Tributes pour to Peter White

Peter, our deputy sports sports editor who had reported on Blackburn Rovers for nearly 20 years, collapsed and died at his home in Great Harwood. He was 51.

Yesterday this newspaper devoted its front page lead story to Peter and carried tributes from past and present Rovers players and managers. The flood of tributes continued today following this great loss to East Lancashire's sporting scene.

Blackburn Rovers manager Graeme Souness said: "In the short time that I knew him it was obvious within minutes that he had great passion for the club. I spoke to him on a daily basis and when we hadn't won you could tell it was hurting him.

"It was a pleasure to work with him because I knew I was dealing with someone who first and foremost was a Rovers man. He was a Rovers man first, a journalist second."

Blackburn MP, Home Secretary and Ewood Park regular Jack Straw said: "Peter was the best of British journalists and I greatly admired him.

"I admired his extraordinary energy, encyclopaedic knowledge of football, and his passion and commitment for the Rovers. He will be very greatly missed by everyone who supports the club."

Former Blackburn Rovers manager Brian Kidd said: "Personally, I can't speak highly enough of Pete or his wife, Val.

"I thought he was such a terrific man and we ended up as great friends in such a short space of time.

"Even after I left, I would still phone him to see how he was. "He was Rovers through and through and always said it how it was.

"When we went on our pre-season tour he was terrific.

"What shone through most was how much the club meant to him.

"But that never clouded his judgment.

"He always did his job like a true professional and the humility of the man was unbelievable.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Ewood legend Ronnie Clayton said: "He was one of the really nice people in this world.

"I saw him nearly every home match and we always had a good chat with each other.

"I always read his articles and respected him very much."

At the start of Clayton's Ewood career, the Blackburn Times reporter was Bill Westall, Peter's mentor.

Clayton added: "I really respected both men. They did a lot of good jobs for the newspapers and Blackburn Rovers."

Former Burnley boss Adrian Heath said: "I only had brief dealings with Peter but I really liked him."

Simon Garner, Rovers all-time top scorer, said: "Pete started at the Telegraph about the same time as I broke into the first team so our careers followed a similar path. "He was really one of the lads, almost part of the team, and he used to travel to matches on the team bus.

"Socially he was a lot of fun and we had many nights talking over a few pints but he only ever had one topic of conversation -- football!"

Eric Whalley, chairman of Accrington Stanley and former Rishton Cricket Club stalwart, said: "I remember Peter from the days when he used to report on Rishton for the Blackburn Times and we became good friends.

"He was always a person who would help you in any way he could, no matter what club I have been at over the years.

"He was always optimistic and wrote what he thought.

"But I also remember him from his amateur football days.

"He used to play for Brantfell and they were a big part of the amateur football scene in Harwood at the time.

"He will be sorely missed by a lot of people."

Rovers fans have been paying their own tributes.

Joe Pentony, of Unity Street, Blackburn, said: "Peter will be missed by the thousands of people who read his reports and took a piece of him into their hearts. It is a shock to myself and my family and words cannot express how much he will be missed."

Keith Fitzpatrick said from Holland: "Peter was a friend of mine. I am saddened by his passing and I will miss him.

"He was a Rovers supporter as well as being a reporter. "He knew how passionate I was about the Rovers, but although I often tried to glean a little extra background information from him he would never reveal to me what he had heard in confidence and I respected him for it.

"I think that respect was shared by all the people with whom he had contact, he was a true professional and a man of integrity.

"His columns on the Rovers were written with honesty and from the heart 'I write it as I see it' he would say, he did, and we readers felt better informed for it.

"It's a sad day for me and a sad day for Rovers supporters around the world.

"Peter White brought us closer to the club we care about, it was like having a friend at the game who would pull no punches in telling you how it was. He shared the high's and low's that we felt as supporters, he was one of us, we are all going to miss him."

Another Rovers fan, Bill Elliott, said: "Peter White was a great supporter of the Rovers.

"Most of all he was a bloody good journalist, with a lot of wit, and a decent man.

"He will be missed."

And Dawn Oliver wrote: "I first really became aware of Peter White's writing in August 1998. I used to collect Rovers stories for a Norwegian friend who is a Rovers fan and was doing his national service in Northern Norway with no internet access. I always particularly liked what he wrote -- he was obviously a fan, but gave all his stories a clear-eyed impartiality. He wrote the way I would like to write if I could write, and I shall miss his articles.

"I hope he receives a minute's silence before the game on Saturday." Another signing himself Spenny said: "I for one will sorely miss Peter White.

"Commiserations to all his family -- it is not easy to lose a member, and one so young as Peter.

"His reports were by and large spot on about the Rovers. He knew all that was going on, could suss performances out and club feelings with uncanny vision. His ratings were bang on, too.

"His style of writing, and his obvious concern and love for the club will be very, very hard to better. During his stint in hospital his reporting was dearly missed.

"Now it shall be missed even more acutely.

"All the best, Peter and his family."

Long-serving Lancashire League player Keith Roscoe said: "I've known him for 20 years. I always found him to generous in whatever he did.

"You always knew what side his allegiance was with but if you played well he was always gracious in defeat. He never looked at it one-eyed."