Sussex squash today paid tribute to Peter Sice, who has died aged 65.

Sice was involved in the sport for close to 40 years as a player, manager, referee, organiser and coach.

He is best be remembered for his dedication to county junior squash, leaving a legacy of talented players who have gone on to international success.

Andy Dwyer, from Hove who helped Britain win the last world amateur team championships in 1979, said: "Peter Sice was Mr Sussex Squash. I went on to play for England 49 times as well the world triumph and owe all my success in the sport to him and so do a lot of others, like Angus Kirkland, Ross Bryant and Tim Garner.

"When I first met Peter in the early Seventies I hadn't even played squash. I was a tennis player. One day I went into the Brighton Squash Club and Peter was up in the rafters cleaning the place up because the club was staging the South of England Championships.

"He watched me play, saw something, came down to have a word and started coaching me. He put in endless hours for nothing and I never paid him a penny. He took me under his wing.

"Squash was his life. His passing is a great shame."

Sussex president Malcolm Paris was a friend and colleague for nearly four decades.

He said: "Peter will be sadly missed. He was an honest and straight individual, totally dedicated to squash. He and I organised the South of England Championships at Brighton when it was the best club in the country. He remained single, he was married to the sport, especially the development of juniors."

John Cook, a fellow referee, world championship player and friend, said: "Andy (Dwyer) was the first major player to break through thanks to Peter. The next generation was the Famous Five (Kirkland, Garner, Julian Wellings, Ross Norman and Michael Harris) and now the likes of Tom Pashley, a national under-15s champion, is making his mark with the help Peter gave him."

Sice lived in Brighton and Hove.

A funeral service for him will be held at Woodvale Crematorium, Lewes Road, Brighton and Hove, on Monday, May 19, at 1.30pm.