Uriah Rennie: Sheffield figures pay tribute to former referee
Trailblazing former Premier League referee Uriah Rennie has been described as a "proud Sheffielder" who will be sadly missed in his adopted hometown.Rennie was the top flight's first black referee and took charge of more than 300 matches between between 1997 and 2008. Outside of football he worked as a magistrate and, last month, took up the role of chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University.Rennie's partner, Jayne, and his older brother, Glenroy, said he would be "so very sadly missed", following his death aged 65.
In a statement, they said: "Our family have appreciated all the support from the nursing teams from Northern General and Weston Park Hospitals, plus close family and friends during the past few weeks at such a difficult time."Born in Jamaica, Rennie moved to Sheffield as a child. In April he revealed he was learning to walk again after a rare condition left him paralysed from the waist down.Former sports minister Richard Caborn said Sheffield had "lost one of its favourite sons". Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Caborn, a former MP for Sheffield Central, said: "He was born in Jamaica but he was adopted by this city and adopted by the great sport of football."I was with him a couple of weeks ago at Weston Park Hospital and he was really on great form, so last night when I received the news it was really, really sad news because we thought he was on the mend."
Caborn said he had been "really, really proud" to have been appointed the new chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University. The university's vice chancellor, Liz Mossop, said Rennie had been a "trailblazer for inclusion in sport", as well as a "man of great integrity with a fierce commitment to equity and inclusion".
She added: "On behalf of the entire University community I want to express our shock and sadness at the news of Uri's death. "Uri had only just begun his role as the University's Chancellor, but even in this short time he had already made a profound impact, challenging us to be bolder in our ambitions and how we should truly live our values. We were greatly looking forward to working with him.""Uri was a proud Sheffielder and family man, deeply committed to the city and to helping people from resilient communities to achieve their potential."South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard offered his condolences to Rennie's family and "many, many friends". "He broke down barriers and lifted others up," Coppard said."As well as his work in football, he campaigned to promote inclusion in sport and worked as a magistrate in Sheffield. May his memory be a blessing."
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