Few people know Alistair McMurran better than his long-serving colleague, former Otago Daily Times sports editor Brent Edwards. He shares his thoughts.
For a man who was thought by some to be too quiet for the hurly-burly of daily journalism, Alistair McMurran certainly achieved remarkable longevity.
The Peter Pan of New Zealand sports journalism retired yesterday after 39 years of dedicated service to the Otago Daily Times, but it almost did not happen.
The editor of the time, the late Allan Aubin, had concerns after Alistair was interviewed for a vacancy in the sports department that he would be too reticent for some of the tougher characters he would come across during the daily grind.
He thought, in a word, he might be a pushover.
He was right and he was wrong.
Ali was and is gentle, soft-spoken and self-effacing but he was and is certainly no pushover.
I had no such qualms.
I had already observed his work ethic and tenacity in his part-time role as athletics correspondent for the ODT and heard from others of his courage in recovering from a broken neck suffered in a woolstore accident.
His quiet manner has worked for, rather than against him.
He is a good listener and interview subjects often revealed more than they intended as Alistair quietly probed away.
He started at the ODT on Monday, August 4, 1975.
I remember the day, because my wife, Liz, and I were married the next Saturday and Alistair was dispatched to Invercargill for his first major assignment, the traditional rugby match between Otago and Southland.
His versatility over the years has been remarkable.
Athletics was his specialty when he joined the ODT.
He coached hundreds of Otago's leading athletes during the years but his most treasured moment had to be when Dick Tayler won the 10,000m gold medal at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.
Not that he volunteered anything about his personal achievements.
You almost had to prise the information from him.
I doubt he had been on a bowling green before the national championships in Dunedin in 1975-76 but he undertook a crash course in studying the game and won a national award for his coverage, an award he has won countless times since.
But he has written not only about athletics and bowls but rugby (club rugby has been a special passion), swimming, rowing and every so-called minor sport you can name.
Alistair's philosophy was that everyone had a story in them and he was available 24/7 for people who contacted him with information on a sporting event or success that others might have deemed inconsequential.
In the 1980s, Alistair ran the Dunedin marathon, and when he reached the finish line - he was an experienced marathoner - he pulled out his notebook and interviewed the leading competitors before he returned home to write his story.
Alistair's quiet voice did pose the occasional problem in a noisy newsroom, particularly when Richard Boock and myself - both of us hard of hearing - were in the sports department.
There were some comical scenes as we deciphered Ali amid the clattering of typewriters (it was before the advent of computers) but we had a lot of laughs along the way.
He was a gem of a worker and, in an industry which is increasingly populated by big egos, he earned respect through his enthusiasm and sheer workload.
Alistair was a loyal and kindly colleague. Every Christmas until our three children became teenagers, there were presents for them all from Ali.
There was no note but we all knew where they came from.
His passions away from sport were travelling and skiing.
Once he covered club rugby on Saturday and drove through the night to Wanaka so he could ski the next day.
The only problem was that he forgot to send the stories from his laptop at home.
The next day I had to enlist the help of his neighbours to gain entry to his house, find his laptop and send his copy to the ODT.
Many workers are content to lay down their arms when they reach 65, but not Ali.
I suspect more than a decade has passed since he reached retirement age.
I can't be specific because that was information he classified as ''private''.
Journalists will continue to come and go at the ODT but there will only be one Alistair McMurran.
They broke the mould when they made Ali.
Alistair McMurran tributes
"For as long as I can remember, the name of Alistair McMurran has been synonymous with sports reporting in Otago. Through his many affiliations, but particularly in athletics, Ali has made an immeasurable contribution to the accurate recording of sport in our province. And it is often forgotten or frequently understated that as a coach, Ali made a significant contribution to many Otago athletes, with his input to the early career of Dick Tayler an undoubted highlight.
''From lawn bowls to rugby, from athletics to swimming, Ali provided readers with informed, balanced comment. With typical McMurran modesty, Ali shunned the limelight. I have particular recollection of his humble speech of thanks at the Otago sports awards when he received peer recognition through the contribution to sport award.
''As a former athlete, an interviewee and sports enthusiast, sincere thanks Ali, and best wishes for a long and active retirement."
- Prof David Gerrard
"I have known Ali for about 45 years. He was my coach when I started athletics as a 13-year-old. I guess, from the athletics standpoint, I have always been a little irked that Ali did not get proper acknowledgement for his role as Dick Tayler's coach when he won the 10,000m in Christchurch in 1974. Quite rightly, as a disciple of Arthur Lydiard, Ali was more than happy to defer to the role Arthur played in that performance; but day in, day out, Ali wrote the training programmes and delivered them.
