Air crash robbed Blues of true fans

The easy smile Phil Carter saved for his fellow Chelsea vice-presidents and the polite presence of his 17-year-old son Andrew will be missing.

In the adjoining restaurant, another larger-than-life character, Jon Waller, will no longer be entertaining all those around him.

They died together in a helicopter crash, along with 49-year-old pilot Stephen Holdich, a mile from Phil's country pad in Thornhaugh in Cambridgeshire on their way home from the Champions League semi-final at Liverpool.

Waller, who was 42, and I had exchanged texts throughout the match: he a Chelsea fanatic and me a Manchester United fan rooting for Liverpool.

It started with him boasting about flying to Liverpool in 48 minutes. Seconds before they began their fateful return journey he sent me a final text, which read: "Feeling very sad and flat" after Chelsea's penalty shoot-out exit.

An hour later, the helicopter plunged into woodland.

Last night, Phil's fellow honorary vice-presidents, who I called the Magnificent Seven, met at Brinkley's restaurant in Chelsea to bid farewell to their friend, who was 44.

The millionaire clan may not be your ordinary football fans; more what Roy Keane would call the prawn sandwich brigade, but their love of the club was deep.

They had their pre-match meals in the swish Zola Suite and watched Chelsea home matches from the comfort of the directors' box.

Their £25,000 annual subscription entitled them to seats on the team plane to away games, where they wined and dined across Europe late into the night while we all talked football.

Before Roman Abramovich arrived with his bottomless purse, Phil considered putting his money where his mouth was - just as the late Matthew Harding had done to buy a seat on the board.

His love of Chelsea Football Club was unquenchable, as was his great bonhomie, his generosity and his almost exhausting enthusiasm.