Len Johnrose

1969-2022

It was with deep regret that we learned that Len Johnrose, had passed away on the 15th August 2022.Len was born in Preston and represented Preston schoolboys but joined Blackburn Rovers as an associate schoolboy in January 1984. He graduated through the junior ranks at the club to become a professional in June 1988. However, Len had already made his senior debut by the time he put pen to paper on a professional contract. He came on as a substitute in the 1-0 away win at the Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion on the 12th December 1987.

The substitute role was one in which Len had, perhaps, his greatest impact at Ewood Park. Of his fifty senior appearances, some twenty-six of them came when he left the bench. Usually, when he did come on in that role he was able to influence the game and chip in with a goal.

Initially a forward, Len had a natural instinct for getting into goalscoring positions in and around the penalty area. He enjoyed a prolonged run in a starting position during the early part of the 1990-91 season and responded with several goals for a team that was hardly prolific at that time. However, as the goals dried up Len lost his place to Steve Livingstone, an expensive signing from Coventry City. Undeterred, Len was converted into an industrious midfield player and it was in this position that his career would eventually blossom.

Following the dismissal of Don Mackay at Ewood, in August 1991, Tony Parkes restored Len to the team with great success. A tough tackler who was a ferocious opponent when playing in a midfield role, Len also retained his goalscoring instincts. In what was to prove to be his final senior game for the club, Len netted one of the goals in a 3-1 win at Millwall, on 5th October 1991. Unfortunately, Len picked up an injury which would keep him out of action just at the time that Jack Walker appointed the managerial team of Kenny Dalglish and Ray Harford to revitalise the club. With Walker’s wealth at their disposal, they were able to bring in a number of new faces which resulted in Len becoming more of a peripheral figure at the club.

In January 1992, Len moved to Deepdale for a short loan spell with Preston North End before eventually making a permanent move to Hartlepool United the following month. After 82 senior appearances for Hartlepool, Len returned to his native north-west to join Bury in December 1993. He enjoyed great success at Gigg Lane, particularly after Stan Ternent became the club’s manager in August 1995. Len was an integral part of the Bury team that won successive promotions – 1995-96 and 1996-97 – as they rose from Division Three to Division One.

It therefore came as no surprise when, in February 1999, Len was reunited with Ternent, who was now Burnley manager, and joined the Turf Moor club. Although he was sent off in his second game for the club, the Burnley fans quickly appreciated the qualities that Len brought to the team and which Ternent admired so much. He helped the ‘Clarets’ win promotion to Division One in the 1999-2000 season before injuries gradually began to take their toll.

Burnley released Len in April 2002 and he spent the early part of the following pre-season training with Blackpool. However, in August 2002 he returned to Turf Moor and signed a short-term contract with the club. However, within weeks he was again released and signed a non-contract deal with Bury. In January 2003, Len made the move to South Wales, initially on a non-contract basis, to sign for Brian Flynn, the former Burnley stalwart who was manager of Swansea City. With the club in a struggle to retain their League status, Len’s battling qualities in midfield helped to secure the club’s position within the Football League structure. He remained with Swansea until the dismissal of Flynn led him to be asked to be paid up and return to Lancashire to re-join Burnley in March 2004. He helped the club avoid relegation and then ended his playing career at the end of that season.

After his retirement, Len embarked upon a career in education and became a teacher at St. Silas C of E Junior School in Blackburn and then Lowerhouse Junior School in Burnley. Len also became a popular figure on Radio Lancashire’s sports programmes. In 2017, Len was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease but went public with is diagnosis in a bid to raise awareness of the disease and raise money for charities. In 2020 he published his autobiography – ‘Finding a Way’ – and proved an inspirational figure in the way in which he fought the disease until his sad passing on 15th August 2022. We wish to express our deepest sympathy to Len’s family and friends at this sad time.