In an era when the word Legend is used all too frequently it should not diminish the status of Ulster Sport’s most celebrated journalist. “MB” was a Legend of the highest calibre and it is doubtful there will ever be another of his ilk. He was a one-off, a man of immense integrity, honesty, kindness and humility.
Malcolm Brodie came to Ireland during the Second World War and never left. He joined the staff of the Belfast Telegraph and started a lifelong career that took him to the top of his trade and all over the world covering major football events. For over 50 years he never missed a Northern Ireland international match and amongst his many friends were some of the biggest names in the sport. He was lauded with honours in his twilight years and although he finished his career as the Belfast Telegraph’s most distinguished Sports Editor, he continued to work passionately right up until his recent illness. His list of stories was boundless and never tarnished with sensationalism or journalistic license. He lived a complete and fulfilling life doing what he loved best and he was a genius at it. He wrote the “History of the Belfast Telegraph” in 1995 and it remains a remarkable history of the main newspaper that covered all the news in the Province. Like everything he did in life, it was meticulously prepared and written, the hallmarks of an astute and consummate professional.
Brodie was a man of the people and although he loved to mix with the rich and famous, he was just as much at home with his family, his friends and the many people whose lives he touched. He may not have accepted it willingly, but Malcolm was as big a celebrity as anyone he met in his sporting life.
He will always be associated with football, but he just as fond of cricket. He had a passion for the old days and the great heroes of the game in bygone years. He could rattle off particular favourites with ease, and he read hundreds of cricket books in his lifetime. Bradman, Sobers, Miller, Benaud were high in his affections, but Sir Everton Weekes topped the list. They were close friends and when I called the great West Indian this morning to give him the sad news he was deeply touched. Sir Everton and Malcolm shared many happy times in each other’s company and he paid him a glowing tribute;
“Malcolm was a true gentleman who loved his cricket. He was also a very kind man and I will look back with great affection at the many times we spent in each other’s company. This is a sad day for Northern Ireland and for me personally. My thoughts are with Margaret and the family, as Malcolm loved his family.”
Sir Everton was not alone as a cricketing friend of Malcolm. The doyen of sports journalists was a popular personality with all the top sports performers of his era, but high on his list of cricketing friends were people like Cecil Walker, Alfie Linehan, Jimmy Boyce, Robin Walsh and the late EDR “Donald” Shearer. He was a member of the old North of Ireland Cricket Club and often talked with great affection of the glory days at Ormeau when Pollock, Webb, Hewitt and McKelvey were in their prime. Malcolm was a traditionalist, and he was never at home with some of the modern traits in sports that have changed their image. In some ways he was a dinosaur in his profession, but he had embraced the Internet, albeit reluctantly. Telephone and newspapers were the tools of his trade that stood him well for over 60 years.
On a personal note I have much to thank Malcolm for down the years. He was always supportive and kind, he opened many doors through his huge network of friends and he was always a kind and charming host. He did much behind the scenes that he never sought recognition for. He loved an Ulster fry and a cremated steak, and he loved talking sport almost as much as writing about it. When I moved to live in Barbados he was an annual visitor at the time and until its demise he always sent me a weekly copy of the Ireland’s Saturday Night to keep me in touch with home. Sadly, there will always be two parts of Malcolm’s life that will remain unfulfilled. He should have been knighted for his services to sport, sports journalism and good causes and he should have completed his autobiography. He talked about the book many times and said he had written some chapters, but time has now finally caught up with him and it will never be.
The world will be a sadder place without Dr. Malcolm Brodie, MBE, a Legend in Ulster sport, but above all, a dear friend and kind soul.
Rest in peace.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
