Clare McDermott
Clare McDermott
Tuesday 12 July 2011
A beneficial side-effect of the NUJ’s industrial action during the 1980 summer Olympics (mentioned elsewhere) was the subsequent creation of a separate Sports Desk in space vacated next to the main newsroom on the fourth floor of 85 Fleet Street. As the NGA telegraphists during the sympathy strike were transmitting only copy passed by the Editor, I spent several days and nights in the World Desk filing slot. The strike-induced slow flow of stories gave me time to wonder why sports editing was squeezed into the tight space around the World Desk hub.
When the dust had settled, I asked Clare McDermott, then sports editor, to explore the technical feasibility of setting up a separate unit elsewhere to free up scarce floor space for the World Desk. With valuable help from Ron Cooper and George Shillinglaw, Clare built a self-contained sports operation with its own ADX computer codes, television screens and telegraphists, thus enhancing the performance, speed and cohesiveness of our own sports team.
As World Desk Editor Clare later applied his skill at maximising the use of limited staff resources in maintaining a high-quality news file under relentless pressure of ever increasing wordage and of growing demands for speeding up turnaround time of the day’s news. For example, some of the evening and overnight shifts were brought forward to reinforce European daytime staffing levels. Eventually editorial control of the world news file was transferred from London to New York and Hong Kong for part of the 24-hour cycle.
Manfred Pagel
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When the dust had settled, I asked Clare McDermott, then sports editor, to explore the technical feasibility of setting up a separate unit elsewhere to free up scarce floor space for the World Desk. With valuable help from Ron Cooper and George Shillinglaw, Clare built a self-contained sports operation with its own ADX computer codes, television screens and telegraphists, thus enhancing the performance, speed and cohesiveness of our own sports team.
As World Desk Editor Clare later applied his skill at maximising the use of limited staff resources in maintaining a high-quality news file under relentless pressure of ever increasing wordage and of growing demands for speeding up turnaround time of the day’s news. For example, some of the evening and overnight shifts were brought forward to reinforce European daytime staffing levels. Eventually editorial control of the world news file was transferred from London to New York and Hong Kong for part of the 24-hour cycle.
Manfred Pagel
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Clare McDermott
Sunday 10 July 2011
I was saddened to read of Clare’s passing. He became Sports Editor of Reuters the year I joined the company, and 1980 was a memorable year for both of us because of the Olympics – just different Olympics. Before the tumult of the Summer Games, there was Lake Placid. I was the only (Reuters) American at those Winter Games and Clare, in all his wisdom, decided I was the one to cover the ice hockey – yes, always ice hockey in Reuters vernacular, not to be confused with real (field) hockey. I’m sure the old Canuck was jealous of me when the event turned out to be one of the greatest sports stories of the century – when the young, truly amateur (the Olympics were supposed to be for amateurs in those days) beat the mighty Soviet (Red Army) team in an amazing upset and went on to win the Gold medal. One of the greatest experiences of my 38-year career with Reuters. Thanks, Clare! Rest in peace.
Walter Bagley
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Walter Bagley
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Clare McDermott
Saturday 09 July 2011
Sad to learn of the death of Clare McDermott. I was in the team he led at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, a Games riven by political discord and a Reuter operation beset by a strike: they must rank among the most challenging Olympics we have ever covered. Clare shouldered the responsibility impressively and worked tirelessly to see the job through well. He and I shared a particular interest in swimming and both of us covered the sport in Moscow. You were sure of a warm, good-humoured welcome from Clare. I always found him supportive and encouraging when he was Sports Editor: a big man with a big heart.
Derek Parr
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Derek Parr
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Clare McDermott
Saturday 09 July 2011
Clare and I covered boxing together at the 1962 Asian Games in Djakarta. He would watch one match and then write his report while I did the next match. Indonesian schoolboys hired as runners by our team leader, the redoubtable David Chipp, would then dash with our copy to the transmission centre. Clare gave me a tip which proved useful on boxing reporting assignments in the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and Italy – how to use your typewriter’s case as a helmet when bottles and other missiles start raining down on the ring. I doubt if today’s flimsy laptop cases would offer the same degree of protection.
Ernie Mendoza
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Ernie Mendoza
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Clare McDermott
Friday 08 July 2011
I was really sad to learn of the death of Clare.
I was the Moscow bureau chief and the Moscow-end Olympic Games Reuter advance organiser in 1980 when he brought his team out, only to have a strike declared in London at the end of the first week which NUJ members were all supposed to join. As far as I remember, it was in support of the Guild in a dispute with management in New York. Although an NUJ member, Clare was given union dispensation as an executive to continue working, and he worked himself into the ground over the final week of the Games. Dave Nicholson and Ron Cooper, one or two others in the Olympics team, and the Moscow bureau staff were also all given the nod by the union to carry on.
