JOHN REA (May 12, 1936 – June 30, 2025)
BARROW are mourning John Rea, who was the last surviving player from their three Challenge Cup finals in the 1950s.
The locally-produced centre, who has died aged 89 after illness, was signed from amateurs Holker Pioneers in December 1955, seven months after player-coach Willie Horne’s side lifted the trophy by beating Workington Town 21-12 at Wembley.
And after cup wins over amateurs Wakefield Locomotive then Castleford, Huddersfield and Leigh in a semi-final replay, Rea lined up at the national stadium against Leeds in 1956-57.
Barrow had boasted a talented threequarter line of Jim Lewthwaite, Phil Jackson, Dennis Goodwin and Frank Castle in the showdown with Workington.
But Rea’s emergence accelerated the switch of Goodwin to the second row.
The final, which Goodwin missed because of a knee injury, fell the day before Rea turned 21, but there was no early present as Leeds withstood a late attempted fightback to triumph 9-7 in front of 76,318.
The Loiners went 6-0 and 9-2 up through tries (worth three points apiece) by Pat Quinn, Del Hodgkinson and Don Robinson, who squeezed over in the 54th minute despite being challenged by Rea and Lewthwaite.
Barrow, who with Leeds in their usual blue and amber played in change colours of red with a white chevron, pulled it back to 9-7 with a 64th-minute try from Jackson and conversion by Horne, who had earlier kicked a penalty-goal.
Castle almost crossed and Rea broke clear to threaten, but his kick ahead was claimed by George Broughton, and Barrow’s hopes were ended.
Horne’s side made the four-team play-offs that season, but missed out on a Championship Final shot when Hull FC won 45-14 at Craven Park (the Black and Whites were then beaten 15-14 by table-toppers Oldham at Odsal).
But as that Barrow team began to break up, on-field fortunes fell away, although Rea remained a loyal and committed servant of his hometown club, playing 181 times with 52 tries up to 1962-63.
That was despite a number of injury problems, which 18 months after his final game away to Blackpool Borough in May 1963 led to him announcing his retirement.
Rea, who took up bowling following his rugby career, worked in the shipbuilding industry, serving his apprenticeship as a patternmaker (used to cast parts for vessels), before becoming a draughtsman.
He leaves wife Barbara, daughters Alison and Julie, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.