A cricket-mad production editor and former sports journalist has played his last innings in local newspapers after half a century’s service.

Tony Mustard spent most of his career covering sport for newspapers in West Sussex and has been production editor of the Littlehampton Gazette since 2001.

The 67-year-old said: “I have had a good career, very enjoyable. I have made so many friends through work and sport and a lot of it has overlapped. The people you get to know is quite staggering.

“I can’t walk down the street in Worthing, Littlehampton, Bognor or Chichester without coming across someone I have written about or played cricket with. I have been very lucky.”

An accomplished bowler, Tony took more than 2,500 wickets for local cricket clubs and still umpires matches near his home in Felpham, Bognor Regis.

He began his career as a trainee with the Bognor Regis Observer in 1959 and later that year moved to Chichester where he worked for The News, before transferring to the title’s HQ, in Portsmouth.

After a stint working for news he switched to covering local sports and in 1965 moved back to Sussex as a sports reporter with the Worthing Herald, later becoming sports editor.

He spent more than 40 years with the Herald and Gazette Series which was broken only by a year spent in Suffolk and three years as a freelancer.

Littlehampton Gazette editor Roger Green said: “Tony has given exceptional, dedicated service not only to the papers on which he has worked, and particularly the Littlehampton Gazette in recent times, but also to the communities in which our titles play such a valuable role.

“We wish him a very long and happy retirement.”

Comments

stewart perkins (30/06/2009 13:42:29)
Great reporter, great guy, and he can now watch Newcastle United descend to the depths of the Beazer Homes/Pizza Hut/Ethel Austin league at his leisure……all the besters to him.

Critchey (30/06/2009 17:11:15)
Your absense has been noted…
All the best, Mr Em! So long, and thanks for all the cake.