Jim Rodger

James Malcolm Rodger OBE (13 March 1922 – 2 January 1997) also known as Jim Rodger, Scoop and the Jolly, was a renowned Scottish sports journalist awarded the OBE in 1989 for his services to journalism and work for charity.

Rodger was born and lived his whole life in the town of Shotts in North Lanarkshire. He began his working life as a coalminer, and following an injury found himself in a Lanarkshire rehabilitation centre with Jock Stein, who had also injured himself in the pits. Forced to give up mining, he found his way into newspapers and his fifty year career saw him write for the Wishaw Press(1944), Glasgow Evening News(abt 1948), Daily Record(1954), Daily Express(1965), and finally the Daily Mirror(1974) where he worked until his retirement in 1984. He continued to write freelance for the Mirror right up until his death in 1997. Mirror editor Piers Morgan hailed him as one of the outstanding journalists of his generation.

Charitable and voluntary works Over forty years Rodger also helped generate income of at least half a million pounds for journalists and their dependants going through difficult times. Alex Ferguson said: "I had the privilege of knowing Jim for 40 years. Football people always tended to be critical of those in the media, but no-one I know ever had a bad word for Jim." earning him numerous exclusives or ‘scoops’ with which his name became synonymous. He claimed responsibility for Jock Stein's move into management at Dunfermline in 1960, Willie Waddell's move to manage Kilmarnock in 1957 and Alex Ferguson's move to Aberdeen in 1978. His work for the National Press Fund also brought him into regular contact with top politicians such as Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher, James Callaghan, John Major, Denis Healey and Tony Blair.

Death Rodger died aged 74 on 2 January 1997 having reported on the New Year Old Firm match the previous evening. These included Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish, Bobby Charlton, Graeme Souness, Walter Smith, Tommy Burns, Ally McCoist, John Greig, Billy Stark, Billy McNeil, Danny McGrain, Joe McBride, Sean Fallon, Charlie Nicholas, Joe Jordan, Richard Gough and Jim Baxter.

Boxing promoters Tommy Gilmour, Alex Morrison and former world champion Paul Weir also attended.

Labour MPs Helen Liddell and John Reid were joined by Strathclyde Chief Constable John Orr. Cardinal Winning was represented by Catholic press spokesman Father Tom Connelly due to illness.

Tributes On hearing of his death Tony Blair, leader of the opposition at the time said: "Jim Rodger was legendary. He was absolutely committed to journalism, to sport, to Scotland and above all to people.He had acute political antennae and was one of the most remarkable organisers of our time. He was never off the phone with suggestions.”

''"Shortly after I became leader I arrived to speak at a lunch in Glasgow. I was met by Jim who said 'don't worry, leave everything to me son'. He took me into a room full of well-known people from sport, politics, the church and business, and proceeded to wheel them in and out at an incredible rate. Whether it was the manager of Manchester United or a leading churchman they were happy to have him order them around. He will be very sadly missed." In 1998 the new media centre within Scotland's national football stadium Hampden Park was named the Jim Rodger Media Centre in his honour. Two books by Tom Purdie containing photographs from a large collection taken by Jim Rodger during his career have since been published, focussing on Scottish football in the 1950s and 1960's. The foreword of each is written by Alex Ferguson.