TRIBUTES have been paid this week to football stalwart Jack Prowse, from Carnkie, Wendron, who died on Sunday, aged 82, following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Mr Prowse, who was made a vice-president of the Cornwall County Football Association last year, has latterly been a groundsman at Porthleven, after carrying out similar duties at Wendron, where he was also club president.
He was awarded Cornwall Groundsman of the Year for his work at Wendron in 2009. He went on to become the grassroots section runner-up at the national awards in the same year.
Cornwall FA chief executive Dawn Aberdeen said: "We are all saddened to hear of Jack's passing. Not only was he held in high regard by his club colleagues for his standard of work on the pitches he tended over the years, we were proud of his achievementin gaining national recognition through the Groundsman of the Year Award scheme in 2009.
"We were so pleased when he agreed to become one of our Vice-Presidents, a role which he was unfortunately prevented from practising in full due to his illness."
Porthleven's football secretary Vidal James also paid tribute to Mr Prowse, who, he said, would be sadly missed.
"We are really going to miss him around the club. Not only did he help out Derek Richards on the ground but last season he also did the club programme.
"He helped us out in so many ways. Everyone thought the world of him at the club. He was very generous to the club and was a very nice man."
Speaking after being made a Cornwall FA vice-president Mr Prowse had said: "Being on your own can be a very lonely experience. These days I'm involved with Porthleven at Gala Parc and I get on very well with a group of people my own age who are also involved with the pitch.
"Dad's Army is what we are affectionately called. They are a great gang of people who like me are on their own, so we are good for one another."
Published by - This Is Cornwall.
