Local football mourns death of Ken Brown

GRASSROOTS football in the region has been mourning the death of Bristol Soccerworld’s Ken Brown.

Ken was well-known in the local game for his role as chairman of Port of Bristol for 34 years, overseeing the club’s meteoric rise from the lower reaches of the Bristol and Suburban League to the Gloucestershire County League summit in the 1970s.

Bristol Soccerworld website, which was set-up and established by Ken together with his sons Neil and Mark Brown, reports that, as chairman, he was responsible for steering the Sunday youth football scene from the old Bath and Bristol Schoolboys Sunday League to the beginnings of the now-thriving Avon Youth League.

As the founder of Shield Old Boys in the late 1960s, Ken also helped guide the first steps in football of many local players.

Mark Brown, current editor of www.bristol-soccerworld.com said: “He will be sadly missed by many, especially his family. He gave great assistance to his sons in establishing Bristol Soccerworld (as a print publication) in the 1980s and they have taken it on to its new form as a very popular website.”

Gloucestershire FA (GFA) deputy chairman Roy Schafer acknowledged: “Ken was a very well known and respected person within football at all levels. He was a mine of information and could always be relied upon to know what was going on.

“His passing will be a great loss to football but I am sure his legacy will continue through his two sons Mark and Neil. Our sincere condolences are extended to all of his family at this very sad time.”

GFA operations manager Chris Lucker added: “Ken was a passionate supporter and promoter of grassroots football across the region. He attended most of the county cup final matches played at Oaklands Park, where you would always see him talking to GFA members and other spectators about the game. He will be missed by all who knew him.”

The funeral will be held at Canford Crematorium on Friday, September 26 at noon. Everyone is welcome and while there are to be no flowers, donations can be made to Marie Curie Cancer Care.