There is a nice little tribute to RF on the BBC website at the moment; www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/25125935 I think he must be 75 now, and yes he has been struggling a bit with his commentaries lately, but if I could do half as well in front of a microphone when I reach my 70's, I will count myself lucky. Enjoy a long retirement Ray "And he's got the icepack on his groin there, so possibly not the old shoulder injury."

There is a nice little tribute to RF on the BBC website at the moment; www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/25125935 I think he must be 75 now, and yes he has been struggling a bit with his commentaries lately, but if I could do half as well in front of a microphone when I reach my 70's, I will count myself lucky. Enjoy a long retirement Ray "And he's got the icepack on his groin there, so possibly not the old shoulder injury."

Nice man, but always been a terrible commentator, particularly on the radio. He used to roll out the 'brought up on talo, sweet potatoes' line for every player who was remotely Pacific Island in origin. His radio commentary has always been incredible poor, you had absolutely no idea of where on the pitch the ball was, nor who had it.

I can just imagine you wearing a toga Saddened, and walking past the crucifixion; "Well, nice bloke but he has only got himself to blame really. If only he had kept his thoughts to himself. Still, it will be a lot quieter in Jerusalem now....."

Had the pleasure of sitting next to Ray on a flight to Girona a couple of years ago.
His knowledge of the game is encyclopedic and is still as passionate about it as ever. Happy and long retirement Ray.

Ray French will have forgotten more about RL in two minutes, than some of the numpties who come on here to "diss him", will ever know in a lifetime.
Steeped in knowledge about our sport.
Not the best commentator by any means, but will DEFINATELY be missed.

Sad day (but inevitable)

I used to work with a bloke years ago, who'd impersonate Ray, for anything that was happening in the news

"Silly Saddam, no neeeeeeed to invade"

"Silly Mr Clinton, should have made her clean it up"

Ray French's Slip Of The Tongue.....on Youtube

Due to the excitement of the game Ray French can't decide wether to say forward or hooker so opts for a mix of both, live on BBC.

Still a BILLION times better than his sidekick, Alan "it's try time at the 'alliwell" Rooney, who, in turn, is a BILLION times better than that halfwit who "commentates" for Wire FM, Graham Lovett (iirc)

Commentator; iffy. After dinner speaker; brilliant.

Ray French has always been my favourite RL commentator. He was commentator when I was a kid and all the classic memories I have of rugby league have Ray's voice. I like all his mannerisms and the fact you get used to his Ray Frenchisms. I know Eddie and Stevo have been around for ages but I won't miss them when they retire but I will miss Ray. I was too young to remember Eddie Waring but for me Ray is the voice of RL.

If some people on here think Ray French isn't a quality commentator they obviously aren't old enough to remember Eddie Wareing...He really was terrible.

Woooahhh Now he's retired he's become a great legendary commentator...............

This all reminds me of a "not the nine O'clock news" sketch

[urlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T17VzztS60M[/url

come on just because he's retired dont pay him compliments he didnt deserve.
He has ruined many a classic game and many many classic moments....

He is possibly of a similar age to Ray Warren but in terms of knowledge of the game and to be able to communicate that he is a million miles apart.........

So many great passages of play passed him by and all he could say was ....ooooh and its a try

He is not Murray walker or David Coleman that made the occasional Blooper but were great commentators of their sports, Ray French was a rank awful caller of Rugby League.

No doubt he is very knowledgeable about the game. He was always very keen on telling us which amateur club any given player started out with. But he was a crap commentator - just because some of us grew up with the televised game soundtracked by him doesn't mean he was any good.
"Well, well, well, Keith Elwell" my personal favourite meaningless Frenchism.

More like he probably said...."oooooh now then! now has he scored? has he got that ball down? I think he has you know Jonathan!"

I’m sorry but two wrongs don’t make a right, I readily except he knows far more about the game than I ever will, and I also think in everyday life he may be a thoroughly nice bloke, nonetheless I think he was not a very good commentator on radio, or TV. I have believed that the only reason the Dark-side loving school ties at the BBC kept him on was just to maintain the image of the flat cap provincial sport the RU Dark-side want to promote for our game. As a player I can’t comment, I’m not old enough to have seen him in the flesh, as a teacher also I can’t speak, but as a commentator IMO he was very poor.

And he was almost always wrong!

But ,at least Ray French & Eddie Waring did try & lighten the mood which i'm sure is what the terrible twosome of Eddie & Stevo try & do in their own way . Now to talk about bad commentators just look at most of the tv football bods, to say they are boring is an understatement ....football lost its best commentators years ago with Wolstenholme, Coleman, Davies & Moore.

What we have to bear in mind with Frenchy is that he knows what he's talking about because he's been there, done it & got the T shirt.

Everytime someone quotes him I read it in a RF accent!

Good post !!!!!!!
Total t***pot
Good riddance a total embarrassment to our sport.
A BBC rah -rah Patsy intended to portray the cloth cap image of our game.
How anyone can think anything good about this bloke amazes me !!!!!!!!!

You've obviously never met Ray French. Tremendous knowledge of the game and a very intelligent man. You obviously weren't one of his English students.

In his interview at half time in the WC Final he said that only the International game can take our sport forward and club rugby can only take us so far.
Very true and I've always found his comments and anaysis spot on.
He will continue to be on BBC Merseyside's Try Time show, Thursdays 6-7pm and his views on the game are always forward thinking and worth listening to.

I enjoyed him as a child watching rugby on tv but I outgrew his commentary and preferred sky when they took over, I always hoped for someone to freshen things up, I'm sure he's a throughly decent bloke and he certainly knows more than I ever will but I'm glad he's gone.
Now we have Dave Woods and I enjoy him more than most now, would love Vossy though.

Please keep Davies on the union though, god he miserable.

Just hope now that Ray has left the building, Davies is close behind him. Both incredible individuals and nice blokes, but I feel they have held back the BBC coverage for the last decade. Hopefully now, we can press on and get some dynamic commentary that the Challenge Cup deserves.