The oldest
Alf continues to love his football with local amateurs Vale of Atholl
Alf Berry takes his seat in the changing room and waits nervously to hear if he’s made the starting line-up.
He may well have turned 57 earlier this year but the Perthshire amateur footballer has no plans to hang up the boots any time soon.
Football has always been part of his life and Saturday afternoon would not be the same without proudly pulling on the colours of Vale of Atholl.
The Pitlochry side ply their trade in the region’s second division and, despite his age, Alf continues to be a prevalent sight in the team.
His passion for the sport has remained constant ever since he first pulled on a pair of his prized Puma Pele Santos footwear as a youngster.
“One of the guys at Vale said that
Alf pictured alongside his Vale team-mates (above) earlier this season they are going to have to ask me to leave. I wasn’t sure if that was an underhand compliment,” smiled Alf, who won the manager’s player of the year last season.
“There is no intention to give up just now. It will be down to a bit of luck because I’ve been injury free, touch wood, for years now.
“A lot of people say that I must not run much and use my head instead of my feet. But that’s not the case with me. Alf Berry is still playing for Vale of Atholl at the age of 57
“I’ve seen about seven or eight managers come and go. They asked me to be manager once but I never took it on.
“I really just want to be considered as one of the players. That’s going through the same training as everyone else and getting picked on merit.
“Age isn’t even mentioned and I’m always conscious that I don’t want age to come into anything, whether good or bad.