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His classic impersonations made the original Channel Nine cricket commentators household names, but now, Billy Birmingham has announced his ’12th Man’ franchise will end with one final album on November 27.
Birmingham’s first album was in 1984 titled ‘It’s just not cricket’ and introduced his own take on Australia’s national sport and in particular Channel Nine’s iconic commentary team with Richie Benaud the central figure.
Birmingham’s ability to portray Bill, Tony, Chappelli, and Richie while also creating a narrative around Nine’s Wide World of Sports as a whole has made him a legend.
To all my fans & followers, it is with some degree of sadness that I announce The 12th Man is finally hanging up his microphone and retiring
— The 12th Man (@12thManHQ) November 9, 2015
Each album had its own unique theme. From the early Wide World of Sports TV show with Max Walker, to a ‘This is Your life’ on Bill Lawry and the brilliance of poking fun at Eddie McGuire’s ‘Boned’ comment and cutbacks at the network when he was CEO of Channel Nine.
Thanks to Billy Birmingham, the listener got to imagine what it would be like if Ray ‘Rabs’ Warren, Darrell Eastlake and Hansie Cronje ever commentated cricket. He also made an impressive fantasy list of cricketers from the sub-continent. Who could forget ‘Rarbish Binny, Aqib Ma-teeth-in-a-jar-beside-the-bed, Wasee A-Crim and Penut Butajar.
Birmingham’s uncanny knack of satirising Nine’s coverage made cricket fans chuckle as it wasn’t too far from the truth. In one scenario he pretended Tony Greig was explaining the value of the ‘scrotometer’ – a piece of equipment that players attach to their testicles so that viewers can assess the player’s comfort level.
This sort of ludicrous scenario isn’t so ludicrous when you consider Nine used the ‘Hot Spot’ on the fifth day of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand to see how hot Adam Voges’ leg was when shining the ball on his trousers (see video above).
The popularity of Birmingham’s albums is nothing short of extraordinary with eight reaching number one on the ARIA charts.
While Richie may not have been a fan of Birmingham’s work, there’s no doubting the impersonator made him and the rest of the characters he portrayed even more famous to sports and non-sports fans alike.
Be thankful that you lived in the era of the greatest commentator of them all…
— The 12th Man (@12thManHQ) November 9, 2015
It was perhaps inevitable that with the deaths of Richie Benaud and Tony Greig Birmingham would pull up stumps. To go out on a high Birmingham announced he wouldn’t do a new album, but, as a tribute to Richie will release a ‘best of’ with his favourite Richie moments on one album.
Roarers with the end of era, what are your favourite ’12th Man’ moments over the years?
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