THE Daily Star is sad to announce the death of chief sports writer Brian Woolnough.
The 63-year-old had been suffering from bowel cancer and died at home. Wooly, as he was affectionately known, joined the Star from the Sun in 2001.
He was one of the country’s best known sports journalists and was constantly in demand by TV and radio for his well-informed and cutting opinions.
He had also hosted Sky Sports' popular Sunday Supplement since 2007, after previously being the presenter of Hold the Back Page from August 1994.
He started his career at The Esher News in Surrey after his mother saw an advert in the paper for a cub reporter.
After working at the Evening Post in Hemel Hempstead and for United Newspapers he was headhunted by The Sun, where he worked his way up to become chief football writer.
He stayed there for 27 years, once nearly joining great rivals the Daily Mirror, before being poached by the Star to become chief sports writer in 2001.
The role suited him perfectly, and he was able to use his expanded brief to display his love, and knowledge, of among other sports rugby union, cricket and boxing.
Regarded as one of the profession’s true gents, that did not stop he going into the referee’s room and confronting the official in Rotterdam in 1993 after a controversial decision looked to have denied England a place in the 1994 World Cup finals.
And he was front page news himself in 2004, when his typically trenchant views after watching a display by Norwich City saw him dominate local newspapers and TV bulletins.
It was all smoothed over during lunch with Delia Smith. And he was right, Norwich were relegated.
He was widely-known and respected inside and outside the profession, and must have been one of the few journalists to have been regularly asked for his autograph.
He leaves a wife, Linda, and three children.
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