Obituary: Harry Miller

Harry Miller, journalist: born 1937; married; died 27 December 1993.

DURING the last days of his life Harry Miller was visited by a number of football personalities, their deep concern an indication of the affection and respect in which he was held.

Miller was from the old school of popular sportswriting, one that called for accuracy and integrity, principles he unfailingly honoured throughout a successful career.

One of many fine reporters who graduated to Fleet Street from the Stratford Express in east London, Miller joined the Daily Mirror in the early 1960s when under Hugh Cudlipp's direction it achieved the highest standards in popular journalism. After a spell in the paper's Manchester office, Miller returned to London as a football writer, abiding by the belief that a story wasn't worth the candle if it could be deemed scurrilous or betrayed a trust.

The many contacts Miller made were invaluable to the Mail on Sunday, which he joined in 1986 and where he frequently broke out from the role of deputy sports editor to extend his reputation as a solid reporter. Sustained by his wife, Ina, and his friends and colleagues, Miller bore his illness with a fortitude that gained the admiration of everyone who knew him.