LADY Hilkka Brooking, the beloved wife of Club legend Sir Trevor, has died after battling with illness for “several months”.
The couple were married for 55 years with Lady Hilkka becoming a regular visitor to West Ham United fixtures home and away.
Remembering his much-loved wife Sir Trevor thanked fans for their “kind” messages and thoughts.
She “stood by his side” when Sir Trevor was a player during his illustrious career and then in his role as an ambassador of English football.
In an emotional tribute he said: “I want to thank people for their kind messages and thoughts.
“Hilkka loved coming to West Ham United matches and always wanted the Club to do well.”
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In a heartfelt message shared on the club’s site, joint-Chairman David Sullivan remembered Hilkka as a “popular figure” in the Boardroom.
Joint-Chairman David Sullivan added: “We are all extremely sad to hear the news of Lady Hilkka’s passing.
“Hilkka was a hugely popular figure in the Boardroom and throughout the Club, always by Sir Trevor’s side and a passionate supporter of West Ham United.
“She will be greatly missed by everyone here.”
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Sir Trevor joined West Ham as a youth player in 1965 before making his senior debut a couple of years later.
His illustrious career playing for the Upton Park team saw him make over 600 appearances and score more than 100 goals before retiring in 1984.
Post-retirement he picked up a role at the BBC as a broadcaster and was later appointed to the Sports Council.
Brooking’s name however, will be forever remembered for West Ham’s historic FA Cup 1-0 win against Arsenal in 1980.
His contributions to the game have seen him receive a knighthood, OBE and MBE.
On being knighted he told the BBC: “This is a wonderful honour and a huge privilege. My family and I are very excited by the news,
“My whole life has been about sport, as a footballer, as a broadcaster and as an administrator.
“When you look at some of the other people from football who have been knighted I feel privileged to be in the same company.
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“This is not something me or my family could have envisaged when I was growing up in the East End.
“There are some great names there, but I am also conscious that the honour is really for my Sport England work.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
