Barry Kitchener

Remembering Barry Kitchener

Any fan of Millwall Football Club will have been touched by the sad news of Barry Kitchener’s death from cancer last Friday.

‘Big Kitch’ was a true legend at Millwall, an old school player who spent almost his entire career playing for one club. Unsurprisingly, he holds the record of being Millwall’s longest serving player, making 602 senior appearances for the club.

When I first started going to watch Millwall with my grandad in the 1970s, Big Kitch was still playing for the club. He was my grandad’s favourite player and having to listen to my grandad praise him week in, week out has left a wonderful legacy with me: a true Roy of the Rovers character, one of ‘us’, a man who gave everything for Millwall.

Yesterday the team wore black armbands in Big Kitch’s honour. Below is the tribute from the Millwall FC website:

Big Kitch, Gentle Giant, Mr Millwall to Lions fans or quite simply Barry, Dad and Grandad to his family – Barry Kitchener was quite simply a lovely, genuine human being whose sudden passing is as cruel as it is premature.

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