Uriah Rennie remembered as a "special person" and a "true gentleman"
Sheffield's 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.
The trailblazing official was born in Jamaica before moving to Sheffield aged six with his family. He went on to oversee more than 300 games between 1997 and 2008, including 175 in the English top flight.
Once labelled the "fittest" match official in world football, Rennie recently revealed he was learning to walk again after a rare neurological condition left him paralysed from the waist down.
Rennie started refereeing locally in 1979 before making history in 1997 when taking charge of his first Premier League match between Derby and Wimbledon. Vinnie Jones was among those booked.
Rennie became a FIFA-listed referee in 2000 and joined the select group of professionals one year later before retiring in 2008.
In November 2023 martial arts expert Rennie was awarded an honorary doctorate by Sheffield Hallam University for his distinguished contributions to sport and his work with South Yorkshire communities.
He was last month installed as the chancellor of the university.