NIGEL GAVEY – ‘Gavs’ to just about everyone – will never get to write the history of the Post Office. He will never get to see the West Ham United pendant signed by all the current team and management and sent to him as he lay critically ill in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

Nigel, one of the most popular men in local football, not to mention the Guernsey Post Office, will be sadly missed by everyone.

Former colleagues, whether they be from work or the football teams he coached or with which he played, will have shed tears at his passing this week which, with the dreadful loss of Rovers’ Martyn Clayton, marks the last week of June as a terrible one for football, not to mention two families.

Nigel will be remembered in so many ways, most notably for his gentle smile, fantastic humour and loyalty. He loved football and he was chuffed to bits to get the chance to write about it, firstly as our weekly youth football correspondent and in more recent times covering the senior side, too.

It was planned that come September, Nigel would take responsibility for the Saturday football column. He could hardly believe he had been asked and given the level of respect he had in the domestic game and his knowledge, contacts and enthusiasm, he would have made a success of it.

Nigel was one of those special guys: nobody ever had a bad word to say about him.

For years he led the Sputniks attack. He is the Sputs’ record goalscorer with 315. Just how many more he would have scored had he not been offside so many times is anyone’s guess.

Nigel was an astute observer of the game, as well as a handy striker in his younger days with Belgraves where he moved through the junior ranks and into the first team under Keith Parkyn. After a short spell coaching at Bels, he moved to St Martin’s where he was to create something of a youth dynasty.

Three seasons on the trot they lifted the Youth One title and within that period went 44 matches without defeat.

‘The lads thought the world of him and he got the best out of the lads we had,’ said St Martin’s AC president Henry Davey, before highlighting the not-so-obvious role he had played in the club’s recent Priaulx League success.

‘Look at what we did this season and the number who played in Nigel and Bill Brogan’s youth sides – that bears witness to what he did for this club.’

Davey said he had never come across a bigger practical joker.

Owen ‘Sparrow’ Guille spoke for all posties and Sputniks players: ‘We are all gutted.’

‘He always brought a smile to our faces. He always had a laugh and a joke.

‘We are all going to miss him.’

The Guernsey Football Association paid its own tribute.

‘Everyone in local football will be deeply saddened by this news. We knew him as such a nice fella, as someone who it was virtually impossible not to get on with.

‘His sharp sense of humour, engaging smile and passion for football will be deeply missed by all of us who knew him through our sport.

‘The Association would particularly like to place on record and emphasise Nigel’s exceptional efforts in developing junior footballers.

‘Countless youngsters, particularly at St Martin’s, have a very bright future in football at least in part because of the efforts Nigel put into developing their talents.’

On the subject of his own death, Nigel joked about being buried in an Arsenal shirt.

‘Better one of them dead than a West Ham supporter.’

That was his humour.

He is survived by wife Julie, daughter Rebecca and sons Martyn and James, who wish to thank everyone for their support.

* GFA secretary Matt Fallaize has added to the tributes for School of Soccer coach Martyn Clayton.

‘He made a significant and valued contribution to football through his work as a coach at the School of Soccer. Martyn was popular and respected among his Year 5 training group and will be missed by all of those children.’