Sports sub ‘legend’ dies within days of departing paper

A SPORTS ‘legend’ at the Daily Record newspaper, who had recently taken voluntary redundancy, has died from a short bout with cancer.

Danny Brown, a racing sub-editor at the paper for almost 20 years, had only taken the redundancy package three weeks ago, and had yet to begin his early retirement, at the age of 55, when he fell ill.

He died on Tuesday, in the Beatson clinic at Gartnavel Hospital, Glasgow.

He had been hospitalised the day before his scheduled departure from the Record where, says a colleague, “he and close friend and colleague, Davie Coupar, were part of the furniture at the racing desk and became ‘legends’ at the paper”.

Says friend and colleague, Alex Mooney: “He was intelligent and sharp, but dismissive of pretension. Danny and Davie didn’t suffer fools gladly and could always be relied on to dismiss cant and bullshit with some severity.

“Danny, aware of his fate in hospital, and plain speaking as ever, told visitors he knew his ‘tea was oot’ – and bore his fate with remarkable grace and bravery.”

Racing editor, Ian Taylor, told allmediascotland: “Danny was born and brought up in Partick and cut his teeth in journalism at the West End Times and Glasgow Guardian before joining the Record’s Racing desk in November 1989.

“A keen punter, who enjoyed a dram or two, he was a weel-kent face in the bookies and bars of Partick.

“But he was also a man who liked to travel. While most folk were happy with a trip ‘doon the watter’, Danny was bound for Mexico, India and the Caribbean.

“A true professional, Danny will be sadly missed by his colleagues at the Record and his many mates at the Hayburn in Partick and the Anchorage in Yoker.”