Ken Oliver, who has died at the age of 86, was the Guardian’s racing editor for many years until his retirement in 2004, at the end of a lifetime in racing journalism at publications including the London Evening News, the Sporting Life, the Sun, the London Daily News, the Sunday People – where he tipped as Larry Lynx – and as the editor of Ruff’s Guide to the Turf, the racing equivalent of Wisden. Ken was the racing editor when I joined the Guardian in 2001 and he was a joy to work with: an old-school veteran of the glory days of Fleet Street, blessed with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the sport and steeped in all the rhythms and traditions of daily papers that would soon be ushered into history by the internet. He was also unflappable, understanding when a story or plan went awry, and the best possible company for a pint or two in a local watering hole once the first edition had been put to bed.
The long lunch was another Fleet Street tradition that Ken maintained diligently. He also loved a pint, a game of snooker and was a great trencherman. I remember one Sunday, we were having the full works for lunch in the Albion.
Ken was getting stuck into the roast beef when the landlady shouted out: “Ken, the Dovers are in.” He said: “Right, when I finish this, I’ll have one. And he did.” Like many Fleet Street journalists in the post-war era, Ken Oliver started out as a teaboy in his teens – in his case, on the London Evening News in an era when it was the biggest-selling evening paper in the world – and then worked his way through the ranks. That’s how he was with everybody, he was just a nice guy that everybody liked.” In retirement, Oliver remained a regular racegoer at West Country tracks – Wincanton was his particular favourite – for many years, and he died a few months after celebrating the 60th anniversary of his wedding to Sylvia.
Tony Paley, Oliver’s successor as the Guardian’s racing editor, said: “I owe a lot to Ken and will always be eternally grateful for his faith in me when recommending my application to the sports editor for a place on the racing desk at the Guardian. He was kind, had an engaging sense of humour and was always ‘the life and soul’. I know he will be very sorely missed by his family, friends and all his ex-colleagues.”
Extract — continue reading at the source.
