RIP Michael Cockerill, Journalist and Commentator

Sad to hear of the passing from cancer this week of probably Australia's most respected football journalist and A-League commentator Michael Cockerill.

Appreciation by his colleague Michael Lynch:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/96...

Sydney Morning Herald appreciation:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/fairfax-media-f...

SMH remembers Cockerill's greatest columns:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/the-michael-coc...

Those of us following football in Christchurch in the 1980's fondly remember Mike Cockerill.

It's not widely known that Cockerill started his career in journalism in NZ on the daily Christchurch Star in the first half of the 1980's during that golden era when the All Whites qualified for Spain. He was football writer for the Star until 1986 when he returned to Australia to become football writer for the Sydney Morning Herald.

I'm going to miss Cockerill's A-League commentaries which were always informative with the latest news and an awareness of the history of the game in both Australia and NZ.

Cockerill was the only A-League commentator on Fox Sports with any knowledge of football in NZ which he often visited and maintained friends and contacts like Tony Smith from the Press who he knew from the 1980's.

Tony Smith once introduced me to Cockerill at a national league match in Christchurch in about 1997 or 98.

 Cockerill maintained a deep affection for NZ, posting photos he took of the scenery on his visits online, and was last in Christchurch in 2015 when he took a look at Russian businessman Slava Meyn's multi-million dollar Christchurch Football Centre in Yaldhurst and was shown his plans for a football stadium to be imported in kitset form from China and constructed near the airport.

Cockerill passed away aged only 56.

In 2011, he was inducted into the Football Federation Australia Hall of Honour, for outstanding off-field contributions to football.

His death follows hard on the heels of that of another legend of the Aussie football media, Hungarian born Les Murray who was the main face of football on SBS and fronted coverage of every World Cup finals from 1986 - 2016.

Les Murray was granted a state funeral, such was his stature on the Aussie cultural landscape.

So sad. Was fortunate to meet him at the All Whites v Socceroos match in London in 2005 - just a top guy and, as you say Pete, a very positive voice for football in NZ.

Vale

Very sad. Informed journo, and strong backer of Nix to stay in A League. A great voice for NZ football in Australia. Will be greatly missed. Be nice for AWs and/or Nix to acknowledge his passing

Tony Smith of the Press confirms that Mike's dad was a Kiwi who immigrated to Australia.

Hence Mike's early spell on the Christchurch Star and frequent holidays here.

Was a minute's silence pre Socceroos v Thailand match, for both Mike Cockerill & Les Murray.