Guiseley AFC as a club has been saddened to hear of the death of former player Phil Barlow, who played for Lincoln City and Bradford City before coming to Nethermoor in the late 1960s, remaining at the club for almost 15 years.
Phil joined The Lions for the 1968/69 which was centre-forward Mick Stocks’ last year with the club. Susan Clapham, in paying tribute to Phil, said: “The reason I mention this is that in his first game with Guiseley Phil criticised Mick for not coming back to help out the defence to which Mick replied ‘If you can do any better then you become skipper’. Phil said he could and did and was captain for the rest of his career at Guiseley!
He was well respected in his centre-half role and was a rock in the Guiseley defence.
Phil retired at the end of the 1981/82 season after over a decade at the heart of the defence. His son Paul was often a mascot for the team. Some of Phil’s teammates were Les Wood and Bob Lawson who these days are regularly seen supporting Guiseley
Others were Eric Jarvis, Allan Ham, Stan Jones, Graham Ogden and Dave Bromby, whose families, including parents, would be there supporting and in the clubhouse afterwards. Keith Walwyn played alongside him in the 1977/78 season prior to moving into the Football League.
Susan said: “It was a great family club. I have seen their children grow up and many more since.”
John Boyd, the former BBC Radio Leeds presenter who was Guiseley manager at one time, recalls the Christmas Eve fancy dress parties they used to hold in the club recalling Phil as Sweep and Stan Jones as a pirate.
Steve Harney, who arrived at Guiseley two years after Phil said that one of the their many highlights was beating Goole Town (then in a higher division) away in the County Cup Final in 1977/78 season. Steve said that Phil was well respected both on and off the field.
Susan added: “I remember Phil and his family with great fondness; along with other characters in the team, they were good times. Over the years Phil has occasionally been up to watch a game, sometimes bringing his sons.”
Phil’s funeral will take place on Tuesday, December 17th, at Shipley Baptist Church at 1.30pm followed by cremation at Nab Wood at 2.40pm.
