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Tribute to Graham Russell, journalist who covered Glos for more than 50 years, who has dies aged 95

26 March 2024

Graham Russell, who covered Gloucestershire as a journalist for more than half a century, has died peacefully in hospital at the age of 95.

Bristol-born and educated at Cotham Grammar School, where his classmates included Arthur Milton, the last man to play both cricket and football for England, Graham joined the Western Daily Press as a teenaged trainee reporter in the 1940s.

So began more than seven decades of covering West country sport, regularly reporting for numerous publications on both Bristol Football League clubs, Gloucestershire cricket and his beloved speedway at first Knowle and then Eastville.

Graham became the Sunday People’s sports correspondent in the region, also working in television for TWW and HTV, as well as presenting a Saturday morning sports show on BBC Radio Bristol, co-hosting with former Gloucestershire captain Tony Brown during Bristol City’s glory days in the old First Division.

He interviewed Wally Hammond for television, was renowned for driving a series of Rolls Royce cars and became a doyen of the press box at the County Ground, Bristol, not least because he was in charge of the phone lines so necessary to colleagues from the local and national media in the days before mobiles.

Graham also founded the Bristol and West News Agency in 1951, employing several journalists to cover news and sport, and working alongside two partners in first Bruce Perry and then Richard Latham.

Despite officially retiring in 1998, Graham continued to write on sport and was still supplying a weekly column to the Sunday Independent approaching his 90th birthday. The paper’s then sports editor John Collings, writing on facebook, described him as “The perfect professional”, adding “Graham never once missed a deadline, once even phoning in copy from his hospital bed.”

Richard Latham, who shared press boxes at cricket and football with Graham for many years before becoming his business partner, said: “He was a larger-than-life character, the only journalist I knew who drove a Rolls Royce, and enormously popular with his fellow reporters.

"Along with his great friend, David Foot, he made the press box at the County Ground, Bristol, a welcoming place for visiting reporters, with plenty of laughter and camaraderie."

Tributes have flowed in from some of the players Graham worked with over the years. Former Bristol City striker Paul Cheesley said: “Graham was one of journalism’s nice people, always the pro, but a great character”, while ex-Bristol Rovers defender Phil Bater wrote: “So sad to hear news of Graham’s passing. He was an old-school journalist", and team-mate Ian Holloway added: "What a fantastic gentleman."

Former Gloucestershire cricketer Andy Brassington said: “What a legend of a journalist Graham was. He was never far from the players looking for a story, but we trusted him 100 per cent.”

Graham was never happier than with a gin and tonic in hand, kept people smiling in his company and was always ready to help younger reporters, including Match of the Day commentator Jonathan Pearce, who said: “I remember him with great fondness.”

Fellow cricket writers joined in the acclamation. Eddie Bevan wrote: "Graham was always kind and helpful", while Paul Bolton described him as "A much liked and respected colleague" and Paul Edwards as "a fine writer". David 'Toff' Lloyd referred to "many brilliant memories of time spent in his company."

Graham enjoyed two happy marriages to first Audrey and then Joyce. He leaves two sons, Nick and Mark, and three grandchildren he adored in Charlotte, Emilie and Juliette.

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