ANOTHER link with local journalism of 60 years ago has been severed by the passing of a veteran wordsmith who wrote under the nom-de-plume ‘Boffin’ when covering Saints.

William ‘Bert’ Traverse, of Rainhill, died at Whiston Hospital last week following a stroke.

He was 86, and leaves his wife Felicia, son John, daughter-in-law Ruth and grandson Jamie.

Born in Sutton and an old boy of Parr Central School, Bert worked for three local publications, the Gazette, the Newspaper and the Reporter, which he edited for several years.

With pen in hand, Bert’s specialities were Saints, where he was on first-name terms with the players, such as captain Jimmy Stott, who was also of ‘Parr Cent’ pedigree.

Traverse was also in the Wembley press box when the Knowsley Road squad lifted the Challenge Cup for the first time in defeating Halifax in 1956.

Bert’s You May Like To Know feature was a riveting read, in particular for more mature Reporter devotees, in that it embraced the complete spectrum of town affairs.