"The news on Tuesday regarding the untimely loss of Keith Alexander was/is absolutely devastating.  I found out when Chris Brass phoned me, I was actually in a café drinking a cup of coffee and its one of those things that you just can't believe."

"It sounds callous, but I'm not really the sort of person that is affected by news like this, usually you think that's life and you move on, but this has hit myself and Brassy pretty hard.  Keith was never really a friend because in football it's kind of difficult to have friends because you are battling against each other every week."

"For me, Keith Alexander was the person I turned to if I had a question to ask, and he would give me a really honest answer.  I've known him for a long time.  I first met him when he tried to sign me at Lincoln City.  For some reason that never happened, but eventually I became a coach and manager and became in touch with him again."

"When I first started in management, I went to a lot of games, and still do.  Keith would be at a lot of those games, games like North Ferriby v someone and Keith would be there.  He taught me a lesson that it doesn't matter who you are, you have to go and work and Keith certainly did that.  He knew everything that there was to know, especially about this level."

"You think of Keith Alexander and inevitably the direct play gets mentioned.  He wasn't like that.  I did my pro license with Keith and he was really good and very technical about things.  Everybody forgets that Keith, especially now with Macclesfield, was keeping them in the league.  If he keeps them in the league, then that is a great result for them because their budget is nowhere near what a lot of the other clubs have."

"I never had any problems with the way that Keith played; he did whatever he could to keep that team in the league and he was pretty good at it.  It's a sad loss for football and I have to say, personally for me as well."

"He leaves behind a good legacy.  You don't see many black people in the dugout, he was a pioneer for black managers and coaches, but for me, he was just a decent bloke that within the realms of where we work it was all about football for him."

"The news is devastating, but it's indiscriminate.  He thought he was as fit as anyone else, he was within an environment that keeps you young because you are with young people all the time and yet this can happen.  It's a reminder for us all, and definitely a reminder to me because we all get caught up in winning three points on a Saturday afternoon.  There are far bigger things than three points and being healthy is the main thing."

"There wasn't really a difference between Keith the friend and Keith the adversary in the dugout.  We'd meet before the game and say a quick hello, might have said a few things during the game - usually about the referee or a decision that has been made, then at the end it was all about well done or your team has deserved it.  The other week I told him that a draw would have been a fair reflection on the game."

"A lot of people knew Keith and personally you pay your own respects when you can.  It's good that football does pay their respect and with England on Wednesday night paying their respects because he was a proper football person.  It doesn't matter what we do or what we say, it won't bring him back.  I think we'd all rather see Keith back in the dugout, but we can't have that."

"Keith Alexander will be very much missed, I know personally that I will miss him, he was good and I spoke to him quite a lot."