Emil's Blog - 50 Year Stretch
Thu 17th April 2014 | Atherton Collieries | By Paul Lawler
Resident blogger and Atherton Collieries secretary Emil Anderson had more reason than most to celebrate a recent anniversary event held at the club.
50 YEAR STRETCH
It was party time last Saturday night at the Colls when the clubhouse was packed to celebrate Frank Anderson’s 50th year with the club.
I don’t know him as Frank, I know him as Dad and he is the reason why Atherton Colls are my team. As kids tend to, they follow their Dads around and I watched him play for Eagley Mills (he managed them for a while), Walkden Town and even a couple of games for LR (don’t tell him I told you) as well as the Colls.
He started his Colls career in 1964 and was privileged enough to play in the great team which won the Bolton Comb and the Lancs Amateur Shield in 1965. That 6-1 triumph over league rivals Breightmet United at Burnden Park was quoted in the excellent LFA – A Celebration of 125 Years – book ‘as one of the finest games ever seen in the competition’. The season after he played at Nantwich Town for Alan Ball Senior but Colls was his team and he returned home after a solitary season. The team were in a transitional period following the breakup of the ’65 team but my Dad never wanted to play for anybody else despite getting regular offers.
Later on his career he did play for the teams mentioned earlier but he was always going to go back to Alder House and on finishing his footballing career it was a natural progression to move onto the committee. He has served in every capacity at the club from chairman to toilet cleaner and the hours he put in made my Mum a Grade A footballing widow. She eventually put her foot down at the end of last season and he officially resigned from the committee, although you can be assured he still does more than his fair whack for the club.
As a footballer he was ultra competitive and he still is when watching the #almostfamous black n white stripes. If you venture down to Alder House for a game you will be able to hear him even if you cannot see him. In that respect I am a chip off the old block. He wears his heart on his sleeve and has upset the odd player/manager with ‘his constructive criticism’. As his mam said “Frank, not everybody will like you but they won’t be able to ignore you”. He would have been no good in the diplomatic corp. He is the first person I ring when we won and the last person I ring when we lose. He hates losing that much and you will never take away that passion!
So back to last Saturday’s soiree the club was full of past players going back to the 1950s and some hadn’t seen each other for 20 years – a friends reunited night really. I had to tell my dad he was having a do as he doesn’t like any fuss and I was worried he may not have showed up. He was so appreciative of all the people who came but given what he has put into the club he certainly deserved a night of recognition. My mum and I were proud people even though she has said on countless occasions that Atherton Colls ruined her life.
As our Chairman Paul Gregory said on the microphone, “You’re all Colls people - you’re all part of Colls. When you’ve been here once, it’s in your blood”. These words will resonate at every club in the land.
Pictured: Atherton Collieries Chairman, Paul Gregory, presents Frank Anderson his 50 year service award.
Emil's Blog - 50 Year Stretch
Thu 17th April 2014 | Atherton Collieries
By Paul Lawler
Resident blogger and Atherton Collieries secretary Emil Anderson had more reason than most to celebrate a recent anniversary event held at the club.
50 YEAR STRETCH
It was party time last Saturday night at the Colls when the clubhouse was packed to celebrate Frank Anderson’s 50th year with the club.
I don’t know him as Frank, I know him as Dad and he is the reason why Atherton Colls are my team. As kids tend to, they follow their Dads around and I watched him play for Eagley Mills (he managed them for a while), Walkden Town and even a couple of games for LR (don’t tell him I told you) as well as the Colls.
He started his Colls career in 1964 and was privileged enough to play in the great team which won the Bolton Comb and the Lancs Amateur Shield in 1965. That 6-1 triumph over league rivals Breightmet United at Burnden Park was quoted in the excellent LFA – A Celebration of 125 Years – book ‘as one of the finest games ever seen in the competition’. The season after he played at Nantwich Town for Alan Ball Senior but Colls was his team and he returned home after a solitary season. The team were in a transitional period following the breakup of the ’65 team but my Dad never wanted to play for anybody else despite getting regular offers.
Later on his career he did play for the teams mentioned earlier but he was always going to go back to Alder House and on finishing his footballing career it was a natural progression to move onto the committee. He has served in every capacity at the club from chairman to toilet cleaner and the hours he put in made my Mum a Grade A footballing widow. She eventually put her foot down at the end of last season and he officially resigned from the committee, although you can be assured he still does more than his fair whack for the club.
As a footballer he was ultra competitive and he still is when watching the #almostfamous black n white stripes. If you venture down to Alder House for a game you will be able to hear him even if you cannot see him. In that respect I am a chip off the old block. He wears his heart on his sleeve and has upset the odd player/manager with ‘his constructive criticism’. As his mam said “Frank, not everybody will like you but they won’t be able to ignore you”. He would have been no good in the diplomatic corp. He is the first person I ring when we won and the last person I ring when we lose. He hates losing that much and you will never take away that passion!
So back to last Saturday’s soiree the club was full of past players going back to the 1950s and some hadn’t seen each other for 20 years – a friends reunited night really. I had to tell my dad he was having a do as he doesn’t like any fuss and I was worried he may not have showed up. He was so appreciative of all the people who came but given what he has put into the club he certainly deserved a night of recognition. My mum and I were proud people even though she has said on countless occasions that Atherton Colls ruined her life.
As our Chairman Paul Gregory said on the microphone, “You’re all Colls people - you’re all part of Colls. When you’ve been here once, it’s in your blood”. These words will resonate at every club in the land.
Pictured: Atherton Collieries Chairman, Paul Gregory, presents Frank Anderson his 50 year service award.