Former Watford players and press box colleagues have been among those to pay tribute to the Watford Observer's former Sports Editor Oliver Phillips following his death.

Oli passed away in the early hours of this morning at the age of 81 and Nigel Gibbs and Kenny Jackett have been among those to join The Mirror's Mike Walters and Simon Oxley of BBC Three Counties Radio in recognising the huge contribution made by this newspaper's former Hornets correspondent during his distinguished career.

We will be publishing more tributes to Oli over the coming days, including those left by readers. If you wish to add yours, please do so using the link at the foot of this page. 

Here are a selection of the tributes we have received so far:

A light has gone out in the press box at Vicarage Road, and part of Watford Football Club's fabric has expired with it.

In a golden era for journalism, Friday mornings were always an appointment with truth in the Watford Observer - because when Oli Phillips wrote about the Hornets, you knew it was based on facts, not speculation or assumption.

Nobody in regional newspapers was more connected, or better-informed, on his beat than Oli - and in the golden years, on the magic carpet ride under Graham Taylor and Sir Elton John's rule, he brought us honest analysis where parts of Fleet Street peddled kick-and-rush tripe.

Mike Walters - Senior Mirror journalist and lifelong Watford fan

It’s a great loss to local journalism. Even having listened to our commentary on Watford I knew that many fans would then wait patiently for Oli’s definitive verdict in the Observer.

I remember “ambushing” him after Graham Taylor’s funeral to ask for an instant live assessment of his friend’s passing. Ever the professional he instantly delivered a precise and succinct appreciation.

Simon Oxley – BBC Three Counties Radio commentator

I was sad to hear of the passing of Oli Phillips, all our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.

Oli was the most thorough journalist I have ever worked with. His coverage of Watford on a Friday was in-depth and extensive, giving a balanced and insightful view into every department of the club.

He was a Watford man through and through, reporting on some great times at the club. Rest in peace Oli, you will be missed.

Kenny Jackett

When I was a schoolboy I couldn’t wait for Fridays to read Oli’s match reports and all other news about the club. This continued even when I became a player for the first team.

When you read the match reports they were full of detail and if you weren’t at the game you could visualise what Oli had written about it.

His knowledge of the club was incredible and his work for my Testimonial Programme was outstanding. We spent a lot of enjoyable time together working on the programme, reminiscing about his and my time at Watford Football Club.

Recently the Media Suite at Watford FC was named in his honour, which was very befitting for the man who had so much love for the club.

He will be sorely missed but his legacy will live on. RIP Oli.

Nigel Gibbs

Oli Phillips was a brilliant journalist whose work was essential reading for any Watford supporter for decades, and so welcoming when I started turning up in the Vicarage Road press box. A true club legend.

Oli and Terry Challis were as good a team as any they got to cover.

Simon Burnton – Guardian football writer, and Watford FC fan

I knew Oli from the age of 17 - I’m 80 in April - and at one of my milestone birthday lunches in Rickmansworth he told guests that I was ‘the brother he never had’. I am an only child too and that was how I felt about him.

From parties in our youth we went on to work together in a cramped West Herts Post office on The Parade in the early Sixties, playing football in our lunch hour in Cassiobury Park with other young men on the paper. He was an enthusiastic but clumsy player, falling on me in one particularly memorable tackle.

And, of course, we spent many seasons side by side in the old Watford press box - me, a lifelong Hornets’ fan who had been a ball boy at Vicarage Road and signed on as an amateur player when I was 17 but was never good enough to represent the club. And here I was reporting for PA and various national newspapers. And I was sitting next to my best mate. The circle was complete.

When Oli was 80 I recorded a video message and reminded him of the old Simon & Garfunkel track ‘Old Friends’. It’s from the Bookends album which we almost wore out when it was released. We were in our twenties then. He was best man at my wedding in 1964, and I was a witness when he married Ellie. There are a few lines in that song:

‘Can you imagine us years from today

Sharing a park bench quietly

How terribly strange to be seventy …’

We never got to share that park bench after he moved to France, but I have so many other happy memories of this lovely man.

I was honoured to be asked to supply a quote for the dust jacket of his Watford Centenary book.

I wrote then: ‘Let us be thankful that Oliver Phillips has chosen to practice his art in our town instead of taking his talents to Fleet Street. Watford is richer for that.’

As true now as it was then.

Alan Monahan, former editor and BBC publicist