Bristol Rovers directors carried the coffin of the club's former chairman Ron Craig on their shoulders to his funeral service as mourners gave "Rocket" a moving send-off.

Players, managers and club officials gathered with family and friends to pay their respects to Mr Craig, who died last month aged 79.

There was standing room only as about 300 people, many dressed with flashes of blue, attended yesterday's service at Westerleigh Crematorium.

Among the mourners were members of the Pirates' first team – who were dressed in their club tracksuits at the request of Mr Craig's wife Ann – manager Paul Trollope and director of football Lennie Lawrence.

Rovers directors including Barry Bradshaw, Geoff Dunford and Ed Ware helped carry the coffin, which was adorned with yellow and blue flowers, into the chapel to the strains of Elgar's Nimrod.

Former Bristol Rovers and City manager John Ward, now at Colchester United, told mourners golfing fanatic Mr Craig was "a small man in stature but a big man in every other way".

He remembered the efforts he and his wife made when the club faced difficult times while based at Twerton Park in Bath.

Mr Ward said: "I came across people who cared and wanted to make the club a success in times of adversity. These were people who got on with things. I remember the Wembley play-off final. There were all those blue and white quarter shirts and 30-odd thousand supporters there. Ron had a tear rolling down his cheek. I thought 'you've earned this mate'."

Among the mourners at the service, conducted by Rovers chaplain the Rev David Jeal, were officials linked with the red half of the city including close friend and former City director Peter Manning, City coach Alan Walsh, City's group managing director Doug Harman and City's club president Marina Dolman. Former World Cup referee Jack Taylor was among the mourners.

Hymns Amazing Grace and Abide With Me were sung before Mr Dunford told mourners how Mr Craig had helped rescue the club from financial turmoil in the 1980s.

Mr Dunford said: "He spent 23 years working for the benefit and welfare of Bristol Rovers without any rewards except for the pleasure of watching his team play. He rarely missed a game and was a great ambassador for this football club."

Known as "Rocket" because he was "always going off", Mr Dunford said he had a habit of leaving his seat and wandering off if Rovers were involved in a close match. Fighting back tears, he said: "We are eternally grateful to you for helping to safeguard the future of the club. You are part of the Bristol Rovers family."

Before leaving the chapel to Goodnight Irene and travelling to the Memorial Stadium to share their memories of Mr Craig, his widow Ann said: "Ron gave 110 per cent in everything he did, whether it be playing golf, starting a successful business or Bristol Rovers, which was his passion."

Mr Craig died at his home in Frampton Cotterell on November 30 after an 11-month illness.

After running his own precision engineering company, he joined the Rovers board in 1986 and was vice-chairman to Mr Dunford for many years before becoming chairman in April 2007, a month before the side won promotion to League One. He stood down as chairman when Nick Higgs took over in August 2008, but remained a director.

A minute's silence will be held at the home match against Swindon Town on Saturday.