Deputy editor, Neil Meldrum, pays tribute to Mick Cunningham.

You could have been forgiven for thinking Eddie Howe had just been sacked, such was the reaction when Mick Cunningham was made redundant from AFC Bournemouth back in March 2013.

That, in many ways, was the mark of the man.

Mick was one of the old school - brimming with loyalty, good humour and dedication to his art. His was not a job - it was his life.

I last saw Mick at the end of July at the wedding of some very close friends and colleagues. He had been through a rough time with illness and it was wonderful to see him back on his feet and beaming at the prospect of Premier League football at his beloved Cherries.

As much as Mick was looking forward to getting back to what he did best, we, at the Echo, were delighted to welcome a genuine talent of sports photography back to the fold.

If you wanted a man to capture that moment, you know the one, where the ball connects with the boot or head of a player before flying into the net, Mick was your man. He lived his life through his lens.

Saturday's clash with Stoke was Mick's first Premier League assignment for the Echo after years of trekking up and down the country for the paper in his role as our freelance away photographer. It was just reward for a man who had grafted for years during those dark days, sometimes for no money. He just loved it.

Photographers touch people's hearts in ways the rest of us could only dream of. They capture people at their most elated and their most vulnerable. Mick touched the hearts of so many at AFC Bournemouth, there are not enough column inches in this paper to do him justice.

His post-match media conference questions became legendary among the press pack. Often, they were so long that, by the time he reached the end, he had forgotten what the original question was! That was Mick. He did it with a smile and infectious enthusiasm.

When he woke up on Saturday morning, he would have been full of excitement about the day ahead. His first Premier League game for the Echo.

He didn't come home.

But I hope he will look down, see his pictures from his final match and smile. For that was Mick all over.

Thank you, Mick. We'll miss you, mate.

You can leave your memories of Mick and messages of condolence below.