FOOTBALL LEAGUE STATEMENT - Dennis Signy
Posted on: 06.06.2012
The
Football League is saddened to hear of the passing of Dennis Signy OBE
who died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday 6th June, aged 85.
An
esteemed and celebrated football writer for national press titles in a
career spanning five decades, Dennis also held the posts of general
manager at Brentford and chief executive and director of Queens Park
Rangers.
More recently, he served as a PR consultant for The Football League and Barnet Football Club.
John
Nagle, Head of Communications at The Football League, said: "Everybody
at The Football League is greatly saddened to hear of Dennis's death. He
gave a lifetime's service to our sport and made a huge contribution to
The Football League and a number of its member clubs.
"Dennis was
wise, knowledgeable and always good fun. He was widely respected
throughout the game and we will all miss him terribly.
"Our thoughts today are with his wife, Pat and all his family and friends."
Dennis
joined the Hendon and Finchley Times in 1942 as a wartime cub reporter
at £4-a-week and went on to become the newspaper's group editor for 17
years. He continued to write a column for the newspaper until earlier
this year.
The author of several football books including a
history of QPR and a former Chairman of the Football Writers'
Association, Dennis wrote a regular column in the Barnet matchday
programme entitled 'Signy's Soundbites'.
A statement on the
club's website read: "Everyone who met Dennis learnt something, and they
also knew that they were meeting a man who knew his subject inside and
out and that you were dealing with a gentleman in every sense of the
word.
"Dennis was a football man through and through, his list of
contacts in the game was legendary, but there was more to him than that
and anyone who had the good fortune to enjoy a conversation with the
man would soon become aware of the fact.
"He will be very fondly remembered."
Read the full Barnet statement - Football League
QPR Official Site - DENNIS SIGNY OBE - R.I.P
It
is with great sadness that Queens Park Rangers Football Club has
learned of the passing of former General Manager, Dennis Signy OBE, aged
85.
Dennis had bravely fought a series of illnesses in recent years. He died peacefully in his sleep early this morning (Wednesday).
Dennis
was a respected journalist for major national newspapers for the bulk
of his career, although he had a spell as General Manager at QPR in the
1980s and wrote a history book on the R's in the 1960s.
He was
also General Manager at Brentford and once held an advisory role with
The Football League. Most recently, Dennis donated his services and
expertise to Barnet Football Club.
Tony Incenzo - reporter for
talkSPORT, Sky Sports and contributor to Hoops, QPR's official matchday
programme - said: "Dennis gave me my first job on the Hendon Times and
trained me as a journalist.
"He was always very close to QPR and did some fantastic newspaper reports during our greatest-ever season of 1975/76.
"Dennis was a great footballing man and an exceptional journalist. He will be sorely missed."
Gerry
Cox of Hayters news agency added: "It is very sad to hear that Dennis
has passed away, but at least I got to see him last week when he was
still in good spirits.
"Dennis was a great influence for me and
many other young journalists starting out at Hayters. He always insisted
on doing things the right way, thinking long-term rather than
short-term, and the value of contacts.
"And most of all he
reminded us, with his manner and his stories, that football and football
writing was about making friends and having fun. Few people were so
widely respected in both football and the media, because he crossed the
great divide, having been General Manager at Brentford and QPR before
coming back into journalism.
"He was a great judge of character,
as he showed by signing David Seaman for Rangers, and that is why he had
so many friends. He will be missed greatly."
The Club expresses its deepest condolences to Dennis' family and friends at this time.
May he rest in peace.
QPR
-
Dennis Signy Memories
Barnet Official Site - DENNIS SIGNY DIED THIS MORNING
It is with deep regret that Barnet FC have the sad duty to
announce that Dennis Signy OBE died peacefully in his sleep early this morning.
He was aged 85.
Dennis had bravely fought a series of ailments in recent
years showing great fortitude and determination, frequently overcoming seemingly
insurmountable odds.
Dennis was still penning his "Signy's Soundbites"
column in the Barnet FC match programme up until the last handful of matches of
last season and kept abreast of developments at Underhill in the closing stages
of the season and was as pleased as anyone when the Bees avoided relegation on
the last day of campaign.
Everyone
who met Dennis learnt something, and they also knew that they were meeting a man
who knew his subject inside and out and that you were dealing with a gentleman
in every sense of the word.
Dennis was a respected journalist for major
national newspapers for the bulk of his career, although he had a spell as the
Chief Executive at QPR, he also held an advisory role with The Football League
before donating his services and expertise to Barnet FC where his wise council
was often sought.
Dennis was a football man through and through, his list
of contacts in the game was legendary, but there was more to him than that and
anyone who had the good fortune to enjoy a conversation with the man would soon
become aware of the fact.
He will be very fondly remembered.
More
details and tributes to follow...
David Bloomfield
Barnet
QPR Official Site - PERONE DEPARTS
Bruno Perone has left Queens Park Rangers after his one-year deal with the Club came to an end.
The Sao Paulo-born 24 year-old joined the R's last summer after featuring in pre-season.
However, he made just two First Team appearances during the 2011/12 campaign. The Club would like to wish Bruno all the best for the future. QPR
