Billy Ayre - Death

Death

Ayre died on 16 April 2002, just under a month shy of his fiftieth birthday. His wife, Elaine, and children, David and Rachel, were at his bedside at the family's home in Ormskirk, Lancashire. David was Blackpool's mascot in the Division Four play-off final at Wembley ten years earlier and accompanied his father in the pre-match walk out to the centre circle.

During a Tranmere Rovers v. Cardiff City league encounter four days after Ayre's passing, the away fans rang out an impromptu rendition of "There's Only One Billy Ayre", followed by spontaneous applause, in honour of their former manager. Mark Bonner, who Ayre nurtured through from the Blackpool youth ranks, was in the Cardiff team that day.

Ayre's funeral took place on 21 April at St. Cuthbert's Church in Halsall, near Ormskirk, and his final wish was to have the Blackpool team with whom he won promotion in 1992 be present. His wish was granted.

During the service, Revd. Heather Penman related an event that had touched Ayre during the final year of his life. On 26 May 2001, Ayre had attended the Football League Two play-off final between Blackpool and Leyton Orient at the Millennium Stadium in his then-home, Cardiff. As he was walking to the stadium, he was spotted by some Blackpool fans, who proceeded to pick up their former manager and carry him shoulder-high into the stadium. "I expect he did that famous fist sign as they took him in," said Penman. "And Elaine said Billy was absolutely delighted by that gesture."

"He was a fantastic fella, I couldn't speak highly enough about him," said Phil Brown, who played alongside Ayre at Hartlepool United and Halifax Town and under him at the latter. "He tried to play the game the way it should be played. He had a funny side to him that not many people saw, and had the ability to turn a serious situation and make light of it. He was the salt of the earth, a man you could trust with your life. There weren't many people like him."

On 17 April 2012, ten minutes into Blackpool's Championship fixture with Leeds United at Bloomfield Road, the home support sang "Billy Ayre's tangerine army", for ten minutes, while a photograph of their former manager appeared on the television screen, along with the words "Billy Ayre, gone but never forgotten". It marked ten years and one day since the death of Ayre. His daughter, Rachel, was in attendance.

On 5 October 2012, a special tribute evening was held at Bloomfield Road in his honour. A specially-commissioned painting of Ayre will be unveiled by his widow, his daughter and his son.