He often travelled by train to Sunderland matches and kept a seat for my father in law so they could have a natter and put the (football) world to rights. On the train home he would have to stand in the crush along with the rest of us.
In my book he was a larger than life, genuine bloke, who made my father in law very happy. They had nothing in common other than they could both talk the hind legs of a donkey.
RIP