Former sports reporter and Portman Road PA announcer Bryan Knights died in Ipswich Hospital earlier today, aged 72, after a long illness.
Knights reported and commentated for Radio Orwell, SGR FM and from 2001 until recently BBC Radio Suffolk on Town, the Ipswich Witches and Suffolk County Cricket Club.
Current BBC Suffolk commentator Brenner Woolley, Knights's successor paid tribute, telling TWTD: "One of the words I’d use to describe Bryan would be generous. Very, very generous with his time with his advice with his encouragement towards me.
"Because, of course, when I first came down to Suffolk it would have been easy for him to be worried by this young whippersnapper coming in and maybe had his nose put out of joint but there was never any of that from Bryan towards me, he was always absolutely wonderful in terms of his generosity.
"He had a huge passion for his local sport, he kept abreast of everything and was a very, very funny man on top of that, very opinionated but great company and I’ll have nothing but fond memories and an awful lot of respect for a thoroughly wonderful man.”
Extremely saddened to hear that Bryan Knights of Radio Suffolk has passed away. A fine broadcaster and an even finer man.– Matt Holland (@mattholland8) March 7, 2016
BBC Suffolk editor Peter Cook added: "He was a legend of a broadcaster.
"Many Town fans will have grown up listening to his commentaries and he really was the voice of Ipswich Town for season after season.
"Away from the microphone Bryan was a warm, kind man with a smile for everyone. We'll miss him terribly."
For more than 20 years he was also the PA announcer at Portman Road, as he was at Foxhall Stadium and he was also on the committee of Suffolk County Cricket Club.
A sad loss, our thoughts go out to Bryan's family and friends at this terrible time. From everyone at #itfc, RIP x https://t.co/LJJooz4NPj– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) March 7, 2016
Prior to his involvement in local radio, Knights, who was also the headteacher at Murrayside County Primary, was on the committee of the ITFC Supporters Club and was the DJ on the famous Blue Arrow trains which travelled to away games in the early 1970s.
UPDATE: We've had a message from Bryan's family this morning saying they've been very touched by all the kind words that have been posted about him since his death yesterday.
RIP Bryan Knights...... Knightsy was a top man and reported on #ITFC games home and away for years.I was his sidekick for 2 years #sgrfm– Simon Milton (@Milts25) March 7, 2016
Photo: BBC Suffolk