Colin Slater MBE, the voice of Notts County, was much more than a journalist, commentator and broadcaster.
He had a huge impact on Nottinghamshire in so many ways, through charity work, his position as chair of the Nottingham Bench of Magistrates - and he even had a beer brewed after him as well as a tram.
And a number of those involved in Mr Slater's life outside of football have paid tribute to him.
Mr Slater died peacefully on the evening of Monday, January 18, aged 87 with loved ones by his side.
Sadly his health had deteriorated prior to that.
As well as his long-serving career covering the Magpies, Mr Slater was also a magistrate.
He became a magistrate in 1977 and served until 2004.
During that time, he was elected as chair of the Nottingham Bench of Magistrates.
Present chair of the Nottinghamshire Bench, Mrs Cherryl Lacey JP, said: "In the final years of his service, he was elected by his colleagues to be the Chair of the Nottingham Bench at a time when it was one of the largest in the country.
"He fulfilled that role with great distinction.
"He is remembered with both respect and fondness by those who worked with him at the court."
Janine McKinney, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the East Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Colin played an important role in the criminal justice system and our paths crossed on numerous occasions over the years.
"Throughout my dealings with Colin, he was always so pleasant, diligent and full of integrity.
"I really remember his distinctive voice, which is an asset as a magistrate, as well as the role for which he was more well known.
"It is extremely sad to hear of his passing and I extend my sympathy to his family.
"I hope that they are justly proud of his many achievements and the incredible amount he gave to public service and his community."
Mr Slater was head of public relations for Nottinghamshire County Council for almost 20 years.
He was also a devoted Christian, and his dedication ranged from serving as church warden for his beloved Christ Church in Chilwell to a pivotal role volunteering as development officer for St John's Theological Training College in Bramcote in the 1990s.
Here he would go on to serve as a highly regarded trustee for many years.
He was first elected to Diocesan synod - the governing body of the Diocese - in the 1970s and then, in 1990, he was elected as a Diocesan Lay representative on General Synod which he served for 31 years.
Reverend Paul Williams, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, said: "I know I speak for many when I express my immense gratitude for Colin’s unfailingly kind, encouraging and generous friendship, as well as for his faithful and prayerful service to so many across this diocese and beyond.
"Colin touched countless lives and will be greatly missed by so many but today we give thanks to the Lord he loved for the life and sport he loved, and the many ways he helped others to find hope in Christ.
"We are comforted to know that he is now at home with Jesus, his Friend and Saviour."
Reverend Liam O'Boyle, chaplain at Notts County Football Club, said: "Like so many others, I’ve been incredibly privileged to know Colin in church life and football and - in the words of that great football supporters’ song – think of him as ‘one of our own’.
"On his 80th birthday, he was inducted to the Hall of Fame at Notts County, and the voice of the club became speechless.
"It was marvellous to see him realise how many people loved him.
"I want to express my immense gratitude to him for unfailingly king and courageous friendship, and he will forever be one of us."
Mr Slater was also renowned for his charity work, joining the board as a trustee of Emmanuel House, a charity which supports homeless, vulnerable and isolated adults in Nottingham.
Denis Tully, CEO at Emmanuel House, said: "I greatly valued Colin’s wise advice, he was indeed gentle in his manner but when he came across an injustice he was strident in getting it sorted out.
"Colin will be missed."
Clive Sillito, chair of trustees, said: "I’ve known Colin over 40 years; he's been a friend and mentor to me and was such a close friend of mine, it’s a very sad day for me.
"When Emmanuel House was struggling financially, he was immensely helpful - his experience in PR and marketing and all those relationships really helped us and was what keep us afloat during that time.
"His lasting legacy will be in the lives of the people he’s touched - I am so privileged to have the opportunity to honour a truly good man."
Mr Slater was also a founding member of the East Midlands branch of the Lord’s Taverners charity, which works to empower disabled and disadvantaged young people through sport.
He also held a number of roles at Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, leading the club's marketing department from 1988 to 1996, acting as PA announcer and frequently performing master of ceremonies duties for club functions.
A spokesperson for the club said: "Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and all who enjoyed his work as a totemic figure of the county’s sporting scene."
Mr Slater had a tram named after him in 2015 after being nominated by members of the public.
Stephanie Moss-Pearce, marketing manager for tram operator NET, said: "Each one of our trams is named after a local hero who has made their mark on Nottingham.
"Colin Slater was nominated in 2015 because of his legendary status as a commentator on Notts County as well as his wider roles in the community.
"We were all saddened by the news of Colin's passing but are proud that Tram 223 still carries his name and will help ensure his legacy lives on."
He also had a beer brewed in his honour, too.
Castle Rock Brewery brewed a one-off 4.2 percent stout, which was black and white to reflect the colour of Notts County.
Colin Wilde, managing director of Castle Rock Brewery, said: "We did a Nottingham series of beers and he deserved his place within that, we've even been asked to rebrew it and that's something we might be able to look into some time in the future.
"I met him several times, and he was a really friendly, honest man with loads of integrity, and you can tell he cared about who he talked to and worked for.
"He will be sadly missed, and we all here have sympathy for his loved ones and friends - he will forever be remembered and leave a huge gap."
Chairs of various Notts County supporter groups also paid tribute to Mr Slater.
Iris Smith, chair of Notts County Supporters' Club, said: "He did so much for the club which cannot be replaced, the mould was definitely broken, and he was a lovely man.
"Everyone came before him and he had a very dry sense of humour - he was excellent to work with and always took things on board and made his own suggestions on different things.
"We're going to miss Uncle Colin."
John Terrington, chair of the Notts County Official Supporters' Association, said: "He's been an excellent servant to the club and he'll be sadly missed.
"He was very approachable and never seemed to get flustered, he was always cool and calm with everything and did so much for so many people."
Mike Scott, chair of Notts County Supporters' Trust, said: "It's a massive loss for supporters, and I can't imagine another broadcaster anywhere in the country that will have the same degree of affection from supporters of a club.
"He was very special and was deeply devoted to what he did, he was one of the lucky people who had a job doing exactly what he wanted, and probably would have done it free of charge."
Mr Slater's funeral takes place on Monday, January 31, at 12.30pm at St Mary's Church, in High Pavement, Nottingham city centre.
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