[@SuperFerdie1965]

When told that Boycott has people queuing up at the ground, Fred replied "aye, no doubt they were queuing up to leave".

[@AlanHughes-w6s]

I remember Fred being asked by Eamon Andrews what a gentleman was and he said someone who gets out of the bath to go to the toilet..