York City Football Club's Barry Jackson Bootham Crescent tribute

One of four apartment buildings to form part of the new housing development on the former Bootham Crescent football ground is to be named after York City’s Barry Jackson.

Following submissions put forward by fans of the club, York based housebuilder Persimmon has had the proposal formally approved by City of York Council and Royal Mail.

As previously revealed, Persimmon have said the three street names and four three-storey apartment buildings will all honour players and managers who graced the turf and dugouts of Bootham Crescent.

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In total 93 new homes are being built on the site which includes four, three-storey apartment buildings with Persimmon working with the council over recent months to have the buildings named after York City fan favourites. Unsurprisingly given his record 539 appearances for the club, Barry Jackson was many fans’ choice to see their name incorporated into the new Bootham Crescent development.

Former York City centre-back Barry Jackson (Image: Newsquest)

Born in Askrigg, in the Yorkshire Dales, on February 2, 1938 to father Cliff - the local policeman - and mother Elizabeth, Barry and his family settled in Huntington after they moved to York.

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Barry attended Joseph Rowntree School, where he was head boy in his final year, and went on to do an apprenticeship at Cooke, Troughton & Simms, the York-based instrument makers.

After finishing his apprenticeship, Barry did his National Service with the RAF, where he had the pleasure of playing in the same team as Ron Atkinson, George Curtis and Eric Winstanley against an Army side starring Alex Young, Ron Yeats and Johnny Byrne.

He featured as a centre-forward for the successful Cliftonville junior side, playing alongside future Arsenal attacker Colin Addison, before catching the eye of then City boss Sam Bartram as a central defender. He went on to star in pre-season friendlies for York, and earned himself a full-time contract with the Minstermen before the Christmas of 1956.

Barry Jackson with the Cliftonville 14-16 cup-winning team of 1953 (Image: Newsquest)

His big break at City came at the start of the 1958/59 campaign when he stepped in to replace the injured Howard Johnson - and from there, made York history.

Barry was dropped just once in his City career, in October 1968, after an incredible unbroken run of 474 games.

His rugged style of play soon gained him an almost-cult-hero status amongst City followers, and he was a member of the promotion sides of 1958/59 and 1964/65.

Jackson was awarded a well-earned testimonial by the club in 1970 and in the latter part of his City career ran a sweet shop near to Bootham Crescent.

Affection for Barry amongst York City fans lived on, evidenced when he was voted City’s all-time favourite player in a poll conducted by the Players’ Union 37 years after he had left the club.

Barry and his wife Susan spent the past two decades in Pitlochry in Scotland, living a quiet life which contrasted with his footballing days.

Barry’s devotion to York won him a great number of admirers on the terraces, and he duly reciprocated. Wherever he was, Barry always had time for a chat, whether that be at his sweet shop, or working with Northern Electric.

One fan recalls how, as a seven-year-old looking for a first City autograph, Barry took the young supporter into the dressing room so the whole team could sign the book.

Barry died on November 7 last year after being unwell with dementia for some months.

Speaking about the Bootham Crescent honour, Susan, said: “I would like to thank everyone who voted for Barry and to everyone who has helped make this happen.

“I’m so happy and proud for Barry. He will have been so honoured.

“Barry was a humble man, but very much a people person and would have been so touched to know that people thought so highly of him.”

Barry Jackson and his wife Susan (Image: Persimmon)