IF Liam Brockbank goes on to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional footballer, he will be only the second player from the Millom area to have made the grade.

The other is his cousin.

Andy Brockbank is a name well known to Barrow AFC fans, having captained the Bluebirds under the late, great Ray Wilkie for a spell in the 1980s.

A left-back like his nephew, he played in the four-match FA Trophy semi-final marathon against Enfield in 1988, which Barrow lost after a second replay at Stafford.

After starring up front for Barrow Celtic as a youngster, Brockbank became a rising star of the Blackpool side under England World Cup winner Alan Ball in the early 1980s.

He made 36 Football League appearances for the Seasiders, but when Ball was sacked after a poor run of results, Brockbank fell down the pecking order at Bloomfield Road.

His professional career ended, and he emigrated to Australia, where he played for Sydney Olympic.

Returning home, he played one season at Runcorn before joining AFC in the summer of 1986.

Brockbank established himself as the first-choice left-back at Holker Street and as an excellent penalty-taker, and he won a player-of-the-year award for his displays in the 1986/87 season.

He played in that heroic FA Trophy run the following season, although by that time the arrival of Tony Chilton gave him stiff competition for the number three jersey.

The 1987/88 campaign proved to be Brockbank’s last with Barrow and he emigrated to Australia, where he still lives.

“Andy came from Haverigg and played for Barrow Celtic,” Andy’s cousin, and Liam’s dad, Pete Brockbank recalls.

“He scored a record 106 goals in the under-15s, but he ended up as a left-back.

“He was in Blackpool first team when Alan Ball was manager and he had him down to be future first-team captain.

“He got the sack and Sam Ellis came in and Andy ended up heading out to Australia.

“He played for a team out there and met his wife. They came to England and he played for Runcorn and Barrow, but they ended up going back to Australia to live.

“They were unlucky in that semi-final against Enfield. I remember Andrew saying: ‘we can beat them down there’ (at Stafford) but it wasn’t to be. And two years later, Barrow won at Wembley.”