The man who covered almost every kick at Portsmouth Football club for more than 25 years had died aged 69.

Mike Neasom retired from his role as chief sports reporter at The News in 1997 and had suffered a long illness.

He covered Pompey for the paper from 1973 to 1979 and hardly missed a game, despite also covering hockey and cricket during that time.

He was recognised as being fiercely loyal to the principles of his trade, and was held in high esteem among the sportsmen whose efforts he covered as well as the many sports reporters that he met on his travels around the country,

Mike also wrote and co-authored several books on the club over the years, celebrating the meteoric highs - and some very low lows.

Pompey legend Alan Knight paid tribute and said: "Mike upset one or two managers and players in his time with his honesty, which probably showed he was doing his job well. He was a great man - a real gentleman."

Portsmouth FC writer Colin Farmery, who writes for pompey-fans.com, said: "For the best part of 25 years - in the days before the blanket coverage of football by radio, television and the internet - Neasom was THE authority on Pompey.

"Mike Neasom inspired me - and others like me - to become a journalist. In many ways that is perhaps the best tribute he could be paid."

Before his career in Portsmouth, Mike worked for the Fleet Street News Agency and the Dorset Evening Echo, joining The News in 1965 to cover Southampton before switching to Portsmouth FC.

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