Butcher’s salute to real big noise

WHENEVER heavy metal’s big guns were distributing their decibels across East Anglia, Paul Mariner was invariably in the crowd.

And as one of English football’s finest centre-forwards,

Mariner (left) was often the big noise in town.

Brave, gifted and lionised by teammates, his 13 goals in 35 international appearances included one of England’s most important of the last 40 years.

After the Three

Lions had endured more than a decade without qualifying for the World Cup, it was Mariner’s winner against Hungary which sent Ron

Greenwood’s team to the 1982 finals in Spain.

And at Ipswich Town he was an indispensable part of the side who won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup three years later.

Mariner died on Friday, after a short battle with brain cancer, aged 68.

On a weekend of unimaginable excitement across the country, his friend and former Tractor Boys colleague Terry Butcher wishes Mariner was carrying the fight to Italy in tonight’s Euro 2020 Final at Wembley.

“As well as being one of the very best I played with, Paul was the one who introduced me to heavy metal music,” said Butcher. “He was a big fan of Iron Maiden and Deep Purple.

“Paul was the life and soul of the party and he knew his stuff.

“But what a player, what a fantastic team-mate.”

Former Everton midfielder Jimmy Gabriel also died yesterday.

The Goodison Park club last night tweeted: “Everyone at Everton Football Club is deeply saddened to hear the news that our former player and coach, Jimmy Gabriel, has passed away.

“Jimmy played 303 games for the Blues, scoring 37 goals, winning the League title in 1963 and the FA Cup in 1966. RIP Jimmy.”