Extremely sad news to learn long-time AGW good friend John Collard passed away on 5th September, 2024.

Johh, who was aged 75, was the founder and Chairman of Sports Impact a London-based  PR and sponsorship consultancy firm operating in the sporting markets across the world. He handed over the role of CEO to his daughter, Natalie.

John was a former journalist with Reuters who then turned his hand in 1979 to setting-up Paragon Communications (Named after the street he lived) before establishing the UK’s first dedicated sports PR agency, Collard & Co, in 1987, Then in 2001 he set-up the highly-successful and award winning Sports Impact.

Hereunder is tributes to John.

John Hopkins

“When I think of John I think of his calm presence, with a smile about to break out on his face, and his quiet voice. Everything that everybody has said about him is true. He was kind, generous, thoughtful and very imaginative in coming up with stunts for his clients that I might write about. On the few occasions when I wanted help from him, a quote from one of his clients perhaps, he was quick and precise with that too.

“In short, he was a pleasure to deal with. He didn’t bother me with crazy suggestions on behalf of one or other of his clients because he knew his market. When my phone rang and I heard his voice saying, “John, it’s John Collard here. How are you? I think I may have something that will interest you,” I knew I was in for a worthwhile conversation that would be enjoyable as well.

“I remember him arranging an interview for me with Padraig Harrington for which I flew to Dublin and walked around a golf course Padraig was playing on getting my feet soaked as Padraig hardly drew breath.

“I remember another interview with Harrington in which some product made by Wilson, one of John’s oldest clients, was to get a mention. It did but I think I may have quoted Harrington as suggesting that the latest Wilson driver – or some such club – wasn’t delivering the goods quite as well as it was supposed to. Knowing Harrington he would have said it with charm and at length but nevertheless it was something John and Wilson would probably rather he hadn’t said. Later when we talked about that John glossed over it with charm. Having gently pointed it out to me, he said something like “It’s all publicity though isn’t it?””

Richard Gillis

I’m really shocked by the news, because I’d spoken to him only recently and he was on great form, full of fun, gossip and mischief.

I’ve known John for over twenty years.

One story:

He was PRing a golf brand, I can’t remember which, but who had snagged Seve Ballesteros as ambassador. This was mid-2000s, and at this stage Seve was putting his name to anything that came through the door. John got me down to Druid’s Glen in Ireland as part of the media access around the deal. I had a couple of feature interview pieces commissioned for a national newspaper and a golf mag.

But Seve wasn’t happy. I sat in the hallway of the hotel, outside the room where JC had lined up – many, many – other journalists, all of whom had been promised time with the great man. I was last on the list.

Through the door I could hear that famous Spanish voice. ‘F-ck off! No more, just go and tell him to f-ck off, I’m not doing it’.

John poked his head around the door, smiling. ‘Seve’s ready for you now’.

RIP JC x

Mark Garrod (Joint Mike Blair and John Collard tribute)

Like John Hopkins I remember Mike not only for the excellence of his golf journalism, but also for his love of rugby and especially Welsh rugby. He took immense pleasure every time they downed England, but after the halcyon days of Barry John, Gareth Edwards, JPR et al the pendulum did swing and the camaraderie enabled us to enjoy each other’s successes. Same with the Home Internationals and our matches at Celtic Manor, The European Club, Slaley Hall and elsewhere. Great weeks all of them. But in case nobody else mentions it there was also the day he won either our Spring or Autumn Medal at Wentworth and found himself being presented with his trophy and prize by Prince Andrew. I can recall him saying how proud his parents would have been of him being pictured in royal company – although maybe not as much after subsequent revelations about the then Duke of York!

