Clare McDermott

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. 

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. ■