Chester FC heroes of yesteryear have been paying tribute to Paul Futcher, who sadly lost his short battle with cancer, aged 60.
Chester-born Futcher, who hailed from Upton, played for the Blues in the early 1970s along with his older brother, Graham, and twin brother, Ron.
The former Blues defender, who came through the ranks at Sealand Road under the watchful eye of former Chester youth coach Cliff Sear before being handed his debut by Ken Roberts, went on to amass over 700 appearances with clubs including Manchester City, Barnsley and Grimsby Town.
And former Blues players have paid a glowing tribute to Futcher, who made his debut for Chester as a 16-year-old in 1973.
Chester legend and former photographer Gary Talbot never shared the hallowed turf of Sealand Road with Futcher but was well aware of his talents from a young age.
"I used to have a column for the Liverpool Echo and I remember hearing of these two lads who were twin brothers and making a name for themselves in Chester," he said.
"I hadn't seen them play by this time, though. I went along to a local game and I took a picture of both of them in action and they were great players, they really were. You could tell they were going places.
"I followed his career and always enjoyed seeing him throughout the years. He, like me, was a member of the Chester Former Players Association. He was an honest footballer. He played the game correctly and he was a lovely bloke. It's terribly sad news."
Futcher, the uncle of former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy, remained a popular figure at Chester despite his fleeting appearances.
He and his brother Ron both made the move to Luton Town in 1974 for a combined fee of £125,000, with both embarking on fine Football League careers.
But Futcher always remembered his roots, as former Chester winger Alan Tarbuck recalls.
"He was a Chester lad and was one of those players who progressed from playing on his local pitches to playing for his local club," said Tarbuck, who played for Chester between 1970 and 1972.
"Paul was a stalwart centre half and it was no surprise when he and Ron went on to bigger things.
"To have him play for Chester was great for the club and brought them some much-needed money at the time. To see a young lad from Upton play for the Blues and then go on and achieve so much was great for the fans and the club.
"We kept in touch through the years and Paul's brother, Graham, still lives in Chester. It's just so sad and a real loss and my thoughts go out to his family. He was a great man."
Funeral details will be announced in due course.
