Ron was among those to pay tribute to Nev's dedication to the club at the wake which was held at HartlepooL Cricket Club.

Fo those who live outside the area you may be interested in The Mail's tribute to Nev in Tuesday night's paper:

TRIBUTES PAID TO RUGBY HERO

TRIBUTES have been paid to a former rugby club president following his death. Hartlepool grandfather Neville Brown played for West Hartlepool and later served as club president for seven years after his retirement. He was also a lifelong worker at the town's British Steel plants and has died at the age of 73. After attending West Hartlepool Grammar School, he joined the Durham Iron and Steel company as a junior clerk in 1945. He then went on to work for the British Steel Corporation in Hartlepool as employment officer and industrial relations manager before retiring in 1984. A keen sportsman, Mr Brown was well known in the sports community as an athlete with Burn Road Harriers and played for West Hartlepool rugby club. Going on to serve on the club committee, he was appointed president in 1988 and worked in the position until 1995. Current West Hartlepool chairman Ron Greig said Mr Brown was a well-respected man of great integrity. He said: "He was a stalwart of the rugby club who joined in the early days and held several positions on committees before being made president. "As a driving force for change, he was president of the club during its finest times when we reached the first division. "He was a dedicated working president, not just a figurehead, and contributed a lot of time and effort as an ardent supporter of not just the first team but the junior sections also. "He will be much missed by everyone at the club for his warmth, wit and humour." Mr Brown, who lived in the West Park area of Hartlepool, also served on Hartlepool's Youth Employment Committee for several years and was appointed as a justice of the peace for Hartlepool in 1971. He was married to Sheila, had three daughters Gillian, Joanne and Carolyn and was a grandfather-of-six.