Former Leicestershire sports reporter recounts his colourful memories covering the Tigers and Foxes

A former sports reporter, known for his coverage of the Leicester Tigers rugby club and Leicester’s Foxes FC, has published a book of his memoirs.

The book, titled Rats, Pies and Pigeon Poo recounts, the fond memories of Dennis Coath during his 45-year career. And as hinted by the inspired title, they include giant rats, paddling through pigeon poo and eating a mouldy pie – just a day or two in the life of the intrepid TV and radio reporter.

The rat incident refers to a moment when, during a report for ITV, Dennis noticed a huge rat crawling out from under the wheelie bin he leant on. Terrified of the rodents, the reporter recalls how difficult he found it to stay focused on the interview.

While pies are part and parcel of football culture, the pie in this instance was, as Dennis discovered having eaten half of it, filled with green mould.

Finally, the pigeon poo refers to the ankle-deep conditions of one derelict football stand where Dennis was required to report from.

Other anecdotes recalled by the reporter-turned-author, include him dodging a hail of bricks in Istanbul and avoiding a fusillade of full beer cans hurled by French rugby fans.

He said: “I was lucky to escape without injury, but one tin took a chunk out of my ear.”

His more terrifying moments include facing the militia’s machine guns in Bilbao, being severely bitten by a horse during a live TV broadcast, and facing a huge black rodent, large lizards and cobras while filming a TV documentary in Vietnam.

He also chronicles his interviews with Muhammad Ali, Ayrton Senna, Jonah Lomu, Brian Clough, Ken Dodd, David Attenborough, Barry Sheene and Rod Stewart, among others.

Rats, Pies and Pigeon Poo is also a handbook for aspiring journalists.

Dennis added: “When I look back at 45 years I can’t believe the adventures and scrapes I have got into and the illustrious people I have met. I am sport mad. My career got off to a bad start when I was sacked as a crematorium gardener for playing cricket in the ‘garden of rest’. We played for The Ashes.”