David Emery, 2nd October 2001,
photograph by Patrick Eagar
By Mike Allen
Former PGS captain David Emery has died aged 76, following a catastrophic stroke early last year.
David, a former Daily Express sports editor and chief sports writer, was captain in 2003, carrying out his duties with his unmistakable elan and wit.
He was a talented writer who started his career on the Surrey Comet, before getting his first job on Fleet Street at the Daily Mail.
He also worked on the Daily Star in its very early years but it was at the Daily Express that he really made his name.
He established himself as one of the top sports writers in the country on the Express, covering the 1984 Olympics where he filed on the Zola Budd/Mary Decker drama for a 4amspecial (remember them!).
He also covered the Mexico World Cup in 1986, reporting on Maradona’s Hand of God goal before being appointed sports editor later that year, a position he held for a decade which saw the paper move from hot metal and Fleet Street to computers and Blackfriars.
He built an impressive team of reporters and gave a number of young journalists their big break on both the production and writing side.
An energetic and enthusiastic sports editor, whose first sporting love was athletics, he engendered great loyalty in those who worked for him.
After leaving the Express in 1996 he worked for the Press Association before setting up the weekly titles – the Football League Paper, Non-League Paper, Cricket Paper and Rugby Paper.
David leaves three sons and two daughters from his two marriages – two of the sons continue to run his media business.
David joined the PGS in 1988 and was a great supporter of the Christmas Scramble, often bringing his sons along to join his team and providing a host of auction lots. He was a warm and generous captain in 2003 and played in three Wryter Cups, leading the side to victory in Hardelot. David also won the Sir George Sutton Salver with Norman Dixon in 1993, the Mirror Trophy in 2001 and the Sir Harry Brittain Trophy with Paul Trow in 2003.