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Mr Bert Lister


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Tony Bugby in tonight's Chron:

 

 

Tributes for ex-Athletic goal ace Bert Lister

by TONY BUGBY

 

TRIBUTES have been paid to Athletic goalscoring legend Bert Lister who died on Monday at the age of 67.

 

Mr Lister passed away at North Manchester General Hospital having suffered a heart attack last week.

 

It was at Boundary Park that Mr Lister, who also played for Manchester City, Rochdale and Stockport County, enjoyed the most successful years of his career.

 

He scored 97 goals in 153 appearances for Athletic including the remarkable feat of netting six goals on Boxing Day 1962 in an 11-0 victory against Southport.

 

Colin Whitaker, the winger who supplied the crosses for many of Mr Lister’s goals, recalled an amusing incident from that match.

 

He said: “I scored a first-half hat-trick and thought I would win a solid silver cigarette lighter, which a newspaper gave to the best player of the day.

 

“But in the second half Bert scored four more goals to win the award and it is something we joked about for years afterwards.

 

“You only had to look at Bert’s goalscoring record to see what a good footballer he was. Apart from being a very good striker, one of the best of his day, he was also a really nice man.

 

“It was not long ago that he visited me and I am saddened to hear of his death.”

 

Mr Lister, who became a taxi driver in Blackpool after retiring, was a regular visitor to Boundary Park in recent years, often appearing on the pitch to make the half-time draw.

 

Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy, who visited Mr Lister in hospital last week, said: “Over the years I got to know Bert well and attended a number of functions with him. He was only too happy to help the club and he was always jovial - a true gentleman.

 

“Unfortunately, I did not see Bert play, but from those who did, they tell me he was a true great. He will be missed by everyone at Boundary Park.”

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Thought the Chron could have done better than that. Maybe when the Funeral has taken place we might get some photos from the newspapers extensive archives and more stats about the great man.

 

I was lucky to see him play many times and he always gave everything honestly.

 

What a contrast to our last centre forward.

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Thought the Chron could have done better than that. Maybe when the Funeral has taken place we might get some photos from the newspapers extensive archives and more stats about the great man.

 

In fairness to the rarely wrong Chron, there is a picture of Bert with the article.

 

See page 39 of the digital version:

http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/digitaledition.asp

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