‘Old-school’ sports writer whose early life served Post readers well
FORMER Birmingham Post sports reporter Mike Ward – who has died at the age of 65 – was an old-school journalist among old-school journalists.
He was a fine writer who never shirked the often thankless task of extracting quotable responses from those reluctant to answer questions.
Two years of army service in his native Rhodesia prepared him well for awkward encounters as he turned his hand to journalism in the West Midlands, where he made his home.
Born on February 22, 1951, in Kwekwe, Rhodesia, he was educated at Falcon College, Bulawayo and the University of Rhodesia before rising to serve as a platoon commander in the Rhodesian Army.
He served alongside former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar in the years before Robert Mugabe came to power in 1980 in what had by then become Zimbabwe.
He started his journalistic career at the Rhodesia Herald, before moving to England where his first newspaper was the Hereford Times. Long-time friend and squash partner Rob Shay later found him a job on the Birmingham Post in 1977.
In that time, he played a lot of squash at Edgbaston’s Priory Club, covered many football matches and proudly served as Post tennis correspondent, being granted the rare luxury of a Centre Court press box seat – a privilege granted to very few journalists on regional papers.
In August 1990, he married Rachel, with whom he had two children, Olivia, 22, and Henry, 21, to whom he was a devoted and loving father.
He retired from the Post after 25 years’ service in 2002 and settled at the family’s idyllic home overlooking the Teme Valley in Worcestershire where his rare but beautifully crafted journalism was created in later years as a freelancer.
During his career, ‘Wardy’, as he was known, covered all the big West Midlands football teams and aside from his tennis reports, he was most celebrated for his coverage of West Bromwich Albion, for whom he had a particular fondness.
Mr Ward died suddenly in hospital last week after developing septicaemia in an infected hand wound.
He was taken ill just six days before what would have been his 66th birthday. The irony will not have been lost on him that he departed this life with the Baggies at the top of the West Midlands’ football tree – as they were when he arrived in England 40 years ago.
Funeral details are yet to be confirmed subject to an inquest.