''The other area where Ali and I have had a great deal of contact was around that most athletic of pursuits - lawn bowls. On a personal level, I am indebted to the support that Ali gave me. There is no question in my mind that people take note of what journalists say, and while they would never admit it, I believe selectors are influenced to some degree by what is spoken, written and conveyed by the media. I would suspect Ali has helped me in that regard on a number of occasions.
''Looking at Ali's contribution to bowls more generically, there is no question that he has made a major contribution. I know this has been recognised by Bowls NZ as he has won journalist of the year on a number of occasions. Bowlers right around the country are always close to incredulous as to the coverage of the national championships the ODT provides when the event is held in Dunedin. No other paper in New Zealand gives bowls the same column space as the ODT."
- Mike Kernaghan (New Zealandbowls representative)
"It was an honour and a genuine pleasure to have Ali McMurran on the Rugby News books during my decade-plus stint as editor of the iconic title.
''Words like 'legend' are bandied about far too often in sport these days, but there's no other way I can describe my colleague and good mate, a man who possesses an innate ability to set people at ease and light up a room with his warmth and humility.
''Ali has been a model of consistency and professionalism throughout his long and distinguished career. He epitomises all that is good about the traditional southern man, and will be sorely missed - though certainly not forgotten - by an enormous amount of people from all different walks of life.
''I wish you well in your retirement, Ali, and look forward to toasting your fascinating adventures abroad as this new chapter in your life opens up.
- Dave Campbell (former editor of Rugby News)
"There are few people in the athletics world who don't know who you are talking about when you describe a quietly spoken, bearded, enthusiastic, incredibly knowledgeable, witty man who always has a smile on his face and the words 'oh, oh, oh' coming out of his mouth.
''Ali, the sport of athletics has been incredibly grateful and thankful for the years of service, both as a coach and reporter, that you have given our sport.
''Your status as an incredibly successful coach has given other coaches, administrators and athletes the confidence to speak frankly and openly with you. You have shown empathy for the athletes, especially in the South, and raised issues that face the sport.
''Your knowledge and memory of facts is something that many admire. Your wisdom in offering advice and being able to see both sides of a story are second to none. You are always contactable, always on the end of the phone for an update - good or bad - and you have been so trustworthly and honest.
''You have left a legacy, Ali. They are some hard footsteps to follow. Congratulations on your retirement and best of luck with the travel."
- Raylene Bates (athletics coach)
"I have a genuine respect for Alistair and the time and effort that he puts into his work. In rugby, he has covered all levels of the game from club rugby to test matches, bringing the game to life for readers.
''Alistair is one of those journalists who respects history and tradition in our national game. You will often see Alistair writing on the deeds of the Cavanaghs, the father-and-son rugby coaches, and the influence their coaching had on Otago and New Zealand rugby. Also, the Gallaway Trophy and how local rugby clubs strive to win it each year. Such things would be lost to future generations if they were not written down.
''Alistair is not seduced by the glitz and glamour of professional sport. He showed his true passion for the grass roots of the game by voting the club rugby final, between Dunedin and Taieri, as his favourite game in 2013.
''Thanks, Alistair, for all you have done for the sport of rugby. I wish you every happiness in your retirement."
- Richard Perkins (ORFU community rugby manager)
The end of an era - and what an era it was! The ''Whispering Death'' is tearing out his typewriter ribbon and hanging it on the wall - literally.
''No more legendary tales of the Vic Cavanagh style. The Southern club may not recover from this. No more predictions of All Blacks in the waiting. Chad Shepherd, Greg ''The Hammer'' Zampach and lately Craig Sneddon and Liam Edwards. Where are they all now?
''But there is always one pearl. Ali described Ben Smith in his first game for the Spannerheads as Larkham-like and an All Black in waiting - and guess what?
''Ali, in my mind, is a legend for what he has done for club rugby, bowls and athletics over the years, with thousands of inches of type. Mate, they forever owe you a debt, and so do we. Keep well and keep out of gardens because you could get mistaken for ...!"
- Paul Dwyer (club rugby commentatorand Allied Press groupadvertising manager)
"Alistair McMurran is an indelible part of the fabric of Otago sport, and he holds a special place in my life.
''I was first introduced to him in 1975 after I broke an Otago age group 3000m record. At that time he was the ''pied piper'' of Otago athletics. After helping guide Dick Tayler to a medal at the 1974 Commonwealth Games, he suddenly found himself coaching scores of Otago athlete of all ages. From then onwards we developed a lifetime friendship.
''Ali helped positively shape my life by instilling in me that anything is possible with self-belief, confidence and hard work. I'm sure he has had the same impact upon hundreds of other young sportspeople over the years. His wisdom, humbleness and love of sport is widely admired.
''His contribution has been immense and I can't think of anyone who has made a bigger impact on community sport in Otago than Ali has over the past half century."
- Paul Allison (Sport NZ boardmember, former Sport Otago chief executive)
