David Welch
David Welch receives The Sports Industry Award
for best newspaper coverage of sport on behalf of
the Daily Telegraph from Andrew Neil
Award-winning Sports Editor of the Daily Telegraph from 1989-2004, and sports-editor-in-chief of the Daily and Sunday titles when the papers ran a seven-day operation in the 1990s.
Joined the Telegraph after graduating from Loughborough College of Physical Education and a spell as sports editor of the Leicester Mercury, where he was also a specialist writer on several major sports including cricket, rugby and horse racing. Responsible for launching the first ever separate sports section in national newspapers while with the Telegraph…firstly on Mondays in 1990, then Saturdays and, eventually, every weekday.
During that time he introduced many writers and columnists who were to become household names and award winners on a regular basis.
While most ridiculed the idea, he campaigned vigorously in print in 2002 for the Government to support the London 2012 Olympic bid - and for Sebastian Coe to be its leader - prompting the BOA and Lord Coe to declare later that "without your support, there would have been no bid, and no Olympics in London".
Sebastian Coe acknowledges the role played
by David Welch in the London Olympic Bid to an
invited audience during a special tribute at the
House of Lords. Picture: Mike King
He has appeared often on TV and radio sports discussion programmes, and edited various successful books, including A Century of Sport for Macmillan. More recently, he served as editorial consultant to publishers, Kraken, during their production of the Manchester United and Arsenal Opuses.
Awarded the Doug Gardner award for services to sports journalism by the Sports Journalists' Association in 2006 - a year after setting up a Management company designed to protect the interests of fellow sports journalists; to develop their commercial opportunities; and to offer discreet and informed consultancy advice to individuals and organisations in sport, the media, publishers, and potential sponsors.
Business advisor to journalists, columnists and broadcasters: sport and media consultant
