Former Sports Minister Dale Butler paid tribute yesterday to late sports statistician, historian and family member Warrington (Soup) Zuill who "gave so much to local sport and asked for very little in return".

The 77-year-old Zuill died peacefully at his Devonshire home last Saturday evening following a long bout of illness, leaving many to mourn the passing of a man whose name became synonymous with Cup Match

Butler said: "As a former Sports Minister and an historian who spent a lot of time with Soup Zuill, it's a sad loss and my condolences go to the family.

"We have really lost an outstanding sports hero in my opinion.

"We have lost an encyclopaedia on sports personalities – not only in hard concrete facts but also the intermit little tidbits he used to share, whether it was family history or bits not often recorded."

Butler added: "I am hoping that awards will be put in his honour because somewhere along the line there has to be a Warrington (Soup) Zuill Award.

"I am also hoping baby Soup Zuills will spring up and take that same fanatical, enthusiastic approach where, not only do they remember records, but also the little tidbits that excite people about sports."

Also acknowledging Zuill's many contributions to local sport was former St.George's Cup Match skipper and cousin Clevie Wade.

"Soup has always been there for me since I was a youngster growing up in St.George's," said Wade.

"He always looked out for me and gave me guidance from the time I was a colt in Cup Match in 1977 right along up to my retirement from the classic in 1999."

"Soup would always have pep talks with me and give me advice," an emotional Wade recalled.

"When I was captain of St.George's Cup Match team in 1983, before the match Soup came into the changing room and gave us all a pep talk and motivated us to win the match for my father (Cal) who had died earlier the same year.

"He had a prayer with us and told us 'let's win this one for skip' (Wade's father). I will never forget how he inspired us that morning to go and win the match (by three wickets).

"Soup really knew his stats and just seeing him at Cup Match always brought back lots of memories that I will cherish forever.

"I can also recall in the 1985 (Cup Match) when Ricky Hodsoll and I had that record partnership (137 runs for the seventh wicket) he was the one who told us we were on course to break that record.

"He always kept me abreast of cricket and football stats and I think this is where he is going to be a big loss. Not only is he going to be missed in the sports community . . . he's going to be a big miss to Bermuda on a whole."

The late Zuill is the father of Forties commercial cricketer Hoyt and grandfather of footballers Aljame (Devonshire Colts) and Dennis (Dandy Town).