Brian Arrowsmith

{{Short description|English footballer and manager (1940–2020)}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Brian Arrowsmith

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Brian Arrowsmith

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1940|7|2}}

| birth_place = Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|4|12|1940|7|2|df=y}}

| death_place =

| height =

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Vickers Sports Club

| years1 = 1961–1971

| years2 = 1971–1974

| years3 = 1974–1978

| clubs1 = Barrow

| clubs2 = Netherfield

| clubs3 = Barrow

| caps1 = 378{{Hugman|523|accessdate=4 January 2017}}

| caps2 = ?

| caps3 = 134

| goals1 = 3

| goals2 = ?

| goals3 = ?

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 =

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 1974–1975

| managerclubs1 = Barrow

}}

Brian Arrowsmith (2 July 1940 – 12 April 2020) was an English footballer and manager. Born in Barrow-in-Furness, he spent his entire professional career at his hometown club Barrow.{{cite web|title=Barrow's Greatest Ever Player|url=http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2015/08/barrows-greatest-ever-player.html|publisher=The Football Voice|accessdate=4 January 2017}} He made 512 appearances for Barrow, including 378 in the Football League, the most at that level for the club.

Arrowsmith started his career as a right back, but played across the defence when required. He captained Barrow during the 1966–67 season in which they won promotion from the Fourth Division,{{cite web|last1=Yelland|first1=Phil|title=A Brief History of Barrow AFC|url=http://w.first4apps.co.uk/6/history/|accessdate=4 January 2017}}{{cite web|title=Holker Street Newsletter 552 – 2nd February 2000|url=http://barrowfc.com/index.php?inc=hsn&version=552|publisher=Barrowfc.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}} and stayed with the club for a total of eleven seasons. After leaving Barrow in 1971 Arrowsmith joined Northern Premier League club Netherfield,{{cite web|title=Holker Street Newsletter 242 – 21st December 1998|url=http://barrowfc.com/index.php?inc=hsn&version=242|publisher=Barrowfc.com|accessdate=4 January 2017}}{{cite web|title=Dads and lads who have played for Barrow AFC|date=11 February 2014 |url=http://www.nwemail.co.uk/sport/barrow-afc/article/Dads-and-lads-who-have-played-for-Barrow-AFC-6d791872-357f-46c2-8b61-5e067223d987-ds|publisher=North-West Evening Mail|accessdate=4 January 2017}} but returned to Barrow – who by then had been voted out of the Football League and placed in the Northern Premier League themselves – in 1974 as player-manager. He resigned as manager in November 1975, but continued playing for the club until 1978.

After retiring from football, Arrowsmith ran a DIY shop in Barrow, regularly attending Barrow matches as a fan. His son, Mark, made six appearances for Barrow in the 1980s. In January 2017, the main stand at Barrow's Holker Street stadium was renamed the Brian Arrowsmith Stand in his honour.{{cite web|title=Barrow AFC honour Football League great by renaming Holker Street Main Stand|date=3 January 2017 |url=http://www.nwemail.co.uk/sport/barrow-afc/article/Barrow-AFC-honour-Football-League-great-by-renaming-Holker-Street-Main-Stand-935c8735-4e71-4fd0-a065-cddfb3fedd88-ds|publisher=North-West Evening Mail|accessdate=4 January 2017}}

Arrowsmith died in hospital on Easter Sunday in 2020 having contracted COVID-19.{{cite news |last1=Cuddy |first1=Alice |title=Coronavirus: The lives lost in a single day |date=30 April 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52463735 |publisher=BBC News}}