A FORMER motoring correspondent at the Daily Record, Malcolm McDougall, has died – aged 73.
And, says his successor at the paper, Bill Caven, “in an industry that was once blessed with characters, talent and humour, he was a genuine God”.
Caven, who is now freelancing as a general news reporter at the Scottish Daily Mail, continued: “He was like a father to me. I know the word, ‘legend’, is often used, but it absolutely applied in Malcolm’s case. He was such a character, he had a fantastic circle of friends, among them some of the biggest names in motoring and business, such as Sir Jackie Stewart.”
McDougall was at the Record for three decades, for some of the time also as the paper’s aviation correspondent. His career began as a copy boy at the Scottish Daily Express, with whom he then became a news reporter.
Before moving to the Record, he had a stint at the Scottish Daily Mail. After he was among several specialists at the Record to be let go, during the mid-1990s, he freelanced, including for the Express.
Adds Caven: “In an industry that was once blessed with characters, talent and humour, Malcolm McDougall was a genuine God.
“During a long, illustrious and distinguished career, he rose steadily to the top flight thanks to his impeccable network of contacts, his natural ability to communicate and listen, as well from sheer hard effort.
“Even in his later years when most think about winding down, Malcolm was still revving up and raring to go.
“And if there was mayhem and chaos to cause then you could bet your pension he was responsible – he just simply couldn’t help himself from keeping folk on their toes.”
He is survived by his wife, Heather – property journalist on the Scottish Daily Express – and son, Malcolm.
His funeral is taking place at Jordanhill Parish Church, Glasgow, on the 31st, at noon, and at Clydebank Crematorium at 1.30pm.
