Carlton Football Club life member Allan Lugg OAM J.P., whose service to his beloved Blues spanned more than 40 years, has died at his home in Moreland at the age of 88.

Lugg is survived by his wife of 60 years, Fay, and five children - including son Peter, a former club doctor who boasts a connection with The Carltonians coterie group.

Fay revealed that her late husband’s affinity for the old dark Navy Blues was first forged in his boyhood years, most probably through the influence of the late former player and administrator Newton Chandler - “the grand old man of Princes Park” - who lived a few doors down at The Grove.

“Until the last few years, Allan attended Carlton games. He treasured his life membership,” Fay said.

“His great friend was Chris Pavlou from the days when Chris was coach of the thirds.”

Chris Pavlou, the 31-game former Carlton footballer, said his friendship with Lugg spanned four decades.

“When I was appointed coach of the Under 19s in ’73 I didn’t know what to expect because I’d been away from the club for 11 years,” Pavlou said. “But two of my closest friends - Michael Spartels and Brian Smith - came on board, as did Allan Lugg, who was already involved with the Under 19s as timekeeper and had served for many years as senior timekeeper.

“From that moment, Allan and I became good friends. He was very quiet, but a real character.”

Pavlou remembered that Lugg inherited his nickname “Father” on an Under 19s end-of-season trip to Warrnambool back in 1975.

“He turned up wearing a blue jumper with a white t-shirt and protruding collar high up on his neck. Everyone thought he looked like a priest and he was quickly dubbed ‘Father’ Lugg,” Pavlou said.

“At a dance down there a bloke on the microphone welcomed Allan as the local parish priest, which is why we always called him ‘Father’.”

Lugg was honoured with life membership in 1978 - the same year as the great Carlton full-back Geoff Southby - for services rendered to the club as both timekeeper and treasurer of the now-defunct Under 19s team.

A local councillor and former Mayor of Coburg in 1973-’74, Lugg was also a recipient of the OAM in 1999 for services to the community.

Lugg died at his home last Friday. Though he lost consciousness the night before, he was kept abreast of Carlton’s progress against Richmond at the MCG, by way of radio reports monitored by his loved ones.

The Carlton senior players will wear black armbands into Saturday night’s historic match with Gold Coast at the Gabba, as a mark of respect to the late Allan Lugg OAM.

His funeral is scheduled for St Peter’s Church, Eastern Hill, at 2pm Thursday.