Harry Garlick boss dies aged 48: tributes

Ian Scothern (48) died on Sunday at St James’s Hospital in Leeds surrounded by his family.

Hugely popular and highly regarded by his cricketing peers for his skill in opening the batting and wicketkeeping for Barnoldswick, Mr Scothern remained positive throughout his near decade-long fight with multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer.

Such was the popularity of Mr Scothern, a company director at well-known East Lancashire electronics retailer Harry Garlick, the number of tributes from across the country have simply overwhelmed his family, with some coming from cricketing friends as far away as Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.

Brother Mike said: “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s just amazing the number of tributes that have come in from people. It’s very humbling.”

A born and bred Barlicker, Mr Scothern attended Gisburn Road Primary School and later Park High School in Colne before moving on to Nelson and Colne College.

It was his sporting prowess which Mr Scothern was best known, making many friends through football at Barnoldswick United and cricket at Barnoldswick Cricket Club, following in the footsteps of his dad in taking the wicketkeeping gloves. He also had a short spell at Nelson Cricket Club in the Lancashire League.

Mike said: “He was a very good wicketkeeper and opening batsmen who scored numerous centuries and important runs for Barnoldswick and representing the Ribblesdale League side.

“Ian was an Everton fan. They won the league and had a successful team at the time with Alan Ball. Ian always stuck with them, through thick and thin, but usually thin.”

After school, Mr Scothern went to Preston Polytechnic to complete a business degree and his astuteness in that field soon saw him working in the family business, later becoming company director and working alongside brothers Mike and Dave.

Mr Scothern and his wife Kathy were childhood sweethearts, meeting at 19 and 16 respectively when Kathy’s mum worked for Mr Scothern’s dad. They married at All Saints’ Church in Earby seven years later in 1992.

Mike said: “Ian was a massive family man, not just close family, but extended family; cousins, aunties and uncles. He loved getting the whole family together and organising family do’s.

“And obviously his great pride was his immediate family, wife Kathy and children Tom (19) and Hannah (16).

“Tom is a very talented musician and Hannah is really bright academically in her first year at A-Level having got incredible GCSE results.

Mike added: “He took a great deal of pride in getting things right and was always fair with people in business.

“Ian also loved Barnoldswick the town. He always wanted to be involved in issues within the town and was strongly against Tesco and voiced his opinion vociferously on that and other issues.”

Mr Scothern was diagnosed in November 2005 with multiple myeloma, undergoing three stem cell transplants in the time following that, but he always kept an optimistic outlook.

In August last year, Mr Scothern kept wicket for a Barnoldswick team for four overs of a charity cricket tournament involving many old adversaries from Earby, Padiham and Settle.

Mr Scothern’s team fittingly coming out on top and the event raised £3,500 for Anthony Nolan.

Mike added: “It was a battle but there were periods of time when Ian was well and able to enjoy life to the full. But the way Ian lived with the disease was fantastic. A lot of time people wouldn’t have known he was poorly.”

Mr Scothern’s funeral will be held at Holy Trinity Church in Barnoldswick on Thursday, January 22nd at 12-45pm. Please respect family flowers only, donations can be made to Myeloma UK and Anthony Nolan.

A wake will be held at Rolls-Royce Social Club in Skipton Road at 3pm.