ABERYSTWYTH Town FC have paid tribute to club stalwart Alan Blair who passed away recently.

He made a remarkable 535 appearances in Black and Green over a period of 19 years.

Following in the footsteps of his father, George Blair, Alan first represented the Black and Greens in 1958 for the club’s Mid Wales League reserve side. In September 1959, he stepped up to make his Welsh League debut.

For the next two decades, Alan delighted the Park Avenue faithful with his presence in defence and midfield, playing an instrumental role in the side that lifted the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1969/70 — a team which also featured his younger brother, the late Neal Blair.

Alan’s performances were recognised at national level, and he was capped 11 times for Wales at Amateur International level. To this day, he holds the distinction of being Aberystwyth Town’s most capped national player while on the books at Park Avenue.

He remained a pivotal member of the first team until 1978, totalling 535 appearances and scoring 52 goals for the club.

The Blair family’s association with the Black and Greens continued through Alan’s son, David, who went on to spend a dozen seasons at Park Avenue from the late 1980s until the turn of the millennium.

Away from football, Alan served a long and distinguished career with Aberystwyth RNLI for over 50 years, rising to the position of Senior Helm, and was awarded a RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry in February 1976.

The club posted: “As a club, we extend our deepest sympathies to all of Alan’s family and friends at this difficult time. He will be sorely missed by everyone connected with Aberystwyth Town.”