A dedicated sports journalist who wrote his first report for a newspaper aged 12 has died at 59 from a rare form of cancer.

Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph sports editor Ian Davidson, (left), had suffered complications during an illness he had battled against to appear at his desk when he could, determined to see his beloved sports pages into production. He had suffered from the cancer for three-and-a-half years.

Colleagues and rivals have paid tributes to his professionalism during a 40-year career.

Evening Telegraph editor David Penman said: "His contribution to the ET and the world of journalism over the past 44 years is immense. He was a true professional, a man with encyclopedic knowledge who set himself the highest of standards.

"There are countless people within the sporting community who will miss him."

Former editor Ron Hunt said: "He was a brilliant sports editor of the old tradition and it was a pleasure to work with him."

And Radio Northampton presenter Andrew Radd added: "He was a very good friend to a lot of us and as far as I am concerned a mentor. I learned an awful lot from Ian as I am sure many did.

"He had enormous knowledge but wore it so lightly - not attempting to show off - but you could be sure if you made a mistake he would pick up on it."

Ian's lifelong passion for newspapers was kindled at the age of 12 when he won a competition run by the Wisbech Advertiser. They were so impressed by the quality of his writing that he was employed under the pseudonym 'Touchline' to cycle to a local football match and report it for the paper on a Saturday afternoon.

On leaving school at the age of 15, he went straight into a job at the paper and became its sports editor at 18.

In 1970, he joined the Bury Free Press in Bury St Edmunds as sports editor, where he met his future wife, Amanda.

In December, 1976, they moved to the Evening Telegraph, where Amanda still works. After a stint as a sub-editor he joined its sports desk in September, 1977, and in May, 1990, became sports editor.

He set himself the challenge of opening the back pages to as many sports as possible and became a widely-known figure, not just for his sporting knowledge but also at numerous sports awards evenings.

A devoted family man, Ian was widely respected among the Northamptonshire sporting fraternity and beyond for his sports knowledge - especially of cricket - professionalism, insistence on accuracy and his desire to include as many sports as possible in the pages of his newspaper.

He leaves his wife, sons Stewart, (24), and Scott, (21), mother Joy and sister Rosanne. The funeral will take place in Geddington on Tuesday.

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