BARROW AFC legend Fred Else – probably the Bluebirds’ finest ever goalkeeper – has died.

Else, who graced AFC’s number one shirt between 1966-69, passed away at St George’s Nursing Home, in Barrow, yesterday morning. The married father-of-three was 82 years old.

Born in Golborne near Wigan, he played for Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers before signing for Barrow just before the start of the 1966/67 season, which saw AFC earn promotion from Football League Division Four.

Else proved to be a vital cog of Don McEvoy’s promotion-winning team – during his first season at Holker Street he played in all but two of the 56 league and cup matches, and quickly became a fans’ favourite.

Indeed, he was bestowed with the club’s first ever Player of the Year award.

Barrow went on to compete in Division Three and, in all, Else enjoyed four happy seasons at the club, making a total of 173 appearances. Before the start of the 1970/71 season, and at the age of 37, a combination of a troublesome knee injury and his thoughts turning to the future pushed him into the decision to hang up his boots.

Else had also assisted ex-AFC secretary Wilf Livingstone on the administrative side and completed a brief spell as caretaker/manager.

Else tested his glove skills against the best talent in his era and is a true Barrow great.

Former AFC defender and lifelong fan Brian Arrowsmith played in front of Else as he stayed with his hometown club between 1961 and 1970.

Arrowsmith has kept in touch with Else through the years and visited his old team-mate in hospital about six weeks ago.

He said: “Fred was the best goalkeeper that Barrow have had as far as I’m concerned, and I’ve been watching them since I was about eight-years-old.

“He used to catch the ball – they don’t always do that now, they push it on. But Fred used to hold it.

“He was a very good keeper and a nice bloke to go with it.

“I don’t know anyone who has met Fred and would say otherwise. He was a genuine guy, a nice bloke and he was a big friend of Tom Finney.”

Else was taken on as a professional by Preston at the beginning of the 1953/54 season and made his first-team debut in March 1954.

By the 1956/57 season, Else had finally won a regular place in the Preston team. During his first full season between the sticks for North End he was ever present, playing in all 42 League games as Preston finished in a creditable third position in the First Division.

International honours were always close at hand but unfortunately for Else no full caps were ever forthcoming – although he did collect one England B international cap and at one time was considered to be one of the finest English stoppers never to have earned full international honours. Shortly before the start of the 1961/62 season, Else failed to agree terms with Preston and Blackburn swooped to sign him for £17,000. Else’s five-season stint with Blackburn – during which time he made 187 league appearances – saw him hold the number one jersey on a regular basis.

After retiring as a player Else – who enjoyed watching his grandson, Jon, play for Forest Green Rovers in more recent years – trained as a teacher and also worked in the Shipyard. He spent time living Cyprus but it is understood he moved to Askam for family reasons and then to Oxford Street in Barrow.

Bob Herbert was the Evening Mail’s Barrow AFC correspondent when Else ruled between the sticks at Holker Street. Herbert said: “Fred was a real gentleman and an absolutely superb goalkeeper.

“He criticised me once for saying that he made a brilliant save as he told me, ‘no, I was badly positioned, you don’t make brilliant saves, all saves should be easy’.

“Fred was very humble. He was the best goalkeeper Barrow ever had, by a long way.

“He was a brilliant shot-stopper. He wasn’t particularly tall or a big man, but he was very flexible and had powerful arms.”