Tributes are being paid to Mark Farnworth, who was Preston North End's long-standing ground safety officer.
Tributes have been paid to an "outstanding" veteran staff member at Preston North End football club who was responsible for safety standards on match days.
Mark Farnworth joined the Championship club in 2013 and became ground safety officer, supervising stewards and overseeing matters including crowd control and the safety of fans.
Before joining the club Farnworth, who has died at the age of 63, spent 24 years with Lancashire Police.
Preston said in a statement: "Everyone connected with the club will miss him dearly."
The club said every member at Deepdale was "distraught" when they were informed of the father-of-five and grandfather-of-eight's death.
"Their reaction was a real testimony to the way in which he was respected both inside the club and in the wider community," it said.
Farnworth was an "outstanding family man", the club continued.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Deborah, his children Hannah, Victoria, Laura, Grace and Tom, all of his grandchildren and of course his friends."
Aside from his footballing commitments, Farnworth was an active member of the St Gregory's Catholic Club in Preston and, with his love of bowling and horse racing, would organise trips with the bowling team to race courses in the UK.
Club chairman Alan Hamilton said: "Mark was a big man with a heart of gold.
"He had a gift to be able to empathise with people, saying the right words to give them support.
"He was just lovable."
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Category: General Sports
