David Irvine, who passed away at the age of 88 after a long illness, was an incredible storyteller. He spent over 27 years reporting for the Guardian, starting with northern rugby union and cricket, and later becoming the tennis correspondent for 20 years.
He was a true master of his craft, known as the ‘king of the ad-libbers’ on the circuit. He had the remarkable ability to dictate lengthy articles off the top of his head, without any notes. His son Chris, who is also a journalist, recalls how his father could effortlessly write 1,200 words on a Wimbledon final, purely from his own inspiration. This natural talent made his writing truly exceptional, and he was a shining example of an old-school journalist who loved what he did.
Born in Kendal in 1935, Irvine began his career at the Kendal office of the Lancashire Evening Post when he was just 17. He learned from the experienced Harry Griffin, who wrote the Guardian’s Lakeland Diary for an impressive 50 years. Irvine soon found himself reporting on the incredible achievements of Donald Campbell and his Bluebird K7 hydroplane on Coniston and Ullswater.
His career in sportswriting took off when he joined the Coventry Evening Telegraph as a correspondent for rugby union, cricket, and speedway after completing his national service. During his time at the paper, Coventry rugby club experienced great success. In 1969, Irvine landed his dream job as the Guardian’s northern rugby union correspondent and cricket writer, based in Manchester.
In 1976, while on holiday in Spain, Irvine received a call from the editor, Peter Preston, offering him the role of tennis correspondent, taking over from David Gray. His first Wimbledon as the tennis correspondent was in 1977, where he witnessed Virginia Wade’s triumphant victory. Over the course of his career, he covered more than 70 grand slam events and enjoyed the camaraderie and rivalries of legendary players like Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert.
Irvine was one of the pioneers in recognizing the value of statistics in tennis reporting. His successor, Steve Bierley, fondly remembers him as an immensely kind man who had a knack for uncovering unique stats long before the days of Google.
Off the court, Irvine was rarely seen without a cigar or a glass of red wine. He earned the nickname ‘Noddy’ for occasionally dozing off during matches. He often sprinkled his articles with references to classical music and made sure to make time for concerts at Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls during the US Open. Meeting the renowned American violinist Isaac Stern and dancer Rudolf Nureyev was a highlight of his career.
While Irvine found great joy in writing about the North of England’s historic victory over the All Blacks in 1979, his most cherished sporting memory was being present at Old Trafford in 1956 to witness Jim Laker’s incredible feat of taking all 19 wickets against Australia.
Even after retiring as the tennis correspondent in 1996, Irvine continued to freelance for the Guardian and Observer, covering tennis and rugby union. Later, he also wrote about rugby league for the Times. His passion for sports never waned, although the loss of his wife, Eileen, in 2006 deeply affected him. He is survived by his sons Chris and Rob, both of whom followed in their father’s footsteps as journalists.