ONE of the best known figures in football circles in North Kent, John Robinson, has died while on a visit to Jersey. He was 64.

Mr Robinson was a director of the Kent County FA, vice-chairman of the KCFA Cups committee, a divisional secretary and chief executive of the North Kent Sunday League.

He had been visiting relatives in Jersey when was he taken ill. Mr Robinson, who lived in Northfleet, is survived by a sister and a cousin.

His untimely death robs football in the Gravesend and Dartford areas of a tireless worker. Both the Gravesend Saturday and North Kent Sunday League's observed a minute's silence before their weekend fixtures.

Paying tribute to Mr Robinson, Keith Masters, chief executive of the Kent County FA said: "Everyone who knew John will be devastated by the news of his death and football in Gravesend and Dartford, especially, has lost a great servant.

"He was totally dedicated to the game and I would say he is almost irreplaceable because he had the administration in the North Kent Sunday League almost sewn up. He was one in a million."

Graham Peacock, chairman of the North Kent Sunday League, said: "It goes without saying that he will be sorely missed because his appetite for the workload was insatiable. The ramifications of his death, not only to the North Kent Sunday League, but all football in the area are enormous. It will be extremely difficult to replace him."

Colin Boswell, vice-chairman of the KCFA, secretary of the Medway Today Sunday League and founder member of the North Kent Sunday League, said: "John's death is a very sad loss to football and people in the North Kent area will now realise just how much work he put in."