TRIBUTES have been paid to a hugely successful and quick-witted sports journalist, who began his career at the Argus, following his death at the age of 71.

Martin Johnson, a former cricket correspondent at the Independent, sports feature writer at the Telegraph, and multi-faceted writer for the Sunday Times, died on March 13 after a long illness.

From Ross-on-Wye, Mr Johnson went to Monmouth School for Boys between 1964 and 1968, where fellow students remember him as a clever writer with his own distinctive style.

After leaving school, Mr Johnson started his journalism career at the South Wales Argus, before moving to the Leicester Mercury where he spent the next 11 years, writing a popular column on Ray Illingworth’s Leicestershire cricket side and covering Leicester Tigers. Leicester became home for most of his working life.

He went on to cover some of the biggest sporting events in the world after joining the newly-created Independent, and later the Daily Telegraph, often writing in his own brutally honest and funny style.

He was at his best when the England cricket team toured Australia for the Ashes in 1986-87, when he produced perhaps his best-known quote, that there were only three things wrong with the English team: “They can’t bat, they can’t bowl, and they can’t field.” Of course, England went on to defeat the Aussies soundly.

READ MORE:

During England’s 1996-97 tour of Zimbabwe, Mr Johnson remarked after some players headed for a night out on the town: “In any event, as long as the players restricted themselves to only as many drinks as they had scored runs recently, there was never any danger of anyone turning up with a hangover for yesterday’s net practice.”

Mr Johnson’s career centred around global sporting events such as Formula One in Kuala Lumpur and cricket and tennis in Australia.

He wrote several books too, including Can I Carry your Bags? The Life of a Sports Hack Abroad, in 2015.

Mr Johnson’s reports had a huge following often among those with little interest in sport.

Affectionately nicknamed Scoop, he was a brilliant writer who made readers laugh out loud.

Following his death, tributes have been paid across the British sporting landscape.

England football legend and TV presenter Gary Lineker said: “Sorry to hear Martin Johnson has passed away. A brilliant and bold sportswriter with a real wit. RIP Martin.”

Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph said: “I remember the paper sending Martin Johnson to America for a world title fight.

“Him at a Las Vegas hotel check-in: ‘Where’s the media centre for the fight?’ Receptionist: ‘What fight?’ Him: ‘The big fight.' Receptionist: ‘That’s in New York.'

“Should add: he made it in time. Just!”