NORTHWICH Victoria Football Club suffered an incalculable loss with the death of their president and chairman Derek Nuttall, aged 89.

I was fortunate to have known Derek and his wife Joan for more than 50 years and with my own wife Wyn, spent many happy hours in their company on and off scores of football fields.

If ever there was a one-club-man it was he and I dread to think what might have happened to the Vics in the time since he joined the board in 1966, until almost the present day, without his foresight, leadership and example.

We veered off in different directions several seasons ago with the advent of 1874 Northwich FC because we felt the old club was being taken down the wrong path by successive owners. Yet Derek remained loyal to the end and never wavered in his belief that to keep NVFC going was paramount.

I was proud that 1874 remembered Derek on Saturday with a well observed two minutes’ silence before their FAVase game against Billingham Synthonia.

Mike Talbot-Butler

BEM Northwich