A celebration of 50 years active with the Old Boys' Football Club

I recently celebrated 50 years active involvement with the OBA Football Club at the annual presentation evening. I was presented with gifts to mark the event and will be invited to an award ceremony at the Lancashire F.A Headquarters in due course. The occasion was made even better the following day when our 2nd team won the Reserve Teams' Cup, beating Howe Bridge Mills 2-1, despite being reduced to 10 men for the last 20 minutes.

I actually started playing for the Club a year earlier, whilst still at school, in circumstances which would be unthinkable today. Two masters used to take us to the pub after morning matches (in school uniform!!) and it was normal to have a pint or two of beer. Not this day - when trying to order a beer, I was told in no uncertain terms that I could have an orange juice, as I was playing for the 4th team that afternoon! I think there were several of us (Dave Entwistle and Neil Burton, possibly others) so shortage of players is not a recent problem. Unfortunately, we were not able to pull off a win. We were warmly welcolmed to the Club and apart from my college years, I have been loyal to it ever since.

Since then I have had a wonderful time at the Club; playing, managing, refereeing, watching, catering (my present contribution), and HUGE amounts of washing-up since the JCR opened in 1976!

Many thanks to the Committee and players for continuing to tolerate me for so long after my (playing) sell-by date. I am the second stalwart to achieve this milestone, following my good friend Howard Croft a few years ago, and am proud to form an exclusive little club with him.

Best wishes,  Andy Evans (known to most at the Club as A.J.)