Mike Cattermole chats to former Sporting Life Chief Racing Correspondent Geoff Lester

The Sporting Life newspaper was printed for the final time in May, 1998, thus ending a run which had started in 1859.

It was a newspaper read and enjoyed by all sections of society and even Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, gave her endorsement, saying: “Of course I read The Sporting Life”!

Geoff Lester was the paper’s last Chief Racing Correspondent and kicks off a mini-series of reflections from 'ex-Lifers'.

When did you first become aware of The Sporting Life?

I had seen The Sporting Life in my local newsagents so when I first went racing at Kempton with my dad on Easter Saturday 1960, I bought my first copy to take to the track. You wouldn’t find the vicar taking the sermon on a Sunday without a Bible at his side, and The Life was always referred to as 'Racing’s Bible'.

When did you join The Life and what was your first job?

I joined The Life on August 17, 1964, as an office boy for £5.15s (£5.75) per week. My first job was to collect the four-day declarations, as they were in those days.

I was told to go to 'Willoughbys' in Oxford Street, but on reaching the shop I soon realised that I was the victim of a prank for the new boy, as it was a tailors, and my fellow messengers in the office had rung ahead and asked them to re-route me to Weatherbys around the corner in Portman Square!

Did you have ambitions to stay there and climb the ladder?

I was very keen to climb up the ladder with The Life and offered to work on the Boxing Day edition in my first year.

I was on the late shift and the phone rang from the printer’s floor asking where were Man on the Spot’s tips for Newcastle as their absence was holding up the page.

I was the only one left in the office – all the subs were upstairs putting the paper to bed – so I said “I’ll do them” and I quickly found a proof of Newcastle’s jumps card, knocked out six tips and, to my amazement, went through the card. It was another 48 years before I managed it again, this time when broadcasting for GBI.

I subsequently joined the band of Man on the Spot tipsters, which led to being offered the chance to go on the road as an on-course reporter on Saturdays, and I eventually succeeded George Ennor as Chief Racing Correspondent in 1985.

Any memories that stand out about experiences, personalities and/or stories of the time?

An opportunity came within a year of joining The Life to work alongside the late, great Dave Cox compiling the Marker Sheet (invaluable for bookmakers and the most important page in the paper, according to associate editor Norman Bardsley).

I jumped at the chance and Coxy, who died of cancer far too young, proved a great friend and colleague. I travelled up to Swaffham with Bobby Betts to see him just before he died in 1993 and he told me he didn’t think he’d live long enough to see the Derby and that he had 33-1 about Tenby.

I made him laugh when I said, “At least if Tenby gets beat you won’t have to pay”, as ante-post bets were not settled until after the race in those days. Tenby started odds-on, and I smiled and looked up to the skies as Mick Kinane passed the post first on stablemate Commander In Chief, with Tenby only 10th.

Any funny moments you can recall?

From the marker sheet I subsequently moved on to the results page, and we used to have to take copy from the on-course reporters in the typing room.

One day Chris Gundry, still a big mate of mine today, was also in the room taking copy and between us sat Sue Wreford, a sub-editor who was quite prim and proper though good fun when off duty.

She was on the phone to Tony Jakobson, our Newmarket racing correspondent, taking down his gallops report, and Chris and I spotted that her A4 paper was running out, to which Sue’s plea down the phone was “I’m sorry Tony, you have slipped out the end, can I finish you off by hand?”

Chris and I both split our sides laughing, but Sue was totally unaware of the interpretation, and we had to explain later down the pub.

Any stories or tips that you are particularly proud of? Or not!

As chief correspondent, my very first Page One tip was Pebbles in the Eclipse. She was one of my favourite fillies and though Rainbow Quest was a firm favourite, I was never going to oppose Pebbles, who duly delivered, becoming the first of her sex to win Sandown’s major race.

What was the best thing about working for The Life?

Few people stay 34 years at one firm these days, but I loved every second of my time with The Life.

The camaraderie was first-class, we worked hard but played equally hard, and as chief correspondent I was fortunate enough to report on all the big races from America, Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, Canada, France and Ireland.

Nobody could have had a better working life, and May 12, 1998 was the final edition and one of the saddest days of my life.

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