Gerald Woodvine, one of Swindon Town’s biggest supporters, attending over 2,500 matches, has died aged 70.

Mr Woodvine, of Curzon Park, Calne, died on June 11 after falling ill on June 9.

He was born on December 6, 1943, in Tugela Road, Chippenham, and went Chippenham Secondary Modern School.

On leaving school in 1959, he got his first job working for Bucklands Garage as a forecourt attendant.

It was at this time he bought his first season ticket for Swindon Town, which cost £7 and he bought season tickets all his life. He was always in the Arkell’s stand and had many friends that he met through his love of the game.

In 1964 Mr Woodvine got a job working for the Harris Bacon Factory in Calne and stayed there until 1982 when the factory closed.

After this he worked at Anchor Foods in Swindon for 18 years, in the cheese department, until it closed in 2000. His final job was working for Dysons in Malmesbury from 2000 to 2002, at which point that factory also closed down.

In 1972 Mr Woodvine met his wife-to-be Rosemary, known as Rose, in the chip shop in Church Street, Calne, where she worked.

They were married in 1973, with Gerald becoming step-dad to Carol and Allan, and the couple went on to have two sons, Martin and Collin.

He also leaves two daughters-in-law, Sharan and Andrea, grandchildren Lucy and Luke, and step-grandchildren Daniel and Zoley.

In 2010 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and found it hard to climb the steps to the Arkell’s stand at the Swindon Town Ground, so moved to the Don Rogers stand for the 2013/14 season.

His family have thanked staff on Falcon ward at the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, for the care and respect they showed him in his final days.

His funeral will be held on Friday, June 27, at 1pm at St Mary’s Church in Calne. His family have asked for donations to Parkinson’s UK and the Stroke Association in lieu of flowers.