ONE of Notts County's greatest ever supporters was today laid to rest, following a funeral service at St. Mary's Church in the Lace Market that was attended by hundreds of people, including Magpies' fans and past and present players and managers of the club.
Former Notts vice chairman John Mounteney sadly passed away earlier this month aged 79.
Having supported the club since he was a young boy, attending his first match at Meadow Lane in 1946, Nottingham-born Mounteney was vice chairman of the club for almost a quarter of a century.
He was on the Magpies' board during two of the club's most successful eras in recent history, as they won promotion into the top flight of English football under the legendary manager Jimmy Sirrel in 1981 and as they enjoyed back-to-back play-off wins under Neil Warnock to rise from Division Three to Division One between 1989 and 1991.
Among those who attended the service were Notts legends Les Bradd, the club's all-time leading scorer, and Don Masson and former chairman Jack Dunnett.
Former players Dean Yates, Tommy Johnson, Mark Draper and Ian Richardson and ex-managers Howard Wilkinson, Ian McParland, Billy Dearden and Gary Brazil also paid their respects to the popular Mounteney.
And so too, did present boss Shaun Derry and his assistant Greg Abbott and members of the current first-team squad, including Mustapha Dumbuya.
Mounteney had prepared the service to celebrate his life and it was led by the Right Reverend Tony Porter, Bishop of Sherwood.
Wilkinson gave a bible reading to the congregation and Notts club chaplain, the Revd Liam O'Boyle led prayers, wearing a Magpies' scarf.
The Order of Service included two pages of photographs from Mounteney's life, including one of his wedding to wife Daphne in 1964, and some farewell words from his grandson Luke, who wrote: "My Poppa is to me not just a grandfather but also a massive inspiration."
Forest legend Frank Clark attended the service and described Mounteney as "one of the nicest gentlemen in football".
"He was a real football man who loved Notts and gave his life to the club," he said.
Derry said: "All I can say is John was a really, really great man.
"It's a huge loss to the club he's gone, but his legend at Notts will live on."
BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Slater read a tribute during the service, in which he said: "We shall all miss him, quite terribly, but Daphne and the family much, much more than the rest of us.
"You would all wish me to assure them of our love and support and for them to know that, though this is not a fashionable thing to say in the macho world of football, John was a dear friend who, quite simply, we all loved."
The final hymn of the service was 'Abide with Me', also known as the FA Cup final hymn, and then Mounteney's coffin was carried out of the church for a private burial in Burton Joyce.
