ALAN Winward was best-known publicly for his work behind the scenes at Barrow Raiders, but to his family there was so much more to the man.

Rugby league was always a huge part of the life of Winward, who died aged 77 last Sunday, whether it was being part of the great Roose amateur side of the 1960s, playing professionally for Barrow or his time on the board at Craven Park.

Yet his family also recall someone who was a devoted parent and grandparent, who never believed any problem could not be overcome and had a relentlessly positive outlook.

“He was an amazing dad and grandad, and it didn’t matter what problem you went to with him, whether it was tiny or huge, his answer was always ‘it’s all right, chuck, we can sort that out’,” said daughter Helen Winward.

“His sayings I always remember was ‘there’s a way round everything if you look hard enough’ and ‘there’s good in every situation, you’ve just got to find it’.”

It is those sayings which perhaps best sum up his approach to various projects, particularly when he headed up the successful ‘Save Craven Park’ campaign in the mid-1990s and overseeing the club’s Touchdown anti-drug abuse programme at schools in the area.

Winward was heavily involved in a project to build a dementia village at Ostley House care home too, where Helen is manager, which now looks set to become a reality thanks partly to his fundraising efforts.

“Grandad had a habit of really grabbing hold of a project when everybody else thought it couldn’t work – that was his style,” said grandson Dan Austin.

“I think the ‘Save Craven Park’ thing was probably the best example of that, but when the dementia village was first discussed at Ostley House, it was probably a pipe dream which everybody would have liked to have happened, but didn’t think was possible.

“Grandad’s approach was ‘let’s raise a bit of money and see how far we get’. I think ‘start little, think big’ is the perfect summary of it.”

Dan, who was a big St Helens fan like his grandfather, also recalled the time where he was surprised with a trip to meet his rugby heroes soon after Winward had overseen Ade Gardner’s transfer from Barrow to the Super League side.

Indeed, Dan saw their relationship as one of friendship as well as family ties.

“I always remember a birthday card from years ago where he put ‘to my grandson and my best friend’, and that summed up my relationship with him,” said Dan.

“He was an amazing man, and all I can remember is him laughing – that’s all he ever did, and he always laughed and he was always happy.”

THE funeral of Alan Winward will take place at Thorncliffe Crematorium in Barrow on Friday, November 30 at 11.30am and all friends are invited for the service.

Family flowers are requested only, with donations in lieu for Ostley House Amenity Fund.

Cheques should be made payable to Barrow & District Society for the Blind Dementia Unit.

These can be left at the service or sent by post care of Little & Caine, 1-3 Dalkeith Street, Barrow.