Allan Townsend, ‘Mr Fylde’, was born in Preston in 1934. His family moved to Kirkham some years later and he attended Kirkham Grammar School where rugby was pretty much compulsory! After a chance meeting on Kirkham Railway Station with a young Fylde player, David Lyon, he joined the Club in 1955 and had two seasons as a player before serving in the Merchant Navy for a seven year spell which took him around the world several times. He worked subsequently at English Electric Co in Preston as an engineer. He married Sheila in 1959 and their two boys, Sean & Patrick, followed thereafter and eventually formed the ‘Townsend Dynasty’ which collectively has served the Club so well to the current day. Allan was a member of the front row union, either as a prop or a hooker. He made appearances for any of the Fylde teams who wanted him. On one notable occasion, 1st XV manager, Peter Makin, asked him to play the following day, a Bank Holiday, for the 1st team at Leicester. He had to pass up that chance due to another commitment. He was never asked again! In the 1960s he was photographed in the famous front row of Brian Joyce, Richard Carter & AT. When his playing career ended through injury, he was persuaded by George Norman to think about refereeing and he joined the Manchester & District Referees’ Society in the early 1970s. As well as officiating around Lancashire club games over a 20 year period up to the early 1990s, in 1973 he took on the important and onerous role of Fylde’s ‘referee liaison’ for all the Club’s home games. He continues in this role to this day, celebrating his 50th year in the job in 2023. He always gives visiting referees at the Woodlands a warm reception. He became a much valued member of
the Manchester & District Society (‘Madrefs’ as it’s known) Executive and eventually became its President for a two year spell. He continues to travel to the Society’s meetings, only this week at Sedgley Park in North Manchester. Allan has also served in various positions on Fylde’s General Committee over many years and was honoured to serve as Club President for four years up to 2011. Less known generally is his role as one of the instigators of Mini-Junior rugby at the Club along with Peter Makin, Jack Quarnby and coached by Bob Barclay. The photograph of Allan briefing these youngsters at their first ever training session in 1974 is iconic. From very modest beginnings this has become an extremely successful venture with some 350 young players regularly seen at the Woodlands on Sunday mornings. Allan’s contribution to the development of Fylde RFC has been quite outstanding. In his quiet and business-like way, he has been an immense presence around the Club for 68 years, a wonderful ambassador and volunteer. If ever there was an ‘unsung hero’ in community rugby clubs it is Allan. Fylde’s Chairman of Rugby Mark Nelson said: “Every Club has families that are part of the fabric of the place and Fylde is no exception. One of those
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