Soccer scribe’s service award

FOOTBALLEVEN after he was unexpectedly asked to cover the Isle of Wight Football Association AGM for the County Press, football writer Mick Bull had no idea he was going there for a special reason.
At last Tuesday’s meeting, Mick was presented with an award for his services to Island football, which he has been writing about for more than 40 years.
Mick, from Shanklin, said "It was not until Andrew Justice mentioned match of the day in his speech that I realised he was paying tribute to myself. It was quite a shock.
"I was undone by a conspiracy of Keith Newbery, my wife, Tracy, and County Press editor Alan Marriott, who between them stitched me up."
Mick worked for the IW Times, Weekly Post and the Chronicle-Guardian before writing for the CP.
He rates the visit of FA Cup winners Wimbledon to Shanklin’s County Ground in 1988 for a pre-season friendly as one of the highlights of his career.
"Vinnie Jones got sent off for an attack on Shanklin’s Dave Woodhouse and I ended up making quite a bit of money from the national press out of the story," he recalled.
Mick was presented with a carriage clock for his service to Island football, and services to football awards also went to Roger Harvey and Ray Fleming.