Dennis Signy, the freelance football writer who wrote for several national newspapers, especially the Sunday Express, has died aged 85.
Much of his work was not bylined because he fed tips and stories to other reporters who regarded him as one of the best informed of sources.
He was reputed to have the most comprehensive contacts book in the game, having built strong friendships with hundreds of managers and players.
John Ley of the Daily Telegraph said: "He was an absolute font of knowledge for everything connected with football."
Mike Collett, Reuters global football editor, said: "He was wonderful man, a true Fleet Street and football legend."
Signy - despite being a West Ham fan - also acted at various times as general at Brentford, chief executive at Queens' Park Rangers and a consultant at Barnet. He was also a member of the Football League advisory panel.
In between, he spent 17 years as executive editor of the Hendon Times group, where he spent many of his earliest years as a journalist. He was still writing a column for the paper until March this year.
He is fondly remembered for his Sunday Express match reports, in which he accompanied celebrities as diverse as Cilla Black, Jeremy Paxman, Delia Smith and Michael Howard to games.
Sources: Hendon Times/Football Writers' Association/Sports Journalists' Association
