Geordie sporting legend Steve Black has tragically died at the age of 64.
A big bear of a man who was loved by everyone he helped worldwide to achieve their ultimate potential suffered a massive heart attack.
He was the acclaimed fitness coach of Newcastle Falcons when on the advent of professional rugby they proceeded to win trophy after trophy and was part of Kevin Keegan's staff at Newcastle United at the birth of the Entertainers.
Those two achievements alone elevate Blackie into folklore but he did so much more.
Steve's influence was felt - and appreciated - over a wide spectrum of sport. He was a guru with the Welsh rugby union squad and the British Lions and across the great divide worked full time on the staffs of United, Sunderland, Fulham and Huddersfield Town.
Individuals also benefitted from the Blackie Experience none more so that England's World Cup winning legend Jonny Wilkinson. They first came together at the Falcons and established such an intensity and trust that they stayed working closely even when Jonny went off to play in France.
Black was always willing to work one on one with people. Glenn McCrory called upon him to help his conditioning and enable him to make the cruiserweight limit for his history making world title fight in Moscow, the first Russia had ever staged after the Wall came down.
Steve also helped the likes of Lee Clark, Paul Bracewell, Joey Barton, Steve Watson and England fly-half Danny Cipirani.
He rose from working as a bouncer on the doors of Newcastle hostelries to global sporting achievements and a motivational speaker in demand across the world especially in America.
He even had a go at boxing. I always remember doing the radio commentary when he had his first fight and saying on air: "Steve Black is the worst pro boxer I have ever seen in the ring." He heard about it, laughed like a drain, and we became lifelong firm friends.
It was the only thing he ever tried that he failed to excel at...but his worth to an elite fighter like McCrory was undeniable.
On the announcement of his sudden death on Sunday the Falcons called him "the spiritual heartbeat of our club since the very early days of professionalism. He was more than a maker of stars, he was a friend to all of us."
Such was his ability shown at Kingston Park that New Zealand coach Graham Henry asked Blackie to join his staff first with Wales and then the British Lions for their 2001 tour of Australia.
"He was the best at what he did," said Jonny Wilkinson who was coached by Black during the period he developed into the best fly-half in the world who went on to drop-kick England to World Cup glory in 2003.
Steve Black was a jovial Geordie who was both cuddly and a person of huge inner strength and inspiration. The people he helped (including me) are too numerous to mention but will guarantee that his memory will live forever. He was one of our own.
