Farewell to Ralph, good journo and a great guy
RALPH ELLIS, a football writer and sports news editor for the Daily Mail, has died after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 62. Ralph leaves wife Sue, sons Daniel and Matthew, daughter-inlaw Hayley and grandsons Jamie and Ray. He started on the Western Daily Press in Bristol before moving to the Birmingham Evening Mail and then to the Daily Star.
He became Bristol Rovers’ commercial manager and later forged a career as a freelance for a number of titles including the
Sunday Mirror and was a regular contributor to TALKSPORT and Betfair.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis said: ‘Ralph was a fantastic man. i have tremendous respect for him. He was an old- school journo who you could trust.
‘He would write what he believed but would respect your opinion at the same time. i found him to be a really good football man. it’s sad news.’
ian Holloway, the former Queens Park Rangers manager, said: ‘i’ve spent many a happy hour in his company. i’m absolutely devastated. He was a football man through and through.
‘ i’ve been great friends with Ralph for a long, long time. When i first got into the Bristol Rovers team he did my very first interview. He was a genuine guy who loved his football.’
The Sports Journalists’ Association said in a statement: ‘We are desperately sorry to hear of the death of colleague Ralph Ellis, a stalwart of the Midlands. Thoughts go out to Sue and the boys.’
Former Luton Town striker Mick Harford tweeted: ‘Very sad news, Rip Ralph Ellis, a good journalist and a great man.’