Despite the pressures of trying to cover the Games with only about 10 people, I saw Clare only twice show a glimpse of his famous temper – the first when Soviet security guards made him take his belt off at the entrance to the Press Centre one morning. These were days long before this became a common occurrence at airports. The second was when a couple of Soviet journalists came round to the Reuter office asking why our strikers were aiding the British government’s campaign to undermine the Games – Margaret Thatcher had wanted the British Olympic Committee to boycott Moscow together with the US Committee and others over the invasion of Afghanistan the previous year. Clare, towering over them and glowering, gave the Soviet reporters short shrift. “Where’s your working class solidarity?” he demanded, not totally in jest.
“We don't take orders from any government.” The Soviet reporters retreated. But it didn’t stop them writing that Reuters reporters had succumbed to pressure from “the banks of the Thames” to stop writing about the Games.
In the event, despite the reduced team, I think we came out alright, largely because of Clare’s determination to make sure we did.
Bob Evans
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I was the Moscow bureau chief and the Moscow-end Olympic Games Reuter advance organiser in 1980 when he brought his team out, only to have a strike declared in London at the end of the first week which NUJ members were all supposed to join. As far as I remember, it was in support of the Guild in a dispute with management in New York. Although an NUJ member, Clare was given union dispensation as an executive to continue working, and he worked himself into the ground over the final week of the Games. Dave Nicholson and Ron Cooper, one or two others in the Olympics team, and the Moscow bureau staff were also all given the nod by the union to carry on.
Despite the pressures of trying to cover the Games with only about 10 people, I saw Clare only twice show a glimpse of his famous temper – the first when Soviet security guards made him take his belt off at the entrance to the Press Centre one morning. These were days long before this became a common occurrence at airports. The second was when a couple of Soviet journalists came round to the Reuter office asking why our strikers were aiding the British government’s campaign to undermine the Games – Margaret Thatcher had wanted the British Olympic Committee to boycott Moscow together with the US Committee and others over the invasion of Afghanistan the previous year. Clare, towering over them and glowering, gave the Soviet reporters short shrift. “Where’s your working class solidarity?” he demanded, not totally in jest.
“We don't take orders from any government.” The Soviet reporters retreated. But it didn’t stop them writing that Reuters reporters had succumbed to pressure from “the banks of the Thames” to stop writing about the Games.
In the event, despite the reduced team, I think we came out alright, largely because of Clare’s determination to make sure we did.
Bob Evans
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Clare McDermott
Thursday 07 July 2011
Clare McDermott was not only a fine administrator in his many years as sports editor but he covered most sports whenever he got the chance. It was a long time ago but one of his most memorable efforts was at ringside in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965 for the rematch between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston.
It ended in a first-round knockout after a short, sharp right hand punch from Ali suddenly dropped Liston to the canvas. Few of those at ringside saw the punch and most of the journalists doubted it was enough to floor the hulking Liston, who stayed down for more than 10 seconds, then rolled on his back after a feeble attempt to get to his feet. Ali was pictured standing over Liston daring him to rise, one of the great sports photos of all time.
Clare was a latecomer to our boxing fraternity in New York in the first half of the 1960s. Ronnie Batchelor covered the early Floyd Patterson championship fights with his inimitable colourful phrasing but was then posted elsewhere and I got the job as ringside reporter in 1963, covering the youthful Cassius Clay's early fights, then Liston's two minute demolition of Patterson in Las Vegas in July 1963 and later Clay's comprehensive surprise defeat of Liston in Miami in February 1964. The first of those was an easy job, shouting the result and then dictating the story down the phone to a deskman in our New York headquarters.
The Miami fight was much tougher to cover, with the Reuters phone outlet four rows back from ringside, so the US agencies and BBC TV were much closer to the unfolding drama. Liston wouldn’t come out for the seventh round claiming a shoulder injury and was later taken to hospital without explaining himself to the world press who I think numbered only 50 (of which 49 including me had tipped Liston to win).
I moved to London before the Maine rematch, which produced such raw and chaotic drama in less than one round. Even to this day the boxing experts at The Ring magazine have doubts about Liston’s character and his links to the Mafia. There's still speculation whether he threw both the Miami and Lewiston fights. ESPN has the films of the fights in that era, which it shows occasionally on cable TV. Worth watching if you get the chance. Otherwise read David Remnicks’ great book King of the World (Random House).
Before I retired from Reuters in 1995, I asked the company library to dig out our coverage of those old fights. They only came up with Clare's wrap on the Lewiston affair. I sent it on to him. My own effort on the Miami battle hasn't survived apparently, probably just as well.
