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By ROB HARRIS, AP Sports activities Author
LONDON (AP) — Simon Haydon, who formed The Related Press’ protection of World Cups and Olympics as worldwide sports activities editor and reported on landmark information occasions whereas touring the world as a correspondent, together with the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, has died. He was 64.
Haydon had just lately been recognized with most cancers and contracted the coronavirus final week. He died early Tuesday in a hospice in southern England, in keeping with his spouse, Barbara.
Haydon left the AP in 2018 after a decade primarily based in London overseeing international sports activities protection, retiring to additional his restoration from a coronary heart assault and to pursue pursuits exterior journalism.
“Simon by no means forgot that overlaying sports activities is meant to be enjoyable. He was at his happiest at international tournaments and large occasions, at all times keen to assist on no matter was wanted,” mentioned Michael Giarrusso, the AP’s international sports activities editor. “He might conduct interviews in a number of totally different languages, and he had a deep information of European soccer historical past and cricket.”
Regardless of stepping again from journalism after 4 a long time, Haydon didn’t lose contact with writing or sports activities — notably soccer, or soccer as he pushed for the American-based AP to name the world’s hottest sport.
By means of his “Fats Ref” weblog, Haydon — who would joke about his girth — used his expertise as an newbie referee to research calls by officers on this planet’s greatest matches.
“Whereas I’ve by no means been a very good footballer, I’ve had loads to do with soccer,” he wrote. “My 4 sons have all performed soccer at various ranges and I grew to become a referee after shouting at a referee in Kent at some point and receiving a dressing down from him.”
Likewise, he cautioned AP writers in opposition to quoting unsubstantiated criticism by coaches deflecting from losses.
“As an newbie referee, he was one of many few journalists who persistently advocated for the officers,” Giarrusso mentioned. “Each time a referee is criticized, I’ll consider Simon and picture that he would have a very good excuse for that mistake.”
Haydon started his journalism profession on native newspapers in japanese England after graduating from the College of East Anglia with a bachelor’s diploma in European literature.
After three years, he joined the modifying desk of Reuters, the place he went on to function a correspondent and bureau chief in London, Oslo, Paris and New Zealand and in Nordic and Baltic nations.
In December 1989, he helped to interrupt the information in Romania of the execution of the Communist dictator Ceausescu.
He was one of many first journalists to go to Ceausescu’s 40-room mansion, which he mentioned was “dripping with gold and silver and filled with artwork treasures whereas his nation starved. Even his nuclear bunker was lined with marble.”
Haydon first joined the AP as a part of its Europe and Africa desk in London in 2005 and helped cowl the 2006 World Cup. He left to turn into editor of an actual property monetary e-newsletter however returned in 2008, tasked with increasing AP’s protection of main sports activities exterior america and getting ready for the 2012 Olympics in London.
He oversaw journalists in dozens of nations and superior enterprise reporting, together with acclaimed investigations into match-fixing in worldwide soccer, employee abuses in 2022 World Cup host nation Qatar and doping scandals amongst Kenyan athletes.
He noticed the ability of social media in advancing the attain of the AP’s journalism, encouraging reporters to affix Twitter in its early growth.
He labored with journalists to brighten up soccer protection, away from usually formulaic information company writing.
“The mark of a very good journalist is discovering one thing contemporary to say time and time once more,” he wrote in 2010.
Essentially the most wide-ranging of duties was configuring soccer protection of World Cups, Confederations Cups, European Championships, gathering preview packages and assigning reporters to fly in to cowl each crew.
“Like all the perfect sports activities journalists, Simon had an actual love and really feel for his subject material,” mentioned Tony Hicks, the AP’s deputy director of images (worldwide). “That mentioned, Simon was not a one-dimensional sports activities fanatic. He was properly traveled, properly educated, a bon vivant, a raconteur and a pleasure to spend time once we acquired these fleeting moments to unwind in the course of many hectic assignments.”
After a profession spent writing and modifying textual content, leaving the AP offered him an opportunity to hone his ardour for images.
Along with his spouse, he’s survived by sons Harry, Jack, Tom and Will
“In his final years at AP and after he retired, it was good to see Simon attain a wholesome work-life stability — exercising, consuming proper, lowering stress and spending extra time along with his household and pets,” Giarrusso mentioned. “In our chats and emails after he retired, he appeared relaxed, comfortable and excited a couple of e-book he was engaged on. It was energizing to speak to him.”
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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