The man was a legend and one of the best benefactors a town could wish for.

He was born on May 19th, 1929, and grew up in 96 Randall Street, Blackburn, a Victorian terraced house now marked with a blue plaque.

As a teenager, Jack followed Rovers from the Blackburn End of the ground, and after leaving school he began working for his father as a sheet metal worker.

In the early 1950's after his father Charlie passed away, Jack and his brother Fred took over the running of the sheet metal business, C. Walker & Sons.

By the late 1960's, their firm grew into the biggest steel stockholding business in Britain.

When Rovers drew 1-1 with Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool in the 3rd round of the FA cup in January 1991, coming close to a giant-killing upset, who would have thought at the time that just eight months later Dalglish himself would become manager of Blackburn, and within four years of his appointment, Rovers would win the Premiership title?

It was to become one of the most astonishing transformations of a football club in the history of the game.

Supporters of other clubs may have viewed Walker primarily as a man whose money was spent in the transfer market on players, but the legacy that Jack leaves us is a far greater one. Ewood Park has been completely rebuilt into a 31,000 capacity stadium, while the youth academy and training facilities at Brockhall are amongst the finest in the country.

It's unfair to suggest, as some in the national media often do, that Rovers Premiership title was merely 'bought' - because ultimately a great deal of hard work, good judgement and excellent management went into our Premiership triumph. But there's no doubt that Jack more than anybody, thoroughly deserved to see the incredible scenes of triumph at Anfield on May 14th, 1995 for the way in which his magnificent input had transformed the club.

Uncle Jack gained a special place in the hearts of Rovers fans, not only for his financial generosity, but also because as a person, he was completely genuine.

There wasn't any arrogance or brashness about him. He didn't court publicity and remained down to earth, never forgetting his roots.

Jack was a man of warmth, honesty, generosity and integrity - a quiet man but also a passionate and determined one.

On match days, Jack would fly in from Jersey and have a joke with the players in the dressing room while wishing them good luck for the game. He treated the staff at the club like his second home and family. He cared passionately about Blackburn and he leaves us with a lasting legacy that we can be proud of.

It would have been lovely if Jack had lived to see us return to the Premiership and win the Worthington Cup at Cardiff, but sadly his death meant that he didn't get the chance to see us return to the top division where we belong.

It was fitting though that in the season he died, the Rovers players were determined to win promotion for him and succeeded in the task.

Jack Straw, Blackburn's MP for the past 25 years, said of our benefactor:

"Jack Walker did more than any other individual in the last century to enhance the self-confidence and the prosperity of his home town. He was completely committed to the town and it's people. Blackburn Rovers was in many ways the love of his life. His contribution to the club was enormous but that was based in turn on the prosperity he created through his astonishing development of Walkersteel and of many other investments in the area. He was a great local hero."

Situated behind the Blackburn End of Ewood Park is a statue of Jack and a poignant memorial of Blackburn's greatest supporter.

He is still sorely missed.

© Anti Euro Smiths Fan