Alan Johnson.

[mall]

Sadly,another Bluebird, Alan Johnson left us at seven o' clock this morning RIP.
Older ones among us might remember Alan from the dark days of the early seventies when the club were in dire straights-Alan volunteered his services and did the club secretary's job for a while though I cant remember the exact dates.
Alan could always be found in his favourite spot at the steelworks end of the ground on match days.
Alan was also a keen on Bowling and played for the co-op bowling club.

[BillyBlue]

Alan was secretary not long after we came out of the Football League but don't know exact dates. Worked at FBS for a number of years and played bowls for the Police for a lot of years. A really nice person who'll be sadly missed. RIP Alan

[SMB]

Sad news - RIP Alan

[mall]

Alan was secretary not long after we came out of the Football League but don't know exact dates. Worked at FBS for a number of years and played bowls for the Police for a lot of years. A really nice person who'll be sadly missed. RIP Alan

Your right billy,he played for the police-not the coop.

[Barrow Lad]

Alan also selflessly gave much time and effort to St James Church where his down to earth and very interesting sermons would often contain a reference to the Bluebirds. The Bishop came in November to license Alan as a lay-reader and, immediately the service had finished, he came straight over to me to find out how Barrow had got on at Guiseley! He'll now be looking down at us cheering Barrow AFC on. Rest in Peace Alan.

[saltcellar]

I have known Alan a lot of years.
We grew up in the same area of town.
Use to see him regularly at the football and when our teams clashed at bowling matches.
He was not only a gentleman, but a great bloke as well.
Rest in peace mate.

[mikemarshhewasgood]

Will seem weird not seeing him stood at the steel works end and having a brief chat. A decent man who never appeared to get carried away with events at the club, the highs or the lows. RIP Alan

[saltcellar]

Alan was secretary not long after we came out of the Football League but don't know exact dates. Worked at FBS for a number of years and played bowls for the Police for a lot of years. A really nice person who'll be sadly missed. RIP Alan

Your right billy,he played for the police-not the coop.

He played for both.
Police in the Furness league Co-op SC in the Senior Citizens league.

[Phizzer]

Sorry to hear of Alans passing, though I knew that he was ill. A top man, and a decent bowler up at the Co-op club.
He will be missed by many friends.

[Mulholland Drive]

Very sad about the loss of Alan. In the early days after we came out of the Football League he was one of the welcoming faces those of us who travelled up to matches from London would see. He helped when he took over as the Secretary in his quiet efficient manner.
In recent years he could be seen on the terraces of various away grounds and we would have a few words about the team. A very dedicated supporter he will be sadly missed by those who support Barrow.

[thegaffer77]

Rest in Peace.

[Uncle Peter]

To say I'm gutted is an understatement.

Allan was one of the first football people I met when I started at FBS. He had a very dry sense of humour and his honesty was very refreshing.

When I first became a director he gave me some very honest and sage advice, which is completely unrepeatable on a family forum!

I'll miss bumping into him. Rip

[MilkybarKid]

I am touched by all these comments about my Uncle Allan. Barrow AFC played a huge part in his life, and he had an terrific knowledge of the club. He maintained a diary of every season/every match since 1949 which included all games, players scorers etc. (all handwritten in copperplate) As a youngster, he took me to just about every non-league ground in the North of England. This isn't the place for it, but I'll just tell you a quick story about him which illustrates his sense of humour. We'd gone to watch Barrow play at Lytham in an early round of the Lancashire cup, around 1977. There was only about 100 on the gate and just a handful from Barrow standing in howling winds and rain. After 80 mins with the score at 0-0, Mike Young, who was the NWEM reporter at the time approached Allan and asked him for a favour. He wanted to bunk off, and had filed most of the match report. He asked Allan to ring the office if anything happened in the last few minutes. Of course, Barrow scored in injury time, Robbie Thomas poked it in from 2 yards after a goalmouth scramble. The thing is, if you'd read the report the following Monday, it read something like " Robbie Thomas picked up the ball in the Barrow half, played a neat one-two with Paul Wilson before unleashing a 30 yard screamer which flew into the top corner". Allan's funeral in on Tuesday 24th at 11am at St James. I've picked white and blue flowers for him! (Keith Johnson)

[Bennyfromormsgill]

just to clarify keiths mistake, the funeral is on wed 24th i hope a few can make it and give him a good send off

[Ralph]

ALLAN WAS HERO AT BLUEBIRDS DARKEST HOUR
From the Barrow v Forest Green Rovers programme

The funeral took place this week of the man who stepped into the breach and took over the role of secretary of Barrow AFC when the club was at its darkest hour following relegation from the Football League.

The football club was Allan Johnson’s abiding passion. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Barrow affairs, keeping pain-staking records in notebooks going as far back as the late 1940s. Allan stepped into the breach in 1972 when Barrow were voted out of the League and became club secretary for a couple of seasons. In recent years, he could always be found standing on the Steelworks End (Crossbar) terraces.

Born in 1941, Allan left Barrow Grammar School in 1958 and started work as a clerk for Barrow Co-operative Society. He moved away in the early 1960s to work in High Wycombe and Blackpool, before returning home in 1966 to join British Cellophane. He moved into the house next-door-but-one to his mother Sarah and father Charlie. In 1991, the Cellophane factory in Barrow closed and Allan took a job in a Christian bookshop in Kendal for a couple of years.

In 1993, he started to work for the Furness Building Society where he stayed until his retirement at Christmas 2009. Allan said he enjoyed working at the Furness Building Society more than any other job, and he was so pleased to be visited by so many former colleagues during his final illness.

When club secretary, Allan started to take his nephew Keith to away fixtures, thus ensuring that Keith was shouldered with the sometimes thankless task of being a Bluebird. In later years, Allan also introduced his friend Shelagh Morrall’s son Andrew, to Barrow AFC.

In addition to his love of the Bluebirds and bowls, Allan enjoyed most sports, particularly following both rugby codes. In 1980, he managed to obtain three tickets for the Grand Slam decider between Scotland and England at Murrayfield and took nephews Phillip and Keith with him to see England’s triumph.

Allan was a very dedicated crown green bowler, playing mostly for Cellophane, the Co-operative and Police clubs. He made many lasting friendships, both on the green and in socialising with a pint or two after the game.

In the early 1980s, Allan began an Open University course and in 1988 was awarded a BA (Hons) degree in Arts and Humanities, of which his family was very proud, but Allan never really mentioned it to anyone.

Although he had been brought up in St Luke’s parish, after many years of ignoring the Church he joined St James in about 1980. He became a member of the Parochial Church Council and was treasurer for 25 years. He was also Lay Chairman of Barrow Deanery Synod and served on the Diocesan Synod.

In 2013, he was admitted to the office of Reader in the Church of England. He said it was the greatest privilege he had ever been given, being able to serve Jesus. Fr Stuart Evason, who encouraged Allan to undertake the Diocesan ‘Called to Serve’ course, said: “Allan had a heart of gold and will be greatly missed. When members of the congregation began leading the intercessions in the Eucharist on Sunday mornings, Allan was one of those who led the prayers and we were often encouraged to pray for Barrow AFC (they needed praying for on many occasions) and God was thanked for every victory. During the season, we used to wait with eager anticipation to hear what Allan would say in the prayers when Barrow had played. It could be said that Allan had a devotion to Saint Jude (the patron saint of lost causes) for all the success the Bluebirds had.”

Allan is survived by nephew Keith and wife Janice, daughters Claire and Sarah and nephew Philip and partner Helen, son Matthew and wife Nicole and great-nephew William.