Bernard and his close friend Jim Thompson were partners in crime for decades- firstly on the turnstiles back in “the glory days” and then behind the scenes for a whole lot longer. Jim’s death a few years ago hit Bernard very hard in fact coming as it did a short while after the death of his own wife- Anne.
In recent years Bernard has had several health issues and earlier this year was in fact hospitalised due to a UTI which developed into sepsis. As many of you know the recovery from sepsis can take a while and even though Bernard appeared to be recovered on the outside there is no doubt that when he came out of hospital and was home this illness had taken its toll on him and he was definitely a little quieter and slower than he had been.
Bernard died in his sleep either late last night or early this morning. He is survived by his son Peter, his daughter Sandra, their partners, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren too, my thoughts are with all of them at this time.
On a personal level Bernard’s death hits me hard as it was he who started taking me onto matches back in the infamous 86/87 season- my first game being just after my 10th birthday. I had no real interest in football at that point (and to be fair I still don’t in a “general” sense) but I was entranced by Burnley FC. My passion for all things Burnley FC is a direct result of Bernard and what he did for me; it’s a debt I can never really repay.
Bernard- I’ll miss you.