John, meanwhile, was a wonderful friend to us on the golf circuit, his association with Wilson enabling us to enjoy many an enjoyable day on such fine courses as The Berkshire and the New Zealand Club. I managed to win a golf trolley at one of them and while that was probably 30-40 years ago I managed to keep using it until last year when it finally gave up on me. It was a constant reminder of the good times we had with John. The two of us last met up in 2015 at the Milton Keynes Stadium after both of us became part of “The Pack” as volunteers for the Rugby World Cup. It included thousands of us all belting out “Jerusalem” under instruction from England’s singer-in-chief Laura Wright.

Two fine men now departed. Sad.

Bernie McGuire

Like most AGW members it came as a huge shock to learn of the passing of John Collard.

I got to know John in the course of my own work on the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) and often I would ‘bump into’ John in his work with Sports Impact who also were deeply involved in golf including one of their clients being Wilson, and a major sponsor of the increasingly emerging talent in Padraig Harrington.

This relationship with Wilson Golf would prove most helpful to me as I was filing copy in my freelance role to three Irish newspapers on the efforts of Harrington. Suffice to say, there was many occasions when John proved enormously helpful in assisting journalists like myself in getting access to Padraig.

Then in becoming Secretary of the Association of Golf Writers (AGW) in 2014 I always found John so very helpful to the AGW in arranging access to golf venues, including Delemere Forest and the famed Royal Mid-Surrey course where earlier this year the club, and thanks to John’s enormous work, again hosted the AGW.

Such was John’s assocation with Royal Mid-Surrey I note that a celebration of his life will be held at the club on 11th October.

The AGW thought so highly of John that he was always among the VIP guests at the Association’s annual dinner and accommpanying former Chairman Derek Lawrenson. It was good to a few years ago, and with John not be able to attend, to welcome his daughter Natallie to the dinner. My condolences go to her and family at this terribly sad time.

I felt so much of John’s genuinue and sincere support for the Association that in my role as Secretary (July 2014-July 2024) he should be considered with Honorary membership of the Association.

Somewhat disappointingly, it was the view of others on the Association committee that John was merely ‘doing his job’. Yes, this was may be true but then John was doing more than his job and for so long going outside of the parimeters of his role to assist the AGW not just in helping arrange golf outings but also helping to open so many ‘other’ doors for the so many AGW members in the better exercise of their work.

John. You will be sadly missed.

GOLF BUSINESS

https://golfbusinessnews.com/news/people/john-eric-collard-02-12-1948-05-09-2024/

FUNERAL SERVICE

The celebration of John’s life took place at 10.40am on Friday October 11th at Mortlake Crematorium (TW9 4EN) and then afterwards at his beloved Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club.

AGW member and good friend Mitchell Platts read the eulogy:

JOHN ERIC COLLARD – 2nd December, 1948 – 5th September, 2024

TWENTY FOUR HOURS AFTER WE LEARNED OF JOHN’S PASSING JOHN HOPKINS WROTE ON THE ASSOCIATION OF GOLF WRITERS WEBSITE: “WHEN I THINK OF JOHN I THINK OF HIS CALM PRESENCE WITH A SMILE ABOUT TO BREAK ON HIS FACE AND HIS QUIET VOICE. HE WAS KIND, GENEROUS, THOUGHTFUL AND VERY IMAGINATIVE IN COMING UP WITH STUNTS FOR HIS CLIENTS.”

ALL WHO KNEW AND LOVED JOHN – NONE MORE SO THAN MARGARET, NATALIE, MICHAEL, AND STEPHANIE –  WOULD AGREE WITH THOSE WORDS. BUT WHEN I THINK OF JOHN I THINK OF 1973, AND HIM AND I DRIVING DOWN THE M4, WINDOWS OPEN, RADIO BLARING TO STEALER’S WHEEL’S STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU – JOHN’S FAVOURITE RECORD AT THAT TIME – ON OUR WAY TO PRESENT A ROTHMANS RUGBY QUIZ IN ABERAVON OR LLANELLI, NEATH OR EBBW VALE…..AN ILLUSTRATION OF JOHN’S CREATIVE GENIUS BECAUSE THOSE QUIZES TOOK PLACE IN PACKED CLUBHOUSES PROMOTING ROTHMANS CIGARETTES AND GAINING WIDESPREAD PUBLICITY WITH THE TEAMS AND THE AUDIENCE ALWAYS INCLUDING THE GREAT AND THE GOOD IN THE GOLDEN ERA OF WELSH RUGBY – BARRY JOHN, GARETH EDWARDS, JPR WILLIAMS, PHIL BENNETT – A TESTIMONY TO JOHN’S ABILITY TO EMBRACE THE VERY BEST OF ALL SPORTS, THE SUPERSTARS….. AND TO EXTRACT THE FINEST CONTENT FOR HIS CLIENTS.

