Town assistant manager Dale Roberts died at home this morning after a year long battle against cancer. The 46-year-old had been away from the club some while as he fought Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Newcastle-born Roberts joined Town as a player in the early 70s and was involved in the 1972/73 and 1974/75 FA Youth Cup winning side. He made his first team debut against Birmingham City at St Andrew's in December 1974, but despite winning England youth honours, he was never really a regular at Portman Road and moved on to Hull City in 1980 after making 24 appearances for the club. He made more than 200 appearances with the Tigers before a pelvic injury caused him to hang up his boots.

He returned to Portman Road as George Burley's assistant at the beginning of 1995, having also worked alongside the Scot at Ayr United and Colchester. In recent years he had managed the reserve team and led his side to the FA Premier Reserve League (South) title last season having been diagnosed with cancer early in 2002.

Town chairman David Sheepshanks paid tribute to a loyal club servant: "His two great loves were his family and this football club. He was utterly devoted to both. It would be fair to say that Dale was blue and white from head to toe.

"I will always cherish the memory of Dale and George dancing on the Wembley pitch just after Martijn Reuser had scored our fourth goal in the Play-Off Final. The picture of that is still fresh in my mind.

"I can also recall the modest way he accepted praise after leading the reserves to the Championship last season at a time when he was fighting his illness.

"But perhaps my most overriding memory of Dale was the way he fought so bravely against this killer disease.

"I went to visit him in hospital at Christmas and last Friday and it was clear that he was very ill but I was left awe struck by the tremendous sense of inner courage that he displayed.

"It is a terrible sadness to lose one of our staff, one of the Ipswich Town family, cut short in his prime.

"The directors, management and staff at Ipswich Town Football Club all share this terrible loss and we send our deepest sympathy and best wishes to Dale's family at this difficult time."

Town have announced that there will be a minute's silence at this evening's reserve game against Fulham (KO 7pm) and again on Saturday when the first team meet Sheffield United. The players will wear black armbands.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is a form of cancer which affects glands related to the immune system. After receiving the diagnosis Roberts underwent six months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

He leaves a wife, Cheryl, and two teenage sons. All at TWTD send our condolences.

Photo: Action Images

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