Former Liverpool chief executive Peter Robinson has passed away at the age of 86.
Robinson presided over matters at Anfield for nearly four decades, which included the managerial reigns of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier.
The hugely respected Robinson helped turn an under-achieving club into the most powerful one on the continent throughout the 1970s and '80s as the Reds won four European Cups.
By the time he stepped down in 2000, the club had lifted 29 major trophies that included a dozen league championships.
In a statement confirming the passing on their official website, Liverpool FC said: "Robinson was a pivotal behind-the-scenes figure at Anfield throughout a 35-year spell, which began shortly before the Reds’ first FA Cup triumph in 1965, when he joined as club secretary following jobs at Stockport County, Crewe Alexandra, Scunthorpe United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
"In close and constructive partnership with chairman John Smith, he oversaw a modernisation of the club’s administrative operations with the objective of freeing managers to focus on their top priority: winning on the pitch.
"He and Smith were closely involved in player recruitment during an era when the Reds repeatedly achieved masterstrokes in the transfer market.
"And the pair drove forward improvements at Anfield, including a new Main Stand and floodlighting – under which so many special nights would unfold – in the early 1970s.
"It was a set-up that helped to deliver overwhelming success as Liverpool became a dominant force – and trophy-gathering machine – first at home and then on the continent."
Robinson was one of the masterminds behind the first shirt sponsorship deal of its kind when Liverpool agreed a contract with Hitachi, something that was viewed as a revolutionary move in 1979.
The two-year agreement was worth around £100,000 and allowed the Reds to bear the name of the brand on their shirts in games that were not televised.
Alongside then manager Dalglish, the chief executive was a key figure for the club as it attempted to navigate through the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster in April 1989.
It was said to be his decision to open up Anfield in the days after the tragedy to allow supporters to pay their respects to those who died.
Robinson took the decision to walk away in 1999, having previously stated: "I have had the opportunity to work away from Liverpool Football Club but I have certainly never had the desire."
His passing was confirmed by football author John Keith on Wednesday morning in a tweet, saying: "Very sad to learn of the passing of that wonderful football administrator Peter Robinson, a key figure in Liverpool FC's rise to become the club they are today. RIP Peter."
Liverpool's official statistician, Ged Rea, posted: "Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of English football's greatest ever administrators and a man who will comfortably sit at the top table of Liverpool FC legends. Peter Robinson RIP. YNWA."
