ONE of the finest players to ever wear the blue and white stripes of Chester died yesterday, prompting a flood of tributes from fans and former team-mates.

Blues legend Trevor Storton, possibly the greatest defender the club has ever had, lost his battle with cancer. He was 61.

Storton made 468 appearances for Chester and was part of the famous Ken Roberts team that memorably reached the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1975.

Goalkeeper Grenville Millington, who played alongside the centre-back for nine seasons, said: “There’s no bigger legend for Chester than Trevor Storton.

“I was a young goalkeeper coming into the team and I remember one game at Barnsley, where I did okay, and in the dressing room afterwards Trevor came over to me, shook my hand and said, ‘you’ll do for me, Milly’. That moment gave me the confidence to play in the Football League.

“If you had the privilege of playing behind Trevor and Bob Delgado then you knew you were safe.”

Storton, who started his career playing alongside his older brother Stan for Tranmere Rovers, signed for Chester in 1974 from Bill Shankly’s Liverpool.

He went on to make 396 Football League appearances in a 10-year stay with the Blues. Only two players, Ray Gill (406) and Ron Hughes (399), have made more.

Keighley-born Storton had a brief spell as Chester’s caretaker manager and stayed in football after his playing career came to an end. He managed Bradford Park Avenue for seven years and, until his death, was assistant manager at FC Halifax Town.

It was while on Halifax duty that Millington and another former Blues player, Alan Tarbuck, last saw Storton.

Millington, honorary life vice-president of Chester FC, said: “A few weeks ago Halifax played at Nantwich and, as we knew Trevor was poorly, we thought we’d go along to see him.

“Trevor passed Alan and I on the way to the dugout and I turned round to him and said, ‘are you Mr Storton, because this fella here is Alan Tarbuck’. Then Alan said, ‘and this fella here is Grenville Millington’. His face was a picture. He said ‘God bless you both’, and we shared a few precious moments with him.”

Chester FC chairman Chris Pilsbury said the club’s thoughts are with Storton’s wife Linda and his family.

He added: “He was an immaculate, wonderful player and was what I believe lower-league football should be all about – competitive to the last, but a true gentleman on and off the field.”

Club historian Chas Sumner, who works alongside Millington in the Chester City Former Players Association, said: “He was a sensational player. Few ever got the better of him. It is very sad news.”

Long-serving Blues supporter Barrie Hipkiss added: “He was a truly great player and a leader of men here at Chester Football Club.”