MAGPIES PAY TOP TRIBUTE TO COLIN
NOTTS COUNTY stood united yesterday in tribute to Colin Slater MBE, broadcaster, campaigner, pioneer and friend to the Magpies, who passed away recently at the age of 87.
After first reporting on the club for the Nottingham Evening News, Colin went on to broadcast on Radio Nottingham for 49 years before retiring in 2017. It is estimated that he covered around 3,000 Notts matches.
Yet, although his voice will be remembered by Magpies fans over the decades, away from the microphone Colin played an even more important part in their proud history.
County’s all-time leading goalscorer Les Bradd summed up: “He was an incredible man. He was a journalist who quickly came across as someone to trust. Anything ‘off the record’ stayed right there.
“Then he helped me greatly from the moment I began working for Notts after retiring from the game.”
Colin became a key figure in new projects such as Junior Magpies, the Former Players’ Association, Lifeline and Football in the Community.
He was made an honorary Vice President and had the media lounge named after him but County chiefs are now in talks over a permanent tribute to him.
The club had previously planned to mark Colin’s death at the recent home game against Barnet but this was delayed after the late postponement of the match.
A special video was played on the scoreboards shortly before the Notts and Grimsby teams took to the field at Meadow Lane yesterday. Players from both sides led a minute’s round of applause before kick off and wore black armbands during the game. A flag sporting a photograph of Colin was also displayed on the Kop.
Colin’s family, friends and colleagues were special guests and famous figures recalled their favourite Colin Slater stories in hospitality.
Dozens of Notts fans had gathered at Meadow Lane before Colin’s funeral on Monday to pay their respects and form a guard of honour.
His hearse then appropriately passed the BBC’s offices before going on to the ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Nottingham’s Lace Market.