A journalist who covered the football club his grandfather and namesake managed has died unexpectedly aged 64.

David Halliday worked for Aberdeen-based daily the Press & Journal’s sportsdesk following a career which began as a compositor on the Buchan Observer.

During his time at the Press & Journal, he covered Aberdeen FC, the club his grandfather of the same name had managed between 1937 and 1958 before moving to Leicester City.

David, pictured, retired from Aberdeen Journals in 2018, where he finished up working for a newly-formed sub-editing pool.

In an obituary for the P&J, Lindsay Bruce wrote: “In a tribute at the time colleagues said his presence as a sub-editor would be sorely missed, especially by those on the sports desk who relied on his calming influence, adding that he was a man who maintained the highest of standards and whose reliability and consistency would be impossible to replace.”

David was born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, to telephonist Elizabeth and telephone engineer Nigel.

Nigel’s work took the family to Peru for five years, before they returned to live in Coventry, where David began a “lifetime devotion” to local football team Coventry City.

He moved to Scotland aged 17 and met his wife Maureen while working as a machinist in Peterhead. The couple married in 1980, the same year David completed an English degree with the Open University.

He then changed careers and began working on the Observer, later switching to Aberdeen’s Gilcomston Press and then Aberdeen Journals in 1999.

David initially worked in the P&J’s Apple Mac department then joined the news sub-editing team, before landing his dream job with the sports team.

Away from work, he was known for his cooking skills and as a lover of music, particularly Elvis Presley.

David, who died “unexpectedly but peacefully” at home, is survived by Maureen and their daughters Nicola and Natalie.