THE WIFE of a former Swindon Town player has paid tribute to the man she fell in love with from a picture.

Ted Batchelor, 76, of Berkeley Lawns was a centre half for the football club during the 1950s. He died suddenly on Sunday.

His wife Jean said it was love at first sight when she saw a photograph of Ted in the Advertiser in 1950.

Ted, then a 20-year-old football fanatic, had just moved to the town from Wolverhampton Wanderers when the picture was taken.

Jean said: "There was a lovely picture of him in the Adver. I saw it and thought I liked the look of him.

"I think I fell in love with the picture.

"Then we met at the Locarno ballroom.

"We didn't know each other, but our eyes met. He asked me to dance and it went from there.

"We got married two years later.

"I still think it was the picture I first fell in love with.

"I used to be in the stands every week to watch him play."

Ted played 96 games for Swindon Town, and became a fan of the club for life.

After Ted left the game in 1960, the couple set up their own business running Batch-elor's news-agent's in Faringdon Road.

"We loved working together every day," said Jean.

"Ted always read the Adver and would have loved to have been in the paper again."

Ted died from a heart attack.

Heartbroken Jean said: "It was so sudden.

"He was here Saturday then gone on Sunday. Sometimes it's best for the person to go like that, but not so good for the family."

Ted also leaves a daughter Julia, 53, two grandchildren and two great-grand-children.

His funeral will be at the Kingsdown Crematorium next Thursday at 2.30pm.