Olympic sprinter Richard Kilty has led tributes to the legendary Jack Hatfield Sports shop after news emerged it’s been put up for sale.

The Gazette revealed yesterday how the shop, which has been at its current Borough Road site since 1970, has been put on the market for offers over £250,000 .

Owner Paul Barry admits that if he can’t find a smaller place to move to, he might call it a day within the year.

And if to does close, it will mark the end of a Teesside institution dating back to 1912, when founder Jack Hatfield opened a shop in Newton Street.

And news of the shop’s impending demise has saddened many former and current customers, with Teesside Tornado Kilty leading the way.

He tweeted: “Gutted to see Jack Hatfield sports closing down. I got my first ever pair of running spikes from there 17 years ago & bought my dad a stopwatch & whistle from there only a few weeks ago. End of en era #jackhatfield #boro”.

Richard Kilty celebrates winning the men's 60m final at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Serbia

Former BBC Tees presenter John Foster called it “really sad news” and said he bought his first sports kit there, adding: “Who remembers the giant Swiss Army knife in the front window?”

John Adamson said he used to buy his snooker tips from Jack Hatfield, saying: “Loved the smell when you walked in...very sad...lovely people that worked there.”

And Middlesbrough gym owner Mike Hind, who has just been crowned Personal Trainer of the Year , wrote: “I really feel for them. I remember growing up as a kid I’d buy all my goalkeeper gloves from there. I have my own clothing brand now and I know how hard it is.”

In another reference to the competition which owner Paul Barry admits has helped force his hand, Ian Blades wrote: “It’s a truly sad day for us all, while many of us are slyly chucking our rubbish out in a Sports Direct carrier bag...”

And for many people commenting, it was a chance to remember those early sports kit purchases, with Steve Cowan recalling buying his first badminton racquet there in 1974 when he started at Teesside Polytechnic, Dermot Blaney buying his first Adidas Samba trainers in 1982/3 and Mike Davison remembering how “my uncle bought me my first ‘casey’ from the there when I was a kid.”

Paul Jacobs wrote: “Shame. Great shop and staff. Very friendly and knowledgeable of all sports. Old fashioned service like this is sadly missed today.”

Andrew Mitchell confessed: “Still owe him £2.50 on a pair of football boots from 25 years ago. He said drop it in next time you’re passing.”

But Dave Cooper perhaps summed up the commercial realities of the situation when he observed: “So sad but I completely understand the decision - you can’t live on people’s happy memories.”