Allan Barker
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It ended in a first-round knockout after a short, sharp right hand punch from Ali suddenly dropped Liston to the canvas. Few of those at ringside saw the punch and most of the journalists doubted it was enough to floor the hulking Liston, who stayed down for more than 10 seconds, then rolled on his back after a feeble attempt to get to his feet. Ali was pictured standing over Liston daring him to rise, one of the great sports photos of all time.
Clare was a latecomer to our boxing fraternity in New York in the first half of the 1960s. Ronnie Batchelor covered the early Floyd Patterson championship fights with his inimitable colourful phrasing but was then posted elsewhere and I got the job as ringside reporter in 1963, covering the youthful Cassius Clay's early fights, then Liston's two minute demolition of Patterson in Las Vegas in July 1963 and later Clay's comprehensive surprise defeat of Liston in Miami in February 1964. The first of those was an easy job, shouting the result and then dictating the story down the phone to a deskman in our New York headquarters.
The Miami fight was much tougher to cover, with the Reuters phone outlet four rows back from ringside, so the US agencies and BBC TV were much closer to the unfolding drama. Liston wouldn’t come out for the seventh round claiming a shoulder injury and was later taken to hospital without explaining himself to the world press who I think numbered only 50 (of which 49 including me had tipped Liston to win).
I moved to London before the Maine rematch, which produced such raw and chaotic drama in less than one round. Even to this day the boxing experts at The Ring magazine have doubts about Liston’s character and his links to the Mafia. There's still speculation whether he threw both the Miami and Lewiston fights. ESPN has the films of the fights in that era, which it shows occasionally on cable TV. Worth watching if you get the chance. Otherwise read David Remnicks’ great book King of the World (Random House).
Before I retired from Reuters in 1995, I asked the company library to dig out our coverage of those old fights. They only came up with Clare's wrap on the Lewiston affair. I sent it on to him. My own effort on the Miami battle hasn't survived apparently, probably just as well.
Allan Barker
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Clare McDermott
Wednesday 06 July 2011
I only came to know about Clare McDermott’s death when Jonathan Sharp called me a short while ago today. We had worked together in Singapore under David Chipp (deceased) and Jimmy Hahn (now in retirement in Vancouver).
Clare was a gentle giant who was not easily perturbed. But I did make him spring up from his bed in a trice, all agitated and throwing down a thick volume of the Spanish Civil War he was reading that afternoon. I was reinforcement from Hong Kong for the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. He was my room mate in the then showpiece Indonesia Hotel.
My sin was to string, in open view, an aerial for my portable radio in the window. The cautious Clare was aghast that in the political climate of the time, Indonesian security would put us in the cooler as imperialist agents.
But we got along well, worked on other assignments and became good friends, so much so that he and his companion, Jackie, took care of my daughter when she did her studies in the UK.
C P Ho
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Clare was a gentle giant who was not easily perturbed. But I did make him spring up from his bed in a trice, all agitated and throwing down a thick volume of the Spanish Civil War he was reading that afternoon. I was reinforcement from Hong Kong for the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. He was my room mate in the then showpiece Indonesia Hotel.
My sin was to string, in open view, an aerial for my portable radio in the window. The cautious Clare was aghast that in the political climate of the time, Indonesian security would put us in the cooler as imperialist agents.
But we got along well, worked on other assignments and became good friends, so much so that he and his companion, Jackie, took care of my daughter when she did her studies in the UK.
C P Ho
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Clare McDermott
Wednesday 06 July 2011
Clare McDermott was a rarity in our business: a journalist who was just as at home handling sports cover as any other general news. Reporting or desk work, he did it all with great skill, in the same mould as the great John (Pat) Heffernan, White House correspondent (and boxing writer).
Despite his wide experience as a correspondent and editor, his main achievement in Reuters was probably to breathe fresh life into the sports desk when he was appointed its editor. This appointment was not to the liking of all of Reuters top brass, some whom had little time for sports news and who, as one executive put it to me, felt that Clare was “too good for this job”.
In covering sport perhaps his crowning moment was at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, which coincided with a (rather reluctant) strike by much of the Reuter Olympic team, and the London desk, in sympathy with New York strikers.
Clare, who was in charge of the reporting team, was the leading light in organising a major TV watch. The few reporters we had left, some of them pretty raw, were assigned to watch the non-stop TV coverage of the major events. The operation was so successful that the Press Association sports editor described our coverage as “the best ever” and the BBC was also full of praise.
Calmness under pressure was one of Clare’s great qualities. I only ever saw him lose his temper once, over the Moscow security precautions. Identification was checked over and over again at the Olympic venues and the Hotel Rossiya, where the Reuter team was staying.
