David Lacey Cause of Death – Passed Away : David Lacey, The Guardian’s football writer and journalist has passed away at a care home in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, on Monday, November 15. There was no cause of death given at the time of publication. David’s death has left the Lacey family devastated and shocked. He was 83 years old at the time of death.
David Lacey was born in the English town of Lewes in 1938. David learned about journalism from his father, who was the editor of a newspaper and served in the RAF during his national service. David started his career as a reporter for the Evening Argus, where he began covering Brighton football. He wrote his first match report for the Guardian in November 1964 and went on to cover ten football World Cups.
In 1997 and 2002, David was named sports reporter of the year. David retired in 2002 after 30 years as a football journalist but continued writing about football until 2013 when he joined the Guardian’s sports desk as a sub-editor. He covered his first World Cup in England in 1996. His favourite stadium in Mexico City’s Azteca, where he witnessed two of his career highlights: Italy’s famous 4-3 victory in the 1970 World Cup semi-final and England’s defeat to Argentina in the 1986 World Cup.
David retired from the Guardian and moved to the Cambridgeshire countryside, where he enjoyed spending time with his family. Marcus Christenson describes David as a wonderful writer and one of the main reasons he chose the Guardian to be ‘his paper’ when he moved to England.
Tributes are flooding in for the Guardian’s football writer and journalist on social media, honouring his life’s work.
“A true great of football journalism died today RIP, David Lacey. His Saturday column in the Guardian was the ideal way to start the weekend. He took the English language to new heights with no effort and had a wit that was as dry as the Sahara. In Albania, he wrote: “Glenn Hoddle has a chosen a team that is horses for courses, though here it might also be for main courses.” David was a lovely man, an absolute gentleman and always willing to help a colleague. I enjoyed every minute of his company and his copy #RIPDavid.”
“RIP the great David Lacey – the finest football writer of his generation….. I was honoured to be his colleague at The Guardian for seven years.”
“David Lacey was a wonderful writer and one of the main reasons I chose the Guardian to be ‘my paper’ when I moved to England. This is lovely by @rwilliams1947 : David Lacey never wasted words – he used them to enrich the reader”
“Very sad to learn of the death of David Lacey. His sports journalism had the twin effect of firing my love of both sport and journalism. His writing style was peerless and seemed but clearly wasn’t effortless.”
“The Guardian’s supreme #DavidLacey has left us. Topman. A master writer with descriptive phrases from the gods, and a quintessential English gentleman. I felt privileged to share press boxes with him. Rest easy, David, and thank you for your company and your words @theofficialfwa”
We are yet to confirm details for the obituary and funeral arrangements of David Lacey. We ask that the privacy of the family be respected until details are made public.
Photo Credit (PC) – Rossa McDermott