Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a Manchester United superfan described as 'the most loyal, gentle, and loving chap' who 'always had a smile on his face'.
John Butterfield, often known as 'Old John', attended his first match in 1939, in the start of what would become a lifelong love affair with Manchester United and the Reds that support the club. The 89-year-old, from Salford, sadly passed away this week after catching Covid.
Paying tribute, friend Peter Bolton, who was John's travelling buddy for 25 years, described him as 'the nicest gentleman I've ever known', whose 'life revolved around United and his family'.
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"We got to know each other through United," Peter told the Manchester Evening News. "I loved travelling with John, and he loved travelling with me.
"I will never find another friend like him. Nobody will be as loyal, gentle, and loving a chap as John was."
The pair met in the late 90s when they both went on a club trip to watch United in Barcelona. Before long, they were paired together as roomates for United's international fixtures, and became firm friends.
Peter recalled one of hundreds of games the duo attended together, when John decided to ignore all advice and proudly wear his red shirt and scarf out in Instanbul as United faced Galatasaray.
The friends boarded a tram packed with Galatasaray supporters - who asked Peter how old John was. When he told them he was in his 80s, Peter said John became a 'celebrity' among the rival fans, who were 'obssessed' with him.
"They were all trying to take selfies with him - it was so nice," Peter added. "But John was oblivious to the way people saw him. He was just such a nice guy."
Peter remembered John as a man who made friends with anyone - including some of United's most famous names. He recalled an occasion the pair spotted United legend Roy Keane in a pub. Peter said he warned John not to approach the pundit after seeing him bat away several fans asking for selfies - but John drew up a chair and sat at his table.
"He came back 20 minutes later and told me they'd had a chat about his dogs," Peter laughed. "But that was John all over."
John even went to school with Busby Babe Edward Colman, the youngest of the 23 people who died in the Munich Air Disaster.
“When the Munich Disaster happened in 1958, he was in his prime as a football fan,” Peter previously told the M.E.N. “He was a similar age to all the players and I think that was actually quite hard for him.
“He also knew David Pegg and would often go round theirs for dinner.”
John was sadly forced to stop attending games in person following the pandemic, after a remarkable 82 consecutive seasons of watching United at Old Trafford and Maine Road.
"He was the nicest gentleman I've ever known," Peter said. "In the 25 years I knew him, I never saw him get annoyed at or angry with anyone. His whole life was dedicated to United.
"He was just a lovely, lovely guy."
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