TRIBUTES have been paid to one of Rosyth's most respected football figures after he lost his battle with COVID-19.

Jon Harrison, who was the driving force behind the project to turn the Fleet Grounds into a community facility through the South West Fife Community Sports Partnership (SWFSP), died on Monday.

A popular and well-known figure in the town through his role as chairman of Rosyth AFC Saturday Amateurs, his commitment to the development of the game and through scouting, which he did for Grimsby Town and on a freelance basis, Jon had been involved in local football for around 30 years.

In 2013, he outlined a vision to revamp the Fleet Grounds – then owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) – into a sports hub for the community, which led to the creation of the SWFSP, which was founded by Jon, who was also their former chairperson.

After Fife Council bought the Fleet Grounds from the MoD, they leased the facility, which consists of a full-sized, floodlit, 3G artificial pitch, laid in 2017, and a pavilion to the SWFSP to run.

In a statement, the SWFSP said they were "devastated" by Jon's death and said: "Jon was the driving force behind the Fleet Grounds project, bringing together representatives of the various sports institutions with the goal of delivering a community sports facility for the towns and villages of South West Fife.

"Jon was a well-known figure in Rosyth and wider football circles, an accomplished talent scout and committed to the development of the game. The Partnership intends to honour his legacy at an appropriate time in the near future."

Among others paying tribute were Councillor Sharon Green-Wilson, who described the news as "shocking and very sad", while Rosyth Amateurs said he was an "absolute gentleman" who did "so much for the community and changed so much around Rosyth".

Retired councillor Mike Shirkie, who worked closely with Jon on the Fleet Grounds project, said: "Jon and I first met when discussing the handover of the Fleet Grounds at Rosyth from the Ministry of Defence for local community use.

"It was his enthusiasm, local knowledge, love of football and the local community that in no small measure helped drive this project forward.

"He was a pleasure to work with and a really genuine, nice man. He will be sorely missed in the local community."

Barry Paterson, chairman of Rosyth Youth FC, added: "I used to see him down at the school and everyone would stop and talk to him, and it was probably 95 per cent about football. In terms of the youth side, he always wanted to know how the kids were getting on, what was our new team and everything.

"We're all devastated."

Jon is survived by his wife, Liz, and their children.