Zigger zagger zigger zagger kitchener - rip

I first see kitch in 1967 i was eight so he and harry were my childhood heroes he was a true gent and Millwall legend thru and thru a very sad loss to his family and for us fans whata formidadable defence heaven has now rip kitch.

 

Every club has it Legends but for Millwall theres none bigger than Kitch. Had some big offers from some big clubs and without a doubt had he took them would have had a great international career too. But for him there was only one place he ever wanted to be. And i agree with TC there should be a statue put up for the man

 

to young to know him but we should give him a proper send off at hull and perhaps commemorate his 602 apps with a statue outside the den

 

I remember his first game up at Birmingham - he filled in at right back when Johnny Gilchrist had to revert to inside forward due to a warm-up injury - he was still raw but obviously had a presence. Oddly enough another of my enduring memories was when Kitch was pushed up front in desperation in another match when we went two-nil down at St Andrews. They were so pre-occupied buzzing around Kitch that we knocked in three to win with the last kick of the game.

But mainly he was an outstanding centre-half - at least as good as players like Larry Lloyd who was about during his time and won untold medals - and a genuine bloke up there with Arry and Bomber.

 

Just read of Barry Kitchener's death - a fine player and a great servant to the club.

I find it terribly ironic that the two hardest players I ever saw in my life, Messrs Kitchener and Cripps, should have been taken well before their time.

There's a wonderful tribute piece in the Sunday Times today written by a Millwall supporting journalist (can't access it online unfortunately, unless you pay) which suggests that instead of a minute's silence or applause before the game against Hull, their best forward should be maimed in the centre circle before the game.

Agree with you, Mighty that he almost certainly sacrificed an international career for the love of his club.

R.I.P.

 

Doesn't that happen at every game anyway?

Condolences.

 

Tewkes

thanks.

 

kITCH RIP from MT

 

i remember watching him play many years ago,rip kitch.....a true football legend

 

I'm another one who never saw him play but my old man raved about him and absolutely loved the bloke.

Rip Kitch and best wishes to family.

 

Legends do not normally get the chance to write their own epitaph. Fate allowed Barry Kitchener that privilege, as he sat in the lounge of his home on the outskirts of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in early February. Sadly, Millwall’s working class hero was unaware of it at the time.

It was a crisp winter’s day, cold and sunny. Two footballs, which he used to kick around with his grandchildren, had rolled beneath a trampoline in the back garden. He was at ease with himself, even if his gentleness belied the nature of his reputation, as Millwall’s fabled enforcer.

We spoke of the intimacy of his form of fame. A succession of Millwall fans, young or young in spirit, had turned his seafront shop into a point of pilgrimage. They were respectful, occasionally awestruck. Each was given the luxury of his time. Kitchener posed for photographs, and listened to cherished memories, which tended to involve him intimidating an opposition centre forward.

“I feel privileged I mean something to people” he said, quietly. “I didn’t shirk a tackle. I threw my body on the line. I gave everything for the shirt, the club, and the fans.” Neither of us understood the resonance of his words. It was to be his last interview.

Kitch, who made a record 602 appearances for Millwall, looked grey and drawn when we next met, at a game 10 days later. I had no idea he was suffering from a particularly aggressive form of cancer. He died, aged 64, last Friday night. The minute’s applause for him, at next Saturday’s home game against Hull City, will register on the Richter Scale.

Sir Bobby Robson once told him he would have played for England, but for Millwall’s earthy reputation. That meant a lot to a player who embodied the unfashionable virtues of loyalty and unflinching honesty. To its detriment, football will probably never see his like again.

Kitch was hard, yet humble. John Donovan, a Millwall fan exiled in Canada, relived a night game against Aston Villa at the old Den. It will strike a chord with anyone who mourns the game’s lost spirit.

“Villa had a reputation of being bullies. They had a long-haired centre forward named Keith Leonard, who had scored a few goals. Kitch had him in his pocket and at one point Leonard took a dive, looking for a penalty. Kitch stomped over to him, growled something to him, and ground his hair into the pitch with his boot. Enough said – never heard another peep from him.”

Real Wall, as they say down Bermondsey way. It is the highest form of praise, and fully deserved. Kitch, RIP.

 

Great post TC

 

Rest in Peace Kitch

 

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Evening all

Nice touch for Barry