‘FAMILY’ RAISE A GLASS TO COLL

MORE than a few glasses would have crossed Coll’s Bar on Monday night.

Many would have been knocked back amid a party atmosphere but others would have been raised during quieter, more reflective moments remembering Colleen Allen, the cornerstone of the family that has well-andtruly established little old Rushall Olympic on the footballing map.

Pics chairman John Allen and son Nick, the vice-chair, had their worlds rocked by the loss of wife and mum Colleen in December 2020.

The shock was felt throughout the Midlands Non-League circuit with her warm presence a feature of life at Dales Lane throughout her two decades of service to the club.

So when keeper Jake Weaver repelled Nuneaton Borough’s final penalty in Monday’s shootout to lift Rushall into Step 2 for the first time in their history, the only image in Nick’s mind was that of his mom – and by the way, it is mom, not mum in these parts.

“It is 25 years that we have been involved with the club as a family and this was such a big day,” Nick said.

“We certainly raised a few glasses in Coll’s Bar, God bless her, and this was a win for everyone involved – for mom, the family, the supporters, volunteers and sponsors.

“Liam McDonald and his staff, too, they have done such a magnificent job. It just shows that dreams really can happen in football.

“Rushall is essentially a village club that has been going at it for years, doing it our way.

“We don’t buy success, we don’t get big crowds but what we have is a spirit and a reputation for bridging the gap with good people, expertise and heart.

“We had 500 at Nuneaton, our average crowd is 300 on a good day so we hope some of these people stick with us to see what we are building.

“It really is David versus Goliath stuff. It is absolutely unreal but it just goes to show what can be achieved.”