Friends remember 'true gent' Grimsby Town bar manager after tragic cancer death

Tributes have been paid to a former bar manager for Grimsby Town Football Club after he lost his battle with cancer aged just 63.

Gary Richardson began his 26 years at Blundell Park at what is now known as the Legends Bar before moving to McMenemy's before finding a home at the Players Bar. During his time there, Gary would spend hundreds of hours of his own time improving the bar.

He even ripped out the old bar and replaced it with a new one, all in his own time. Gary was a well-known character by many Mariners fans, with people often coming to the bar just to speak to him.

Paying tribute to Gary, family friend Sharon Dobbs, Stadium Bar Manager for the Mariners Trust, recalled some of his best times at the club. She said: "He was very well known all over town and even throughout Lincolnshire.

"He was brilliant to work with and brought a smile to everyone's face, we all loved him. He was a true gentleman who would do anything for anyone, day or night. People looked forward to seeing him on a match day and even came into the bar just to see him rather than to have a drink."

Sadly, as happy as Gary was, he had a number of illnesses that proved to be too much to handle. Towards the end of the season, he became so poorly that he had to miss a couple of home games. Gary was admitted to hospital with breathing problems that were a side effect of his prostate cancer.

Gary had faced an ongoing battle, but had managed to see his beloved Grimsby Town promoted back into the Football League before he passed. Sharon explained: "The nurses who were looking after him gave him their computer to watch the final on the telly. He was a mad town supporter and was so proud to see them get promoted.

"He told me that he was so happy they'd