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Home: All Other Football Interests: Obituaries and Remembrances: Geoff Harrison - Southall FC

Beano Reserve Team Regular Mar 15, 2012, 8:38 AM Posts: 544 Location: Hayes, Middlesex Team(s): Post #1 of 6 (3681 views) Shortcut Geoff Harrison - Southall FC Can't Post or Reply Privately Geoff Harrison, the Secretary of Southall FC and a sometime contributor to this Forum, passed away on Tuesday evening. Geoff suffered a heart attack. I don't think it would be overstating things to suggest that, if it weren't for Geoff, Southall FC would have folded years ago. He kept things going, even after the misdeeds of others saw the club expelled from the Combined Counties League. Geoff had also spent a considerable amount of time tracing the history of the club, travelling from his home in Dunstable to the Ealing Central Library to conduct research. His passion for history wasn't limited to his club - he was the Middlesex FA Historian and he and I were working together on an ad hoc project to trace and catalogue the surviving archive material belonging to the Association. More recently, he will have been well-known among the groundhopping community for the superb programmes he produced for each home match played by Southall. But, to me, he'll be remembered most of all as a bloody nice bloke. Geoff will be missed by all who knew him.

HantsLondoner Reserve Team Regular Mar 15, 2012, 11:04 AM Posts: 658 Location: South Hampshire Team(s): Hants/Middx/Sussex Non-League, Brentford, THFC, SC Freiburg Post #2 of 6 (3672 views) Shortcut Re: [Beano] Geoff Harrison - Southall FC [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately I agree with all the comments Beano made - a very nice bloke, and he contributed such a lot to Southall FC, and Middlesex football. I had hoped to come up to London to see Southall and meet Geoff again this season, but on the two occasions I tried, frost intervened and the match was off.

acmold Man City Transfer Target! Mar 15, 2012, 7:40 PM Posts: 8318 Location: Team(s): Post #3 of 6 (3636 views) Shortcut Re: [HantsLondoner] Geoff Harrison - Southall FC [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately Nice bloke, met him a few times, most helpful fellow. Such a shame. Visit my new Hellenic site https://sites.google.com/site/hellenicgroundsprogrammes/home

Barnsley Dave First Team Star Mar 16, 2012, 10:47 AM Posts: 1660 Location: Egham Team(s): Barnsley,Yorkshire C.C, ,,wherever I lay my hat Post #4 of 6 (3587 views) Shortcut Re: [acmold] Geoff Harrison - Southall FC [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately Very sad to hear of Geoffs passing. His passion for Southall was there for all to see . I've met Geoff on quite a few occasions and found him a top bloke. Rest in peace Geoff.

HantsLondoner Reserve Team Regular Mar 20, 2012, 10:18 AM Posts: 658 Location: South Hampshire Team(s): Hants/Middx/Sussex Non-League, Brentford, THFC, SC Freiburg Post #5 of 6 (3447 views) Shortcut Re: [Barnsley Dave] Geoff Harrison - Southall FC [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately From the Southall website: GEOFF HARRISON - SOUTHALL FC 8:24 AM, Thursday, 15 March 12. News It is with enormous sadness that the Association reports the sudden and untimely passing of Geoff Harrision, Secretary of Southall FC and the Middlesex FA Historian, on Tuesday evening.Geoff had been the Secretary of Southall for many years and worked tirelessly to keep the club alive following the loss of the old Western Road ground and subsequent difficulties experienced by the club. Southall, who are one of the County's oldest clubs, having been formed in 1871, are enjoying a good season in the Middlesex County League and recently reached that competition's Alec Smith Cup Final. In addition to all of his "day-to-day" work as Southall's Secretary, Geoff had spent countless hours researching the club's history and compiling meticulous records. This skill and passion was one of the many positive attributes Geoff brought to the Middlesex FA Council. A member of this season's Football Committee, Geoff was also the County Historian and, in 2008, produced a booklet commemorating the Association's 125th Anniversary. Geoff was popular among his colleagues in football and will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.

paul601 Ballboy/girl Mar 25, 2012, 3:59 PM Posts: 3 Location: Team(s): Post #6 of 6 (3295 views) Shortcut Re: [Beano] Geoff Harrison - Southall FC [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately I'm Geoff's brother Paul. Thanks you for your kind words regarding Geoff. Most, if not all of you, will know Geoff from his involvement with Southall FC and the Middlesex FA. His interest in the non-league game goes back a lot further and, as a tribute, I thought it appropriate to give you a flavour of how much the non-league game meant to him. Geoff’s interest in “grassroots” football goes right back to his childhood. As a child in the early to mid 1960s he watched his uncle Adrian (a useful goalkeeper) play for Helmshore United in the Accrington Combination. He dabbled with watching “proper” football for a while from the Stretford End of Old Trafford in the late 1960s but his love for non-league football really started in 1970 when his family moved home to a location that was a short walk (up a steep treacherous path!) from Dark Lane which was the, now derelict, ground, of, the now defunct, Rossendale United. The occasion was Rossendale United’s last home game in the Lancashire Combination before they moved to the Cheshire League the following season. The match was immaterial (I can’t remember who they played or what the score was); the important thing was that Geoff recognised the unique atmosphere of non-league football and he had the desire to watch Rossendale United the following season. The next few seasons of watching Rossendale United were exhilarating. They assembled a brilliant non-league team playing a style of open attacking football that Geoff often used to look back on fondly when watching an indifferent match many years later. During the early to mid 1970s Geoff watched Bangor City while at University and College in North Wales. In 1977 he moved to West London and continued his interest in the non-league game. He watched Southall, Wealdstone, Harrow Borough and Wembley regularly for the next few years. Geoff had an annual pilgrimage to Wembley to watch the FA Trophy and FA Vase finals; he saw some absolutely dire matches there and he used to dread the approach of extra time! When he moved to Dunstable he adopted Luton Town as his club but he maintained his interest in Southall FC. Geoff’s involvement in, and commitment to, Southall FC is well known as is his wider involvement in the non-league game.

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