It is with sadness that the passing of Nigel Fuller has been announced. For numerous years, Nigel was the doyen of the Essex Press Box and nobody who was introduced to him during the course of their work, would forget him.
Before joining the Evening Echo in Basildon in 1969, he worked for a number of other regional papers including the Nottingham Evening Post, Birmingham Mail and South Wales Echo before decamping to Essex.
Apart from covering Southend United, Nigel’s other chief assignment was to provide features and match reports of Essex Cricket, a task he undertook assiduously as he did with the local football club.
Nigel soon built up a list of contacts and no story concerning either of the two clubs escaped his attention. He upset the hierarchy of the clubs on a number of occasions by publishing information that they preferred not to be disclosed but brushed off any of their ensuing ire with a shrug of the shoulders and the knowledge that what had been written was totally true.
Nigel was a trusted figure by the players and certain officials of the two clubs. He so befriended members of the Essex teams in the 70’s and 80’s that he would share hotel rooms and socialise with them. He would also travel to Southend away matches on the players and officials coach, naturally striking up friendships. A plus point of those relationships was that he would gain inside information which allowed him to write headline stories whilst, naturally, never revealing the source of his information.
As lead figure of the Essex Press Box for more than four decades, Nigel came into contact with so many fellow journalists and he both enjoyed their company and provided them with so many entertaining stories. A superb operator who, once met, would never be forgotten. He will be sorely missed.
A highly-talented journalist, Nigel decided to retire after the 2022 season, the ink in the biro finally drying up.
He passed away on Sunday night at the age of 83 following a short illness.
The thoughts of everyone as Essex Cricket are with Nigel’s wife, Jan, son Neil and his family during this time.
