A YORK-BORN sports journalist and life-long York City FC devotee, who became a "fixture" at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, has died suddenly at the age of 51.

Robert Mills, of Appleton Roebuck, was cricket correspondent and chief sports writer on the Yorkshire Post, but began his career as a news reporter at the Evening Press before moving on to the sports desk.

The former Archbishop Holgate School pupil established himself as a writer of great promise as a trainee and went on to cover York Rugby League Club for the Press. He was to follow the club assiduously.

He went on to become the first Yorkshire CCC correspondent of the Hull Daily Mail, before joining the Yorkshire Post as cricket correspondent for the 1990 season.

One of his career highlights, alongside Yorkshire winning the county championship at Scarborough in 2001, was being named Sports Writer of the Year in the 1993 UK Press Gazette Awards.

David Warner, the Evening Press's Yorkshire cricket correspondent since 1975, said: "Rob Mills was the most versatile cricket journalist I ever knew. As well as being able to write fluently and knowledgeably on the game, he also had a sharp eye for news stories and was a gifted columnist.

"I have lost a close friend and colleague and he will be sadly missed by his readers and everyone connected with Yorkshire County Cricket Club."

Hugh MacDougall, who joined Mr Mills on the Evening Press sports desk in 1977, said the news of his sudden and untimely death had come as a terrible shock.

He said: "He was a quiet and very conscientious journalist who was well respected in the community and a popular colleague."

Mr Mills leaves a widow, Angela, a daughter, Francesca, 21, and twin teenage sons Alex and Lewis.

Updated: 10:56 Thursday, October 30, 2003