With great sadness, I have to inform you that Ken Barrett, our Life Vice President, passed away last Tuesday evening, after a short illness.

Ken, was the last remaining of our three Founding Members, who in 1960, set up Mount Grace Old Scholars Football Association, now better known as Potters Bar Town Football Club.

Ken and Jenifer, his wife, lived near Glasgow and often emailed me and supported our Fund Raising Schemes and attended reunions. He said he often thought of the Club and the early days and only two days ago asked his son to pen me an email, with a donation.

The Club History starts off with this paragraph:

The foundations for the Mount Grace Old Scholars (Potters Bar) Football Association were laid in the spring of 1960, when the school's first team were having a good season and at Easter many of the boys were due to leave and the side would break up. It was then that Ken Barrett; the P.E. Master of Mount Grace School, Potters Bar asked the boys and other old 'Scholars' to support him in raising a team to play on Saturdays. Our application to join the Barnet & District League was accepted on the 29th June 1960. Ken Barrett enlisted the assistance of Bert Wright, the school's Caretaker, at the start of the season and soon after Bill Venneear joined as Secretary and Treasurer.

I am also sure Ken started the Team, so he could play football as well.

His record between 1960 and 1969 reads 155 Appearances and 58 Goals.

I was fortunate to play with him and I recall one game on King George Playing Fields, Potters Bar, when he insisted on playing, even though the ground was covered in snow and we could not see the lines. No postponements in those days!

Ken will not be forgotten, as he will always be remembered as a Founder member.

His son David has informed us that his Dad had not really been himself for a while but was more than content. In the end he was taken into hospital with an infection and he deteriorated over 3 weeks. He went very peacefully with all his family around him. He would have been 87 in December.

We are having a service of thanks giving on Monday 19th June at 2 p.m. in the church in Killearn, near Glasgow.

The picture was taken at our 50th Reunion in 2010

Peter Waller
President