There can be very few fans of Charlton Athletic who don’t know the name of Colin Cameron. Colin was the statistician and official historian par excellence of the club for almost 40 years until his death on Christmas Day 2012 at the age of 76.

Colin wrote for the matchday programme for many years and during his lifetime wrote two exceptional books on Charlton – the frighteningly exhaustive, monumental The Valiant 500 and Home and Away with Charlton Athletic 1920 to 2004.

A few years back, I wrote a couple of Charlton books: Charlton Athletic On This Day and The Charlton Miscellany. Compared to Colin’s efforts, these were mere ‘stocking fillers’. I was somewhat hesitant about contacting this giant of the football history world but I was struck by his generous spirit, his willingness to assist and his total co-operation. He did not see me as a rival, which it might have been easy to have done, but as someone who shared his passion for the club and he encouraged me at every step.

At every Charlton home game, Colin could be found outside the entrance to the press area where he’d congregate for a chat. Often his nephew, Jamie Burland, would be there. Jamie started at St Mary’s in 1971.

Colin was born in Farnborough Hospital in March 1936 and started watching Charlton during the club’s FA-Cup winning season of 1946/47.

Colin started at St Mary’s College in 1946 after attending St Joseph’s Convent in Sidcup. He was a fine sportsman, captaining the football team and representing north west Kent.

He was also an excellent boxer – St Mary’s champion – and boxed for Sidcup and District Amateur Boxing Club and Eltham Boxing Club at the same time as a certain Sir Henry Cooper.

Colin was a first cousin of two other former St Mary’s boys – Tom and Terry Ryall who were part of the 1954 and 1963 intakes respectively and also fine sportsmen.

Colin had three sisters and lived in Sidcup all his life.

After St Mary’s, Colin became a journalist, specialising in finance, and was the managing editor of several successful taxation books. He also freelanced for the Press Association and covered both Charlton and Millwall for many years for Extel.