On one occasion Clare caused a big commotion trying to get into the hotel. Every time he went through the electric gates an alarm went off and Clare was sent back to remove whatever piece of metal was causing the problem. Having been sent back twice, and having removed his rings and a watch, Clare suddenly exploded, took off his shoes and hurled them to the ground in disgust, at the same time giving the security guards a real roasting. He was never bothered by the security men again.
Ron Cooper
Nick Carter adds: The Moscow Olympics success was a particular achievement for Clare and Ron Cooper (in charge of the desk in Moscow), as what they wrote got less than the normal revision on a strike-hit World Desk mostly reduced to a few “executives” like Ian Macdowall and me.
Clare had that characteristic Canadian combination of idealism and scepticism, and could be trusted to bring both to any task. Besides, although intimidatingly tall, beefy and athletic in appearance, he was the kindest and gentlest of men with whom to work or relax.
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Despite his wide experience as a correspondent and editor, his main achievement in Reuters was probably to breathe fresh life into the sports desk when he was appointed its editor. This appointment was not to the liking of all of Reuters top brass, some whom had little time for sports news and who, as one executive put it to me, felt that Clare was “too good for this job”.
In covering sport perhaps his crowning moment was at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, which coincided with a (rather reluctant) strike by much of the Reuter Olympic team, and the London desk, in sympathy with New York strikers.
Clare, who was in charge of the reporting team, was the leading light in organising a major TV watch. The few reporters we had left, some of them pretty raw, were assigned to watch the non-stop TV coverage of the major events. The operation was so successful that the Press Association sports editor described our coverage as “the best ever” and the BBC was also full of praise.
Calmness under pressure was one of Clare’s great qualities. I only ever saw him lose his temper once, over the Moscow security precautions. Identification was checked over and over again at the Olympic venues and the Hotel Rossiya, where the Reuter team was staying.
On one occasion Clare caused a big commotion trying to get into the hotel. Every time he went through the electric gates an alarm went off and Clare was sent back to remove whatever piece of metal was causing the problem. Having been sent back twice, and having removed his rings and a watch, Clare suddenly exploded, took off his shoes and hurled them to the ground in disgust, at the same time giving the security guards a real roasting. He was never bothered by the security men again.
Ron Cooper
Nick Carter adds: The Moscow Olympics success was a particular achievement for Clare and Ron Cooper (in charge of the desk in Moscow), as what they wrote got less than the normal revision on a strike-hit World Desk mostly reduced to a few “executives” like Ian Macdowall and me.
Clare had that characteristic Canadian combination of idealism and scepticism, and could be trusted to bring both to any task. Besides, although intimidatingly tall, beefy and athletic in appearance, he was the kindest and gentlest of men with whom to work or relax.
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Clare McDermott
Wednesday 06 July 2011
I remember Clare from his time as Sports Editor in the early seventies. I was new to Reuters and he was always very kind and a complete gentleman to me as I struggled each year to persuade the Football Pools Association to continue with their desperately needed – in those days – annual subscription for the weekly soccer results. This from a chap I had been told could be quite fierce and I should be careful what I said in messages to him whilst he was in Singapore. I did not know he was a jazz fan, but we had that in common. I find it very sad to see so many of our old colleagues going to that news desk in the sky.
Malcolm Bain
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Malcolm Bain
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Clare McDermott
Tuesday 05 July 2011
I was very sorry to get the bad news from Clare McDermott's partner Jackie, who’d been a tower of strength during the past four years, as he gradually slipped away. I was glad to hear that members of the family were at the bedside for the final moments. I recall happier days, when Clare and I, both jazz-lovers, listened to a lot of the good old good ones at various jazz clubs on the periphery of London, and jazz festivals in East Anglia and Cork, where veterans from both sides of the Atlantic always turned up. Clare had an encyclopaedic knowledge and a vast collection of early and mid-period jazz and the big bands of old. After the Cork festival we toured the south-west corner of Ireland in typically uncertain weather. Coming back, our ship was held up for half a day outside a south Wales port as a violent storm raged. It was a bit disconcerting to see emergency lifeboats lined up along the beach. But we took to our bunks in the sickening swell and did eventually get ashore. Quite a trip. It was Clare who organised the traditional whip-round in the Editorial when my retirement came and presented me with a fine two-volume Jazz Encyclopaedia. Professionally, he had a vast knowledge of sport, though his putting was not always immaculate! Unfortunately his move to the Midlands meant our meetings were much less frequent and I’d been sorry to hear during the last two years how his health was deteriorating. Well – maybe he’ll find Louis Armstrong or Glen Miller up there!
John Chadwick
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John Chadwick
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