OBITUARY: Former Press journalist Don Hardisty

Don, who was raised in a York council house but won a scholarship to St Peter's had an illustrious career in newspapers and worked on many national titles.

He was in hospital after suffering breathing difficulties at home in Handforth, Cheshire, when he contracted an infection, not believed to be Covid. His wife Chrissie and children were able to be with him during his last hours.

After working at The Press, he went on to work for the Daily Mail, Express and Star as a sports writer.

He was born on September 9, 1929, in the Acomb Maternity Home in York to parents Jack and Olive. Jack was a tinsmith and latterly assistant foreman at the Rowntree chocolate factory.

They moved council houses from Constantine Avenue to Kexby Avenue and finally on to Dodsworth Avenue, meaning Don had to move schools - from St Lawrence C of E to Park Grove, where he sat his 11-plus in 1940. That was the day his life changed dramatically - although he didn't know it.

Don Hardisty at St Peter's

The local paper printed a huge list of names without details and Don's name was in third place. It was not until the headmistress announced at assembly the following day that he was third in the entire city. This did not even mean very much to him or his parents until they found that five scholarships were available at St Peter's to the boys high in the list.

A remarkable transformation then began. Thanks to his parents making tremendous financial sacrifices for uniform etc, Don was able to enjoy the facilities of St Peter's - still considerable compared with other schools, despite wartime restrictions. He was able to learn French, German, Latin and Greek, became successful at rugby and rowing, athletics and shooting, was drum major in the Cadet Corps, a school monitor and head of Temple House.

He captained the school 1st IV which won the White Rose Cup for junior-senior oarsmen at York Regatta. He won the Modem Language Prize and was runner up in the best Individual Shot.

In 1947 he had to come down to earth and began National Service in the Royal Army Service Corps, learning shorthand and typing and, as a corporal, becoming personal secretary to the Commander-in-Chief British Army of the Rhine. The office training helped him to get his first job, as a trainee journalist on the Yorkshire Evening Press.

In 1951 he moved on to The Star in Sheffield as a news reporter then in 1953 he moved to the Daily Mail in Manchester as a sports sub.

Don Hardisty in his younger days as sports writer on the Daily Mail

Two years later he turned to sports writing full time in the golden days before floodlights were invented and all midweek football kicked off at 2pm on early closing day. Since few journalists had cars, midweek games could often involve travelling on Tuesday; returning on Thursday - two nights hotel. There were so many daily and Sunday papers in Manchester there would often be a coachload of match reporters on the train to Sheffield on Saturday, some carrying on to Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, etc. On the return journey if there was a bar on the train it was usually drunk dry by the time it reached Manchester, then the party continued at the Queens Hotel, moving to the Portland after the Queens was demolished.

This lively and highly talented community suffered a tragic loss in the Manchester United air crash at Munich in February 1958 in which eight writers died with players and officials of the club. Don would have been on this trip but for a change of editorship at the Mail which saw Eric Thompson restored as chief Northern sports writer. Eric was among those who died.

In 1966, following the break-up of his first marriage, Don threw up his job at the Mail on the eve of the World Cup to start freelancing in Caernarvonshire. Needless to say, despite travelling back to England every Saturday to cover matches for the Sunday Express, this was hardly a living and it was not long before he and Christine, the lady who was later to become his second wife, started a guest house in the small seaside town of Pwllheli. With the acquisition of a residential licence he soon achieved another ambition to become a landlord. The bar at the Glyn became a regular tourist spot with visiting journalists.

After further flirtations with business - caravan parks and a furniture warehouse - Don returned to regular journalism when Ray Bower, Editor of the North Wales Chronicle in Bangor and a friend and colleague from his days in Yorkshire, offered him a job as news reporter and extremely casual sports editor. By this time Don and Chris were living near Benllech in Anglesey and the welcome arrival of their son Jonathan in 1974 convinced them they would have to return to the real world and earn some money, which by this time was to be had in much increased quantities in Manchester.

On their return in 1975, Don started work as a casual on the Daily Express and joined the staff within a few months. In 1978 he went back on the road as a sports writer when the Daily Star was born but after five years returned to the Daily Express as a sports sub, continuing to write for the Sunday Express. When the Express began to wind down the Manchester operation he took his redundancy in 1988 but rapidly returned to spend a few uproarious months as a member of a gang of casuals who, with – and sometimes without – the remaining staffmen, brought the paper out.

Don Hardisty who has died aged 91

He continued as a freelance sports writer to work for the Telegraph, the Sunday Express and the Independent. In later years, back problems forced him to substitute gardening for canal cruising as a main leisure activity, along with travel. This was sadly curtailed by a heart attack and subsequently a stroke. Don retained a love for sport and journalism however and would often catch up with a group of old colleagues – calling themselves The Ampersands - at the Railway Hotel, Handforth.

He is survived by his wife Chrissie, children Chris, Andrew, Claire and Jon, grandchildren and great grandchildren.