A MAN who was considered to be a giant in the world of sports journalism across the region has died at the age of 87.

John McVey, known by his friends and family as Jack, was also a highly respected local sportsman himself, who excelled at badminton, football, golf, cricket and rugby.

Born in 1932, Mr McVey grew up at Park House, in Windermere, with his brothers Paddy, Dan and Brian and sister Sheelagh.

Educated at St Mary’s Boys’ School, he attended Windermere Grammar School. where he was presented with the Headmaster’s Trophy cricket ball for taking 10 wickets for 41 runs in 1948.

Once he finished school he went straight to work at The Westmorland Gazette as a junior reporter.

Mr McVey then progressed to chief reporter and finally to the post for which he was most known for, sports editor, a role which he stuck with until his retirement in 1992.

He was at the Gazette for more than 40 years.

However, two of those years were interrupted when he fulfilled his National Service with the Border Regiment as a depot clerk in Carlisle. During that time he represented the regiment in a number of rugby matches.

John Lannaghan, former editor of the Gazette, described Mr McVey as a man who “took everything is his stride, in his usual calm, efficient and gentlemanly manner”.

“His sports pages were almost encyclopedic in detail and were presented with such care that whether it was football, fell running or fencing the reader was looking for, it could be found with ease,” he said.

“John worked through a period of great change, not least the transition from the old hot metal process to new technology - a period which saw the Gazette more than double in size and the sports section grow from one to three or more broadsheet pages. But he took everything in his stride in his usual calm, efficient and gentlemanly manner.

A keen sportsman, he played football for Bowness Rovers and Staveley, and rugby and cricket for Windermere.

Mr McVey was also an exceptional badminton player and was chairman of the Westmorland Badminton Association.

His enthusiasm for the game would lead him to coach junior players.

After retiring, Mr McVey took up golf and grew an interest in the Royal Windermere Yacht Club’s 17ft. class racing yachts, for which he would continue to write reports for the paper.

“What he didn’t know about sport in the area wasn’t worth knowing and when he decided to retire, he left behind a depth of knowledge almost impossible to equal,” added former colleague Mr Lannaghan.

Mr McVey is survived by his wife Anne, who he married in 1958, and his two loving children Simon and Fiona. He was also very proud of his three grandchildren, who he supported in all their various endeavours.

The funeral will be at Our Lady Of Windermere and St Herbert, in Windermere, on Thursday, July 18 at 1pm.