Sunderland over-40s league star King to hang up his boots – aged 74!
Trimdon Veterans Over-40s FC founding member John King is finally hanging up his boots - aged 74!
King – along with Les Taylor, Ronnie Woods, Tommy Pickells, Gordon Connor, Rob Dickerson, Arthur Willoughby, Tommy Hoban, Hamish Joyce, Brian Roberts and John Everson – established the club in 2001, when he and his former Sedgefield teammates decided the rigorous regime of the game at higher levels was becoming too much.
At an inaugural meeting held in Cedesfield Hall, Sedgefield, it was agreed to appoint Taylor as chairman, Joyce as secretary and King as treasurer.
A policy was also agreed that substitutes would always get a fair amount of gametime, and that players would be rotated accordingly.
King acquired a red Middlesbrough strip from the Teessiders' former academy boss Dave Parnaby, who also supplied the club's current, white kit.
The Vets supplemented their early numbers by signing then-59-year-old former Wheatley Hill player Freddy Wilkinson, who is still going strong for the Vets to this day - and turns 70 in February 2021.
But Wilkinson is a mere fledgling compared to King.
The 74-year-old entered the Vets into the Sunderland & District Over-40s League, in which the club's greatest achievement so far was to reach the final of the Fourth Division cup, losing to league champions Peterlee.
"Trimdon Vets have always finished in the bottom half of the table but always turned a team out," said King's teammate and club official Colin Wharton.
"This last season has seen a change in fortunes as we were narrowly beaten in the semi-final of the divisional cup, and gained promotion to the Third Division after finishing in our highest league position since formation."
Over almost 20 years, King has made 238 appearances, scoring four goals, claiming four assists and four Man-ofthe-Match
awards.
"Over this period, he has lived and breathed the club and will be a big miss, not just to the team but everyone associated with the league," added Wharton.
King will make his last runout against Division Two side Thornley Celtic on Saturday, when he is expected to play the last 20 minutes. Kick off is 10:30am at Thornley Welfare Park, DH6 3AB.