Vale Mike Gibson, one helluva good bloke

RIP Mr Gibson as you have given many of us some very enjoyable articles and TV viewing. A real gentle man and a great loss to sports journalism and RL.

David, Mike Gibson also went into other fields and had a nice wider audience feel to hhim, like ken Sutcliffe has. Mike Gibson hosted Good Morning Australia with Kerrie-Anne Kennerlay in the 1980's.

Jarijari - what wonderful recollections and memories. Thanks for sharing them with us. Nice remark from Ian Chappell today about how Gibbo asked the questions that the people on The Hill wanted to ask. Vale Gibbo.

Very sad a nice tribute David . By Jingoes by Crickey ..

Well done David and Tim, fine tributes to Gibbo and more will flow over the next few days until he is laid to rest, but he's a bloke who will be so fondly remebered. There's an old saying about death coming in threes. Over the past few months we have seen the passing of the legendary cricketer and commentator Richie Benaud, master horse trainer Bart Cummings, and now a bloke who revolutionised sportswriting in Australia, Mike Gibson. I was a callow western suburbs kid of 16 when I walked into Frank Packer's old Daily Telegraph headquarters in Park St, Sydney for the first time in March 1972, and scored a job as a copy boy -- for the princely wage of $19 a week, about a quarter of which covered the weekly train ticket. In those far away golden days it seemed you could pick up a job whenever and wherever, but I'd always wanted to be a journalist, At first I got a general round, picking up the shipping news downtown and delivering the afternoon papers to people like the lovely Ita Buttrose. Pretty soon I got the job I wanted -- in the sports department -- and the man who welcomed me into the team the most was my sportswriting hero, the great Gibbo. When you're only 16, a 30-year-old you'd idolised for years seemed like a veteran, but the convivial Gibbo taught me - - and a host of other youngsters -- everything I don't even pretend to know, usually over a beer or 10 at the old Castlereagh pub or the Kings Head. In those days the writers would knock out their yarns on small sheets of copy paper with carbon copies, four in all as I recall, one for the sports editor, one for the chief sub-editor, one for the sub-editor, and maybe a spare. Anyway, I'd spend my tea break poring over every word of the spares to learn the trade, but the first I'd always go to was Gibbo's column. Can't recall a spelling mistake, a word changed, a comma out of place, and they were gems, every day of the week. Lovely piece by Paul Kent in today's Daily Telegraph, relating how old Frank Packer called Gibbo into his office and asked if he'd heard of the legendary Red Smith, who wrote for the New York Times. Of course he did. Well you're our Red Smith, Packer said, we want you to go from the back page to the front page. Of course Gibbo's remembered by younger generations by his compering of Wide World of Sports. And his great mate Billy Birmingham taking the piss out of him. In later years he and Billy made The Back Page a must-see on Fox Sports. The weekly show lost its pizazz when Gibbo and Billy were dumped three years ago. It's so sad to hear that the great Gibbo had fallen on hard times in his last few years. He was actually too much a solitary and proud man to reach out to others when he needed to. But his old paper, the Telegraph, sees him out in style today. The man from the back page, for one last time, makes the front page. Vale Mike. .

As a high school kid in the mid seventies I couldn't wait to get home after school to read Gibbo's column in that mornings Tele, always good for a laugh, but also very informative, with many stories about his family as well as all the sports news told as only he could, thanks for the memories Mike, RIP.

Thanks David . Vale Gibbo . Those epic Sat arvo's on the couch in the 80's with my brother & old man annoyed my mother for years . Great memories, sad loss . -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.

Great words Tim, you were lucky enough to share your love of sports journalism and the Bears with Gibbo. You must have so many fond memories and great stories / laughs regarding Gibbo.

Gibbo's enthusiasm for sport was infectious to anyone who saw him. Thanks Mr Lord for the tribute.

yeah Vale Mike you will always be a legend to every Aussie Sporting Fan :-)

Again, a beaut tribute to a media sporting colossus. Thanks Lordy - sadly, you are running out of champion mates. Gibbo was a fantastic talent in the print, radio and television arenas. Mike was an inspiration to me as a cadet journalist - he was as colourful a writer and reporter as he was a genuine, and much-loved character. And as a Bears fan? Only 2UE's Peter Bosly shaded him. What a terrific man, what a wonderful media talent. By crikey, by jingo, he will never be forgotten. Vale Mike Gibson. Always read, watched and listened to - will forever be remembered.

Vale Gibbo, also had the pleasure of sharing a schooner or two at the Oaks, a good man. As a kid glued to WWOS he and Chappelli manned the fort all Saturday afternoon ! He loved his Bears and all things sport.

As kids we grew up in awe of this bloke and the sporting legends he used to talk to. Vale Mike! -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.

A sad day indeed. Met him a couple of times at The Oaks. Always happy to chat. We are diminished.