FORMER Blackburn Rovers manager and Burnley player Jack Marshall has died after a brief illness in Rotherham General Hospital, aged 80.

Mr Marshall had been living with his only daughter Patricia in Rotherham for the past eight years.

He was in charge at Ewood for the majority of the club's spell of top-flight football in the 1960s and will always be remembered by Rovers fans for the exhilarating attacking team he created.

They enjoyed victories such as 8-2 at West Ham and, for a time in the 1963-64 season, looked genuine title challengers before falling away.

Born in Bolton, Marshall began as a junior with Burnley but, after establishing himself at left back in the Second Division team of 1938-39, the Second World War interrupted his career. He played 27 League and FA Cup games for Burnley before retiring through injury after the war and joined Bury as coach.

Similar appointments followed at Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday before he became Rochdale manager in October 1958.

In September 1960 he took charge of Rovers following Dally Duncan's departure and immediately proved a popular boss. His pleasant disposition earned him the nickname "Jolly Jack".

Marshall developed a First Division team which produced some of the most outstanding attacking football ever seen by Rovers supporters.

He successfully changed the positions of players like Andy McEvory, Fred Pickering and Keith Newton and the side known - affectionately - as "Marshall's Misfits" clocked up some remarkable wins. After relegation in 1966, he finally resigned the following February and went on to manage Sheffield Wednesday and Bury before returning to Ewood as physio.

He spent nine more happy years with the club before retiring in 1979.

A funeral service will be held at Rotherham Crematorium next Tuesday, January 13 (1pm).

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