ALEX Blair has been paid the ultimate compliment with two Albury rugby league stalwarts saying the sport may never have got off the ground on the Border without him.
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Mr Blair, who passed away after a short illness late last week aged 79, has been involved with the code since watching his beloved Albury Blues play for the first time in 1950.
"He's a little legend," Albury Thunder president Rick O'Connell said.
"He loved his rugby league and the club.
"Rugby league wouldn't be what it is in Albury today without Al Blair.
"He was a real behind the scenes man.
"Without him, it would have been a lot rougher and rockier road and it may not even have got off the ground."
Mr Blair served as president, secretary and treasurer of Albury Blues and, until recently, manned the gate for Albury Thunder at Greenfield Park.
The life member played in a reserve grade premiership and his three boys, Sean, Simon and Andrew, went on to play for the Blues.
Grand-children has also represented the club.
Albury Blues identity Garry Purtell described Mr Blair as the club's "Mr Fixit".
"He's been one of the driving forces for rugby league over the years," Purtell said.
"He's done everything from sponsoring the club for many years when things were tough to picking up players in his car in the early days to make sure we had sides.
"I've never heard anyone say a bad word about Alex either.
"Alex did an enormous amount of work for rugby league in Albury and I'm not sure where we would be without him to be honest."
While the former Albury High School student has always tried to adopt a low-key approach, he had a mischievous side as well.
As a youngster he forged his mother's signature to be released from school so he could start work as an apprentice jockey.
"He used to sneak down to the stables and do trackwork and whatever else," Mr Blair's son, Sean, said.
"He was in Year 8 or 9.
"The first thing his mum knew anything about it was when she saw his picture in the paper riding across the finish line one day.
"His mum then met this man on a train and she was telling him he was going down the wrong path and how he needed a career.
"Anyway, this man happened to be 'JD' Phillips who owned the Oat Mill site in Albury near the old flour mill and he said send him down on Monday and I'll sort him out."
It was at that point he entered the grain industry and, after working for several people including Merv McIntosh and managing a business for Member of Farrer Wal Fife in Wagga, led to him owning well-known Border business Blairs Produce in Lavington.
Mr Blair also spent time as president of the Rural Marketing and Supply Association from 1983 to 1985.
He is survived by his children, Sean, Simon, Andrew and Annaliese, and wife, Bernadette.
