Reunion for former football leagues
PLAYERS, managers and referees who were involved in two defunct amateur football leagues held a fundraising reunion.
Almost 300 people turned up at the Pack Horse Social and Bowling Club on Abbey Road for a celebration of Macclesfield Sunday League and East Cheshire Saturday League.
The two leagues clocked up 100 years of amateur football before folding at the end of last season. The remaining eight teams have joined the Leek Sunday League or the East Cheshire Sunday League.
The demise was blamed on poor facilities, increasing costs and a lack of interest in running local football teams.
The event was organised by Malcolm Maginn, Phil Edwards and Stuart Street as a fundraiser for East Cheshire Hospice.
A raffle, including prizes of an England shirt signed by Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, and a Manchester City shirt signed by Rodney Marsh, raised £780.
As well as the many players who turned up there were officials including father and son referees Dave and Tim Hammond.
Chairman of Macclesfield and District Football Association Phil Edwards said: “The two leagues go back as far as the mid-1960s. That’s 50 years of the two leagues. Most of the nine districts in Cheshire have seen leagues disbanded thanks to the costs of grass roots football, with insurance costs and pitch hire often too expensive and club secretaries and managers having to do virtually all of the work to keep teams going.
“We all great time at the reunion and I would like thank all those that attended and the Pack Horse for hosting.”