Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Football: Howe pays tribute to Mr Nice Guy Alexander
Cherries boss Eddie Howe has paid tribute to Macclesfield Town manager Keith Alexander who died on Tuesday, aged 53.[LNB] Alexander, who recently took time off due to illness, passed away after arriving home following Macclesfield's League Two match at Notts County.[LNB] A former St Lucia international, he spent time out of the game in 2003 after suffering a brain aneurysm while manager at Lincoln, but returned after he was given the all-clear by doctors.[LNB] Alexander, a father of two, played for a string of clubs during his career and managed Lincoln in their play-off final defeat by Cherries in 2003 Howe last locked horns with Alexander when Cherries hosted Macclesfield at Dean Court 12 days ago.[LNB] I was stunned and deeply saddened when I heard the news, said Howe. I always found him to be very friendly and very helpful and he was one of the nicest guys in football.[LNB] It's a cut-throat industry but he was always very polite and very friendly. He was obviously very good at his job because he was working under a really tight budget and doing a really good job with the resources he had.[LNB] Although I invited him into our office after the game, I didn't get to see him after we had played them earlier this month.[LNB] On the Monday morning, he left a message to apologise for not coming in because he said they had had to leave in a rush. It said a great deal about him that he took the time and trouble to phone to apologise for not coming in.[LNB] Little things like that make you realise what a thoroughly decent and honorable man he was.[LNB] Howe also spoke with Alexander ahead of Cherries' 2-1 win at Moss Rose in November.[LNB] He added: He came straight up to me as we got off the team bus and said some comments attributed to him had appeared in the press about administration and our club's finances.[LNB] He said he wanted me to know that he had not said those things and that he had nothing but respect for me and our club. That again said a lot about the type of man he was.[LNB] My thoughts, together with those of everybody associated with our football club, go out to his family and to everyone at Macclesfield Town Football Club.[LNB]
