A MEMORIAL match and presentation were held in Newport yesterday in memory of local football legend Jack Ritter MBE.

Mr Ritter died earlier this month aged 89 following an illness.

He spent most of his adult life volunteering with the Gaer Community Network and helped train more than 1,500 budding footballers.

Coronation Park hosted the game between Newport Corinthians FC and Newport YMCA FC.

Newport County captain David Pipe was among those in attendance to see the Corries win 9-2 against their local rivals.

Mr Ritter was heavily involved with the football club where he served as secretary and was also known in the past for giving up several of his Saturdays during the football season to work behind the bar there.

Nicky Morgan, the current manager of Newport Corinthians, said: “It was brilliant. I think he (Jack) would have been proud.

“The other side are two divisions above us so to get a 9-2 victory was brilliant, and it was great pre-season for us.

“Jack set up the Corries, and he was Corries through and through, so I think he would have been happy with how it went.”

Born on Jeddo Street, Pill, Mr Ritter was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to the community.

He served in the RAF from 1942 until 1946. Following his service, he moved to the Gaer and helped set up two youth clubs and five football teams.

The former commanding officer of the 210 1st Mon squadron Air Training Corps served as a magistrate in Newport for 21 years and also served as chairman of Gaer Community First from 2001 before taking over as chairman of the local partnership group.

A FORMER vicar of Newport paid further tribute to Mr Ritter.

Father David Nicholson was vicar of St Stephen’s Church in Pill from 1987 until 1995 and said Mr Ritter was one of the churchwardens for the greater part of that time.

Speaking about Mr Ritter, Fr Nicholson, who now lives in Barnsley, described him as a "very modest person" and a "man of deep faith".

He said: "His love of Pill, where he was born of course, was well known. His love for St Stephen's was also very evident in the way in which he exercised his office of churchwarden.

"Jack cared for the grounds of St Stephen's and as you would imagine they were immaculately kept. Jack was also heavily involved in the work of the Mission to Seafarers in the Port, very often befriending visiting seafarers - feeding them and taking them on outings to see the splendours of the county.