To The Only Sports Guy I Knew: David Gough
David Gough has been writing sports stories in Wallaceburg for decades
Being someone who played and loved sports, I came to know the name, face, and writing of our local sports guy, David Gough, well. He was the only sports guy I knew.
Of course, I knew the names and voices of the Detroit Red Wings announcers, as we only got a few channels on our aerial, and I knew Don Cherry and Ron McLean from Hockey Night in Canada.
But in terms of local sports, the only sports guy I knew was David Gough.
That is saying a lot for someone like myself, who later in life started writing about sports, and founded a local sports only media outlet.
David took a photo of me the day I was born, as I was the New Years baby. He wrote about me in minor hockey, he wrote about me, and would call me after games or talk to me in the bowels of Wallaceburg Memorial Arena when I played for the Wallaceburg Lakers. He interviewed me when I started coaching, and when I helped run sporting events in Wallaceburg. And then later, we even took a trip to a London Knights game together, both covering Seth Griffith and Dane Fox, who played for the Knights at the time, as two reporters, working for different agencies.
Then, this week, I learned David’s time with the Wallaceburg Courier Press is coming to an end.
He might still write from time to time, but this is the end of one memorable season.
The stories he could tell about our community. The inner workings he knows. The joyful and sad moments he’s witnessed. Telling everyone what he, and we, could hear, see, and think around our town.
In the sports world, David Gough has been on the sidelines of many football games, behind the glass for countless hockey games, in the bleachers of his share of baseball games, and on the ice for a few curling events himself.
David has been an important voice for Wallaceburg, and an avid supporter of local sports for as long as I’ve been alive. A point, which was recognized in 2015 when David was named the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame’s Builder of the Year.
I’d wager to say somewhere between the lines, and within the nuances of the stories we write at CKSN, and with the way we do things, there’s a little David Gough spelled out in our coverage. Or at least I hope there is.
David has been a champion of and for Wallaceburg, and local sports. As with any icon, who is preparing to play their last game, or in this case, put a period at the end of a long, detailed, and enthralling story, David Gough deserves a standing ovation from the Chatham-Kent sports community.
To the only sports guy I knew, Thanks David.
What a fabulous tribute to the man. He always was patient with any request I made of him.
What a wonderful tribute to Mr Gough. He was always helpful whenever we corresponded.
I totally agree with this writer. My husband Bob and I took on the task of trying to keep tennis alive in Wallaceburg. Not only was David Gough there for all of us he helped to promote tennis by keeping the community up to date on all sports in Wallaceburg and surrounding communities. I picked up the phone or pulled out my iPad or computer on many occasions just to talk with David. He always made time for our program but he also was at every event we ever attended. You just looked around and David was there taking pictures and talking to someone about their program. We never missed reading his articles and listening to his opinions. David was right up front for every Big and Small event that went on and he shared them with a non biase David we could not have gone as far in this town without you. You are already missed.