AT THAT TIME WE WORKED FOR MICHAEL RICE AND COMPANY BASED IN SLOANE STREET LONDON – THE BIGGEST INDEPENDENT PR COMPANY IN ENGLAND – AND WHERE IT WAS MY GOOD FORTUNE TO LEARN SO MUCH FROM JOHN. ONE DAY HE TOLD ME WE WERE GOING TO CROYDON WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER TO MEET THE OLDEST LIVING MAN IN ENGLAND AND THE NEXT DAY ALL THE NATIONALS PRINTED THIS AMAZING STORY OF HOW A 103-YEAR OLD MAN HAD SMOKED 20 ROTHMANS EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE.

WE HAD BOTH STARTED OUT IN THE SWINGING SIXTIES, JOHN WITH REUTERS ME WITH HAYTERS, RUNNING COPY TO ALL THE FLEET STREET NATIONAL PAPERS WITH OUR PATHS CROSSING SIX OR EIGHT TIMES A DAY. BUT IT WAS AT MICHAEL RICE WHERE WE BEGAN A FRIENDSHIP THAT LASTED WHEREVER OUR PATHS TOOK US. FOR JOHN IT WAS TO LEAD TO HIM BUILDING EMPIRES. FIRST IN 1979 HE CO-FOUNDED PARAGON COMMUNICATIONS, A CONSUMER PR AGENCY FOR WHICH JOHN WAS ORIGINALLY STUMPED FOR A NAME UNTIL MARGARET – WHOM HE HAD MARRIED IN 1977 – SUGGESTED PARAGON AS PARAGON WAS THE NAME OF THE GEORGIAN CRESCENT IN WHICH THEY WERE LIVING AT THAT TIME.

JOHN SOLD THE COMPANY – STILL IN BUSINESS TODAY – IN 1987 WHEN HE LAUNCHED COLLARD GROSVENOR INTERNATIONAL, THE FIRST DEDICATED SPORTS PR AGENCY, LATER COLLARD AND CO DURING WHICH TIME HE STRENGTHENED HIS BOND WITH THE SPORTING WORLD LEADING TO HIM ESTABLISHING IN 2001 – SPORTS IMPACT. AT THAT TIME NATALIE WAS 16, MICHAEL 14 AND STEPHANIE 11 AND WITHIN SIX YEARS NATALIE WOULD JOIN THE COMPANY.

SPORTS IMPACT CHAMPIONED LEADING SPONSORS OF MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS, RIGHTS HOLDERS, GOVERNING BODIES AND JOHN’S SOUND STRATEGIC ADVICE AND TOP QUALITY TACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION SECURED BRANDS A HIGHER PROFILE AND CEMENTED HIS REPUTATION WITHIN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY. JOHN’S INVENTIVENESS BROUGHT ABOUT – GOLF’S GREATEST HOLES A TV SPECIAL WITH CHRIS HOLLINS AND RYDER CUP CAPTAIN PAUL MCGINLEY TAKING VIEWERS ON A DREAM JOURNEY PLAYING COURSES THEY ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY – THEN THE BIG GOLF RACE THE UK’S BIGGEST GOLF FUNDRAISER SUPPORTING PROSTATE CANCER UK AND TEN YEARS AFTER THE PASSING OF SEVE BALLESTEROS HE STEERED ONE OF HIS CLIENTS – VISION SPORTS PUBLISHING – THROUGH THE PRODUCTION AND PROMOTION OF THE COFFEE TABLE BOOK SEVE – HIS LIFE THROUGH THE LENS – BY DAVID CANNON WITH WORDS BY ROBERT GREEN.

