A sports editor who spent nearly his entire 43-year career covering sport for the local press has left his role with Archant.

Phil Ravitz, left, was head of sports production for the company’s East London Newspapers but has taken redundancy following a company shake-up and is now looking forward to a new chapter in his life.

Phil, who was also sports editor for the Hackney Gazette and East London Advertiser, will be a press officer with Dagenham and Redbridge FC.

When he moved to his last role three-and-a-half years ago, Phil was offered the chance to be the club’s match day press officer as there was no conflict of interest with the newspapers.

The 61-year-old will now do the job three days a week, having already covered Dagenham and Redbridge for nine seasons with Archant London’s Recorder Series of newspapers.

Phil, who finished work earlier this month, told HTFP: “This way I won’t be losing touch with the game completely but it’s difficult to say whether I’ll be doing this until I’m 65.

“I have mixed feelings about leaving and I will miss the camaraderie and the pressure of working to schedule.

“But, although I’ve not had chance to enjoy yet, I’ll have the freedom to do what I like when I like.

“I’ve been doing this all my life, since I left college, and have no experience of doing anything else.

“But I’ve got a few things I’m interested in, such as my involvement with the football club, which will keep me close to sport so I’m quietly optimistic about the future.”

Phil began his career with the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo as a trainee news reporter in 1966 and from there took mainly sports jobs on titles in Birkenhead, Wallasey, Burnley, Bolton and Clitheroe before moving south in 1971.

There he joined Home Counties Newspapers in Hertfordshire before moving to Archant in the capital.

Comments

Mick Ferris (24/08/2009 15:41:19)
Good for you pal! All the best. Mick