YORK City supporters turned up in club colours to the funeral of former chairman Steve Beck at St Mary’s Parish Church in Riccall.

The service was a celebration of “red and blue” as the Minstermen fanatic had wished, with hundreds of mourners packed in to pay tribute to his memory.

Current Leeds United head coach Neil Redfearn and former Minstermen boss Colin Walker were among those from the football world who attended with past and present Bootham Crescent players Michael Ingham, Dan Parslow, Andy Bishop, Russ Howarth, Graham Crawford and Chris Topping acting as pallbearers.

York Press:

Former and present footballers Graeme Crawford, Chris Topping, Daniel Parslow and Russ Howarth attend the funeral

The Lord Mayor of York, Ian Gillies, and York City director Ian McAndrew were also in the congregation, with family, friends, City supporters, former members of the club’s staff and hospital nurses.

Famous FA Cup hymn Abide With Me formed part of the service and, after a moving tribute from Mr Beck’s brother Ken, former Football League linesman Graham Bradbury shared warm and light-hearted memories of times spent with his close friend.

On the part his friend played in saving York City from the threat of extinction in 2003, following the ill-fated stewardships of Douglas Craig and John Batchelor, Mr Bradbury said: “Steve had so much passion to help save the club from oblivion and it’s no exaggeration to say we came literally minutes away from that. I think everybody should be proud of the work Steve put in to save our football team.”

Mr Beck’s love of other sports was also touched upon, along with his membership of the York Railway Institute Brass Band as a young schoolboy.

York Press:

City fans, from left, Phil Deighton, Anne-Marie Casey-Cuthbert, Dean Cuthbert and Carol Deighton attend the funeral of Steve Beck

The York Hospital chaplain, the Rev Andrew Foster, meanwhile, talked about Mr Beck’s 20 years of work in the catering industry.

Mention was made, too, of his later accounting career and successful marriage proposal to wife Carol on their first date along with their move to Riccall from Milton Keynes in 2002.

Mr Foster added that as three of the pallbearers were former or current goalkeepers, “Steve was in safe hands”.

A wake was later held in the football club’s Pitchside Bar.

Mr Beck died at the age of 58 last month following a long battle against heart problems.