ERNIE Fairclough, York's 'Mr Football', has died at the age of 80.

The long-standing secretary of the Leeper Hare York and District Football League died in York and District Hospital's intensive care unit yesterday afternoon.

He had been connected with local football for a staggering 60 years, holding several key posts on both York and North Riding County Football Associations.

He had been on the league committee for nearly 40 years, either as registration secretary, secretary and referees' appointments secretary.

He was also treasurer of the York John Smith's Sunday League.

His hard work was rewarded in 1995 when he was awarded York and District Sports Council's Service to Sport award. He was runner-up in the Yorkshire and Humberside Sports Council Service to Sport award in the same year.

One of his greatest dreams was realised in the early 1990s with the formation of the premier league.

"Football was such big part of his life," said his widow, Edie, who continued to write premier division reports for the Evening Press during her husband's illness.

She added: "The last game he saw was at Dunnington a week on Saturday and he really enjoyed it."

Roy Ellwood, vice president of the York FA and North Riding FA, said: "Ernie will be sadly missed after all the hard work he put in over many years."

Born on August 3, 1921, in Bentley's Yard, off Holgate Road, Mr Fairclough was educated at Castlegate, Scarcoft Park Grove and Model schools.

During his school-days he was a free-scoring centre forward, once netting more than 50 goals in a season for Park Grove. But he took over in goal one day and played there for the rest of his career.

At the Model School he sat at the same desk once occupied by Joe Hulme, who went on to play for Arsenal and England after a brief spell at York City.

Mr Fairclough played for Cooke's Minors, New Earswick, Dringhouses, Vickers, York City Reserves and finally, Dringhouses, where he played alongside well known local players like Alf Patrick, Stan Fawcett and Tommy Arnold.

He managed New Earswick, where he lived with his wife, and York RI, whom he persuaded to join the Yorkshire League. In their second season they won the second division title becoming the first York team to win a county league title.

Mr Fairclough called it a day with RI after problems with cataracts left him with tunnel vision.

Mr Fairclough's sons, Stewart and Neil have been been involved in running local teams.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be made.

Updated: 11:50 Monday, February 25, 2002