Somerset?s football community are mourning the loss of one of the greatest attacking midfielders ever to emerge from the West End.

Richard (Dirt) Simmons, who starred for the all-conquering Somerset Trojans squad of the 1960s and ?70s, died on Sunday night after a battle with cancer.

He was 54.

Possessing one of the most lethal right foots in the local game, Simmons was a vital cog in Trojans? squad which clinched three successive Triple Crown Championships (League, FA Cup and Friendship Trophy) between 1967 and 1970 and earned the club the distinguished title of Silvercity.

Simmons? last appearance on the pitch was in April of this year when he represented Somerset in the 11th annual Over 40s All-Star Match at Garrison Field.

?Richard was very good and probably played way before his time,? said former Trojans team-mate Clyde (Bunny) Best.

?He was just one of those naturally gifted players who could marshal and dictate play in the midfield. He also had two good feet, could pass the ball over long distances and could also tackle and shoot. He was just a well rounded player and it is unfortunate he didn?t get an opportunity to play professionally because I know he would have made it.

?We had an unbelievable team back then and it?s a shame we all came from a little place like Bermuda and not from somewhere like Manchester, Chelsea or Arsenal because then you would have really seen something because we were all naturally gifted players.?

Best also played with Simmons at the former Churchill Hill School and later on at the national youth level.

?I can recall the very first FA Cup final (1967-68) we won when I scored two goals and Dirt supplied both passes. And anybody who knew him knew he was a true soldier and one of the best players Bermuda ever had. It?s a sad loss but I?m sure he?s in a better place,? added Best.

Former Trojans left winger Bernard Brangman, who played with and then coached Simmons at the club, recalled: ?As a sportsman Dirt had a lot of determination and a lot of skill which carried him a long way. His skills set him apart from other players.?

After hanging up his boots, Brangman succeeded Kenny Cann as coach at Somerset in 1973.

?I played and also coached him and I can honestly tell you Dirt was a team player. He was a stalwart in Somerset,? Brangman added.

Mel Roberts, who left nearby rivals Somerset Eagles in 1969 to join up with Simmons at Trojans, described the late midfielder as a ?fantastic player?.

?Dirt did some amazing things with the ball and he could turn on a dime and hit a dead ball. He didn?t like to butt that much but he could do a lot of work with that right foot of his,? Roberts recalled.

?I remember one game against Devonshire Colts when he really turned it on in the midfield. He was a real wizard with the ball and used to beat players close.?

Rudy Minors, who captained Trojans during the glorious 60s, stated: ?I remember when Richard first came into the team. To me Richard was one of the best all-round midfield players I had ever seen or played with.

?Richard was small in stature but a hard player and most people would remember the spectacular goals this guy would score, flying through the air like an acrobat. He was a tremendous ball player.

?Richard was more than just a player to us at Somerset. We had some great times but unfortunately when I look at Richard it?s like losing your own child because I was older.

?Most parents don?t expect to see their children go before them and now we have lost Lance (late Trojans defender Lance Brown) and Richard.

?Not only was Richard a part of the Somerset community . . . he was a greater part of the entire Bermuda community. I watched him come through the junior ranks to become the player that he was at Somerset where we were more than just a team . . . we were also family.?