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Ray Matts is given send off that rocks all over the world

By Barry Newcombe

The funeral of Ray Matts, the former sportswriter with the Sunday Mirror and the Daily Mail, was attended by a full house at the Streetly Crematorium in the Midlands today. Matts died earlier this month, aged 70.

Jeff Farmer, a Midlands colleague of Matts, told of the early stages of his career and football manager Ron Atkinson, who Matts worked with when he was manager of West Bromwich Albion, also paid tribute to the journalist’s professionalism.

Matts’ enthusiasm for music, especially the guitar, was reflected in the choice of the theme from The Deerhunter at a focal  point of the service, as well as other personal favourite songs.

The congregation  left to Rocking All Over The World, which reflected the fact that Matts took his guitar all over the Grand Prix circuit when he was on Formula 1 duties and invariably  headed up impromptu pit lane parties.