JOHN MADE AND KEPT FRIENDS EASILY AND THAT WAS THE CASE WITH SEVE AND MANY INTERNATIONAL GOLFERS SUCH AS BERNARD GALLACHER AND PADRAIG HARRINGTON. AND HE ALSO ENJOYED A SIMILAR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOLF WRITERS WITH LEGENDARY LUNCHES SUCH AS THOSE WITH GOLF MONTHLY’S MIKE HARRIS WITH WHOM IDEAS ALWAYS BOUNCED AROUND ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT EXTRA BOTTLE OF RED. HE WAS DEREK LAWRENSON’S GUEST AT THE ASSOCIATION OF GOLF WRITERS DINNER FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. AT ONE JOHN TOLD DEREK HE HAD FIXED FOR HIM TO INTERVIEW SEVE, DEREK LAUGHED LOUDLY EXPLAINING TO JOHN THAT HE AND SEVE HAD NOT SPOKEN FOR THREE YEARS AFTER SEVE TOOK GREAT EXCEPTION TO SOMETHING DEREK WROTE AT A SPANISH OPEN. ALL SORTED SAID JOHN CHEERFULLY! THE INTERVIEW DULY TOOK PLACE FOR MORE THAN ONE HOUR, SEVE WAS AT HIS MOST CHARMING. AFTERWARDS DEREK ASKED ONE OF SEVE’S TEAM: WHAT HAPPENED? THE REPLY WAS IMMEDIATE, JOHN HAPPENED – IF HE STOOD FOR THE UNITED NATIONS THERE WOULD BE NO MORE WARS.

RICHARD GILLIS HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. JOHN WAS PR-ING A GOLF BRAND THAT HAD SNAGGED SEVE AS AN AMBASSADOR. HE GOT RICHARD TO DRUIDS GLEN IN IRELAND WHERE RICHARD WAS THE LAST OF A LONG LIST OF MANY GOLF WRITERS PROMISED ACCESS TO SEVE. RICHARD PATIENTLY SAT IN THE CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE ROOM IN WHICH SEVE WAS GIVING ONE INTERVIEW AFTER ANOTHER. BUT AS HIS TURN ARRIVED HE COULD HEAR A COMMOTION FROM INSIDE, IT WAS SEVE TELLING JOHN: “NO MORE, TELL HIM TO F-OFF! I’M NOT DOING IT.” AT WHICH POINT JOHN POKED HIS HEAD AROUND THE DOOR AND WITH THAT WRY SMILE WHICH WE ALL WILL NEVER FORGET HE TOLD RICHARD: “SEVE WILL SEE YOU NOW.”

