He was 'the voice of Carrow Road' and the fans with whom he shared the joy and heartache of following the Canaries rose to salute Roy Waller when the commentary box at his beloved football club was renamed in his honour.

A plaque to the popular BBC Radio Norfolk broadcaster was unveiled in the newly named Roy Waller Commentary Box on Saturday 10 minutes before kick-off in the 2-1 Championship victory over Barnsley.

Mr Waller, who had commentated on Norwich City for more than 25 years, died in July at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where he was being treated for a liver illness. He was 69.

He was one of the county's best-known voices and gained fans for his quirky sense of humour, his love of his home county and the Canaries as well as his passion for country music.

His widow Sylvie and Carrow Road chairman Alan Bowkett unveiled the plaque before Saturday's match and fans at Carrow Road rose to applaud the broadcaster.

Mrs Waller, who had been married to Roy for 19 years, said: 'The decision the football club has made to do this is just so special. That was Roy's seat and the seat where Robert Chase made a special cushion for him. I was so pleased when they decided to do it. It's the end of all the nice things the football club has done for Roy throughout his life.'

Mr Waller had been the Norwich City football commentator on Radio Norfolk from when the radio station started until 2007.

David Clayton, editor of BBC Radio Norfolk, said: 'We're very grateful to the football club for marking Roy's death in such a lovely way.

'We didn't want a minute's silence - we wanted the fans singing and celebrating everything he did to bring the game to life for people.'

Mr Waller, who lived in Eaton, was born and brought up on Norwich's Mile Cross estate, attending the Norman School, and worked at estate agents Hanbury Williams, Norwich Union and the AA before he took up broadcasting.

The former Sheriff of Norwich had successfully fought bowel cancer in 2005 and, having survived the disease, campaigned to raise its profile.

The grandfather-of-five had been given the all clear from cancer last year, but his health then deteriorated at the end of 2009 due to a liver condition.

Hundreds of people packed into Norwich Cathedral to pay their respects to at his funeral in July and more than �2,000 has been raised for liver research.