Tributes for football and bowls stalwart Allan Rogers

Allan Rogers had been president of Castlefields Bowling Club for 25 years and Shrewsbury Sunday Football League for seven.

He was 86 and had been suffering with illness for a while. Rogers, known to many as Agger, ran a family building firm J Rogers & Son.

Alan Peach, skipper of Castlefields’ Premier League-winning side, led the tributes.

“He had a massive impact on the club, Mr Castlefields we called him,” said Peach. “He had been a member for 40 years and wanted us to win everything.

“He was a very cheerful, generous person. What you saw was what you got. The amount of work he has put into the club is unbelievable. Not just on the bowls, whether it be the flowers, on the greens, sponsorship or financial.

“We won six trophies this season before he passed away and all the players said they were playing for him.”

His support of Sunday football saw him sponsor a trophy, called the Allan Rogers Cup, but it was lost or damaged and replaced it with the Allan Rogers Shield.

Shrewsbury Sunday League secretary Dave Sandles added: “A greater man you will not meet.

“He was with Instones United, or the Grocers as they were then known, ever since they started back in the 1980s. He has been in football many, many years.

“He was a cracking man. He always had a good word to say to you. He was very open. If he did not think something was right he would say.

“He would back our league 100 per cent every time. He’s a great loss to football and a greater loss to the bowls community. He followed Instones every Saturday. He had to be poorly to not attend a game.

“He would watch in all weather he was that dedicated. He put that much money into local football.

“Instones will have to win the Shield this year in his memory.”

Steve Rogers, who helps run Instones and was manager for 16 years, said: “All the lads are gutted and will never forget everything he did for them.”

Allan and wife Sheila, who passed away last year, had five children.