Heavily involved in running the sporting side of the club’s operation for over a decade, Hutchinson played a significant part in the team becoming trophy winners again in the 1990s after more than quarter of a century without success, and qualifying for the Champions League for the very first time. Sharp of mind, he had the insight to take advantage of altered transfer regulations that meant overseas stars, previously unimaginable in our royal blue, made their home in west London, and his dealing ensured Chelsea rose to the fore as the new era of the Premier League began to flourish.

Originally recruited from Wimbledon in 1987 by chairman Ken Bates to run Save the Bridge – a fundraising campaign fighting property developers, Hutchinson impressed sufficiently to be given the much wider managing director role.

With Bates devoting a large proportion of his time and energy to the Chelsea Village development of the Stamford Bridge site and other strategic matters, Hutchinson increasingly handled day-to-day football affairs and player transfers and he, along with Bates, manager Glenn Hoddle and director Matthew Harding, reached what became known as the Marriott Accord - a history-changing blueprint to transform the club through greater investment in talent that quickly led to the eye-catching signing of Dutch superstar Ruud Gullit. Over time, Hutchinson negotiated deals for other Serie A stars such as Gianluca Vialli, Gianfranco Zola and Marcel Desailly, along with many other household names.

Known for his occasional, parchment-dry wit, he famously described Chelsea as ‘a continental side playing football in England’ soon after the Blues fielded the Premier League’s first entirely non-British starting XI at Southampton in 1999.

He was the key mover in Vialli taking over as player/manager from Gullit and later on his replacement by Claudio Ranieri.

It was on Hutchinson’s steady watch that the FA Cup was won in 1997 and 2000, with the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the League Cup captured in the seasons between.

When he left Chelsea in 2002, it was unarguable that the club on the football pitch was markedly stronger than when he had begun his work here.

We send our deepest condolences to Colin’s family and friends.