NO WONDER THEN THAT JOHN’S CLIENT DIRECTORY INCLUDED OVER THE YEARS ADIDAS, ARCOS, ATOMIC, AYAYA, AXA, THE BELFRY, BRIDGESTONE GOLF, DELAMERE FOREST GOLF CLUB, HONMA, JANSPORT, THE LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION, VOLVIK AND THE BOAT RACE FOR WHOM IN 2011, SOME 175 YEARS AFTER CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD HAD FIRST RACED ON THE RIVER THAMES, JOHN ORGANISED BORIS JOHNSON THEN MAYOR OF LONDON TO ADDRESS THE CREWS AND TAKE PART IN AN ICONIC PHOTO SHOOT WHICH GAINED WORLDWIDE EXPOSURE. JOHN HAD THE MAGIC TOUCH FOR DETECTING AND EXECUTING A STORY FOR HIS CLIENTS. HE TOLD RADIO FIVE LIVE’S IAIN CARTER THERE WAS A GOOD INTERVIEW TO BE HAD WITH JON WOODROFFE A TEACHING PROFESSIONAL AT THE WORLD OF GOLF DRIVING RANGE IN NEW MALDEN REPRESENTED BY SPORTS IMPACT. IAIN THOUGHT MAYBE NOT UNTIL JOHN CAME UP WITH THE HOOK THAT THE TEACHER WAS ON THE THRESHOLD OF GIVING LESSON NUMBER FIFTY THOUSAND. SO IT WAS THAT IAIN INTERVIEWED JON WOODROFFE AS HE REACHED THAT MILESTONE BY GIVING A LESSON TO 16 YEAR OLD CALLUM ELLIOTT IN NOVEMBER 2014  ALTHOUGH IT DIDN’T END THERE BECAUSE JOHN HAD COVERED EVERY ANGLE BY HAVING 61-YEAR-OLD BOB DOVE WATCHING ON AND BOB JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE FIRST PERSON JON WOODROFFE HAD GIVEN A LESSON TO – 33 YEARS EARLIER.

NOW EARLIER THIS YEAR JOHN ELECTED TO BECOME CHAIRMAN OF SPORTS IMPACT WITH NATALIE STEPPING UP TO CEO SUPPORTED BY ADAM SMITH, MATT CURTIS AND HARRY COCKS, AND A CLIENT LIST THAT TAKES IN AXIS, CRAIL GOLFING SOCIETY, DUCA DEL COSMA, GALVIN GREEN, KBS GOLF, MOTOCADDY, MELDRUM HOUSE, MURRAYSHALL, NEW BALANCE, PROSTATE CANCER UK, SUN MOUNTAIN, WILSON AND ROYAL MID-SURREY WHERE MARGARET LOOKS FORWARD TO YOU ALL JOINING HER AND THE FAMILY WHEN IAIN CARTER WILL REMINISCE WITH SEVERAL OF JOHN’S FRIENDS INCLUDING CHRIS HOLLINS AND DAVID WELLS, BILL ELLIOTT, JOHN HOPKINS AND DEREK LAWRENSON.

YOU MIGHT THINK IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR JOHN TO RELAX BUT HE DID SO WITH STYLE AND ON SOME OCCASIONS WITH GREAT COURAGE. DEREK LAWRENSON RECALLS WHEN THE PAIR MET FOR A DRINK BEFORE THE 2006 FA CUP FINAL IN CARDIFF INVOLVING DEREK’S TEAM LIVERPOOL AND JOHN’S BELOVED WEST HAM. JOHN INSISTED THEY SHOULD MEET AFTERWARDS REGARDLESS OF THE RESULT. WEST HAM LED 2-0, LIVERPOOL STORMED BACK AND WON ON PENALTIES. DEREK MADE HIS WAY TO A PUB TAKEN OVER BY DELIRIOUS LIVERPOOL FANS AND JOHN TURNED UP WEARING – HIS WEST HAM SHIRT!!!!!!! JOHN OF COURSE HELD HIS OWN AND AFTER MUCH BANTER CONCLUDED: “IT MUST BE GREAT TO WATCH YOUR TEAM WIN A CUP FINAL LIKE THAT!” SEVENTEEN YEARS LATER WEST HAM DID JUST THAT WINNING THE EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE WITH A 90TH MINUTE JARROD BOWEN GOAL AND JOHN WAS THERE IN PRAGUE WITH HIS GRANDSON JAMES – NATALIE’S SON.

