Lionel Cooke
Wednesday November 2nd 2022

The club is saddened to learn of the passing of former Lancashire League Secretary and Accrington memember Lionel Cooke.

Lionel was Lancashire League Secretary from 1999 to 2006 and prior to this was Assistant Secretary from 1993 to 1999.

In 2007 Lionel was made a Life Member of the Lancashire League.

He was also North East Lancs League Secretary from 1987 to 1995 and was heavily involved with local league football.

He was second team scorer for East Lancs from 1990 to 1996.

Retaining his membership at East Lancs, Lionel joined Accrington in 1997 where he scored until 2014.

He continued to help out as scorer until the end of the 2021 season following his retirement.

Father of two Lionel moved into the area in 1968 whilst still in the army, getting married to Maureen in the same year.

After leaving the army, he worked for Blackburn with Darwen and Burnley Councils as a rent collector and housing benefits officer.

He took up a receptionist role at Blackburn College for ten years before retiring in 2005.

Lionel was rewarded for his long service to sport in the community at the prestigious Fusion Awards in 2013.

He received the Mumtaz Ellahi Community Sports Award at the ceremony which was held at Ewood Park.

Lionel was also the scorer for one of the North East Lancs League's top sides Zumla in the 1980s.