TRAILBLAZING REF RENNIE SO 'SPECIAL'

URIAH RENNIE, the Premier League's first black referee, has been described as a “special person who put everybody before himself” following his death at the age of 65.

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The trailblazing official was born in Jamaica before moving to Sheffield, aged six, with his family and went on to oversee more than 300 games between 1997 and 2008, including 175 in the English top flight.

Once labelled the fittest referee in world football, Rennie recently revealed he was learning to walk again after a rare neurological condition left him paralysed from the waist down. His death was announced on Sunday and Chris Foy, a fellow former Premier League referee, yesterday paid an emotional tribute to his ex-colleague.