JOHN WAS PROUD OF HIS FAMILY. FOR HIM FAMILY ALWAYS CAME FIRST. BUT JOHN ALSO TREATED ALL HIS CLIENTS AND ALL HIS FRIENDS AS FAMILY. JOHN BEGAN SUCH A FRIENDSHIP SOME 30 YEARS AGO WITH MIKE JOHNSON HILL, THEN AT WILSON AND LATER GALVIN GREEN. ONLY RECENTLY THEY PLANNED AND BOOKED THEIR TRAVEL AND TICKET ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR’S BRITISH LIONS TOUR OF AUSTRALIA. JOHN LOVED HIS RUGBY AND BACK IN 1974 HE ESCAPED FROM ONE OF OUR RUGBY QUIZ WEEKENDS IN WALES TO PARIS TO WATCH ENGLAND PLAY FRANCE. THE RESULT WAS A 12-12 DRAW. JOHN STILL CELEBRATED INTO THE NIGHT – SO MUCH SO THAT HE MISSED HIS FLIGHT, A FLIGHT WHICH SADLY ENDED IN TRAGEDY WITH MORE THAN 300 PASSENGERS KILLED.

IT IS A POIGNANT REMINDER OF THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE AND WHY SOMETIMES WE DO NOT APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF SPECIAL FRIENDSHIPS UNTIL THE TIME ARRIVES WHEN WE MUST LOOK BACK REMEMBERING THE PAST. HAPPILY WITH JOHN WE CAN REFLECT AND REJOICE IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT, OVER DECADES, WE WERE BLESSED TO ENJOY HIS COMPANIONSHIP, HIS CAMERADERIE, HIS LAUGHTER. EVERYONE WHO MET JOHN WAS CHARMED AND TOUCHED BY HIS WARM WELCOME, HIS GENTLE MANNER, HIS PROFESSIONALISM, HIS GENOROSITY, HIS HUMOUR. JOHN WAS SUPPORTIVE AND SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS. HE OFTEN ACTED AS MENTOR AND COUNSELLOR. NOW THERE IS A YAWNING GAP NONE MORE SO THAN IN THE LIVES OF MARGARET…………OF NATALIE…………OF MICHAEL……………OF STEPHANIE…………OF JAMES………AND OF THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE FAMILY – STEPHANIE’S DAUGHTER ISABELLE.

BUT WHILE WE MOURN WE CELEBRATE JOHN’S LIFE. OUR MEMORIES OF JOHN WILL NEVER DIM BECAUSE TO HIS FAMILY AND TO HIS FRIENDS HE WAS ONE VERY SPECIAL AND ONE VERY LOVED GUY. YOU SEE JOHN WAS AMUSING……JOHN WAS ASTUTE….JOHN WAS ALWAYS AFFABLE AND …ABOVE ALL…JOHN COLLARD WAS AUTHENTIC.

John Hopkins was also in attendace and kindly provides a brief account of the day:

The late John Collard, a good friend of a number of us in the Association of Golf Writers, was given quite a send-off first at Mortlake Crematorium and then at Royal-Mid-Surrey Golf Club at his funeral on 11th October. On  a clear, sunlit autumn day the crematorium was packed with perhaps 250  mourners representing the many facets of John’s life.

The Reverend Nicholas Pnematicatos, who was rather jolly, led a vibrant service full of singing, readings (AlI Is Well by Henry Scott-Holland and John 14:1-6,27), hymns (Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joys and Oh Lord, my God) and prayers. Ave Maria was the entrance music and The Lord Bless You and Keep You the recessional music. John’s son, Michael  gave one address and Mitchell Platts delivered the eulogy (above)

The Revd. Nicholas Pnematicatos MA, BA (Hons), DipMin (Royal Navy & Royal Air Force Veteran)

Later, at RMS in what was a celebration of John’s life organised by Mitchell and Natalie Collard, Iain Carter took the microphone, as he does so well at AGW dinners, and gave a brief recollection of his memories of John.

He then asked Bill Elliott, Derek Lawrenson, and John Hopkins, like him former chairmen of the AGW, to give theirs.

Iain also interviewed Chris Hollins, a former sports correspondent for BBC TV and winner of Strictly Come Dancing who was a friend and ally of John’s in several stunts that John had thought up, and David Wells, of Moto Caddy, for their reminiscences as well.