Over 65s Fight to the End

Bury Relics Over 65’s went into their fifth set of fixtures of the Greater Manchester Division 1 Walking Football 2025 league campaign with a squad of of 8; Keith Gillespie (GK), Kev Bates, Pete Shev, Alan, Dave Luk, Keith Swain, John Morris and Graham. Ken was Manager and numerous supporters were in attendance on a dry, crisp day.

First up were Winstanley with Keith S and Kev starting on the bench. The teams had equal possession throughout with Winstanley having the better chances with a shot thudding off the base of the post and Keith G making a great save diving full length to stop a fierce daisycutter. We had 3 good shots, from Graham, Dave and JoMo but all of them were just past the post and their keeper had no notable saves to make. A fair 0-0 draw.

Next up were Panthers with Shev and Alan starting on the bench. They started well from the off, forcing Keith G into a good save and then scoring in the 2nd minute from a topclass toebung into the roof off the net which flew past Keith G. After that we chased the game and they hit us on the counter with Keith G making another 2 good stops. We had 3 good chances. Firstly, JoMo set up Keith S beautifully, he hammered the ball towards the near post but their keeper turned it past the post. Secondly, JoMo threaded a ball through the middle to Graham for him to walk onto, unfortunately it was just a tad too hard and whilst Graham reached it he couldn’t get enough power on it before it entered the box to really trouble the goalie. Lastly, Graham had a brilliant walk past 2 men through the middle, had a good shot but the keeper’s feet kept it out. A 1-0 loss where a draw would have been a fair result.

Our middle game was against Blackpool with JoMo and Dave on the bench. A midfield stalemate. Absolutely nothing happened in the first 8 minutes as both teams cancelled each other out. The last 7 minutes weren’t much better with only 5 shots total with only 1 on target which fortunately came from the Relics or I wouldn’t have bothered writing anything about this match and just listed the score. Alan won a free kick, he laid it back to Graham who blasted it against the post with the keeper beaten but the rebound came straight back out to a remnant of the Tangerines wall and he tapped it back to the keeper. A 0-0 bore draw.

Our fourth game was against Wakefield with Kev and Graham on the bench. The Yorkshire outfit are 17 points clear at the top of the league for a reason and they dominated possession and chances but we defended, especially Pete Shev, valiantly to keep the score down to 2-0. Going forward rarely we managed 5 shots but only 1 of those made their keeper sweat when he had to dive low to save from Dave after another lovely JoMo pass. Deserved 2-0 loss.

The final game was against Corinthians with Keith S and Shev as subs. Both teams looked weary in their fifth match of the day. They started better with 3 shots, one over the bar, one great save and one off the post but this early effort with no reward seemed to empty their tank. We came into it more and more as time went on. Kev Bates superbly found Graham out on the wing and he sauntered forward before cutting back inside and driving the ball goalwards but the goalie saved well. The game was drawing to a close when Corinthians gave the ball away just inside their own half on the sideline to JoMo, he looked up and played a magical pass into Graham’s path. Graham got it under control and took it goalwards, he dummied his shot and set the keeper down, he took it around the D and dummied the keeper again, took it further round the D and from a very narrow angle chipped it over the prostrate custodian for it to nestle just inside the far post. A sublime end to a long day which ended well with a 1-0 win.

After 5 of the 8 match weeks the table is congested apart from the runaway leaders. Relics sit 4th, 4 points from second but only 5 points above the relegation places. Therefore all to play for but no matter the outcome this team will fight to the end.

GMWFL Over 75’s – Relics unbeaten thanks to a double comeback in the last 3 minutes.

24th September 2025
The Relics over 75’s started today’s session of games 6 points clear at the top of the over 75’s table and looking to extend the lead. All the drama of the day came in the Relics last game.

Relics v Invincibles
The Relics bossed the first game of the day putting in a dominant performance against The Invincibles. Three early shots that didn’t really test the keeper set the tone for the day. Keiran forced the Invincibles keeper into an early save. Dave Mo linked up well with John Wardle but his shot was saved. A good move from Chris and John W gave Keiran a chance but his shot was just wide at the near post. Just before half time John W’s shot was just wide. Relics were playing well keeping possession with text book pass and move football. In the second half Relics continued the style of play. A shot from Chris went for a corner. Chris was close again at the near post. John W’s shot was just wide of the left hand post and Keiran T also went close.
Final score Relics 0 Invincibles 0

Relics v Rochdale
The Relics second game versus Rochdale was similar to the previous game but played with more movement. Keiran hit the bar, and John W forced a good save from the keeper. Relics keeper Eddie made a great save getting down quick to his left hand side to keep the Relics clean sheet. A better game overall than the first game, but with the same outcome.
Final score Relics 0 Rochdale 0

Relics v Tameside
Two games gone, only 2 points for the. relics and no goals scored despite the amount of possession and shots. Final game of the day for the Relics was second place Tameside.
Relics started well with three quick shots all being saved for corners by the Tameside keeper. A good move out of defence by the Relics saw Joe C free on goal with only the keeper to beat, his shot was hit clean and well struck but the keeper saved it bring loud groans from the Relics touchline. A few minutes later sees Tameside with a similar opportunity with the striker on his own with a one on one with Eddie the Relics keeper, his shot is hit hard giving Eddie no chance – even more groans from the Relics support. half time Relics 0 Tameside 1. The Relics had dominated their first two games, and were on top in this game, It seemed inevitable that the unwritten law of the game would see the Relics hit by a sucker punch and lose the game. The Relics brought on super sub Billy in place of Keiran. He soon made his mark in a tight tussle on the edge of the Tameside area Billy came out with the ball, took it to his left and hit a fine shot left footed into the corner of the Tameside net, what a relief, the Relics had come back to make it 1-1 nand it looked like that would be it. With just a couple of minutes left the foul count was going up, and the Relics were first to commit the 4-foul penalty. The Tameside spot kick was struck hard to Eddie’s right hand side to give Tameside the lead again. Surely they would hold on for the last minute. But the pressure was too much and Tameside got pulled up for another running offence, penalty to Relics. the Tameside keeper got his hand to John Wardle’s shot but he couldn’t keep it out, Crazy scenes on the Relics side line as the fans can’t believe it Relics come back again to snatch a point.
Final Score Relics 2 Tameside 2

Well played to all the Relics ; Eddie (gk), Dave Morris, Bill Horton, Joe Cohen, Keiran Tilley, John Wardle, Chris Vickers, Pat Fitzgerald

A one off caption competition for the photo, no prize, just for fun.

Stripes suffer soaking

11th September 2025
O60’s Stripes
Manager Ken Biggie

Squad:

Mike Bartram ( C )
Keith Gillespie ( GK )
Steve Hassall
Andy Richardson
Alan Blackley
Never Kitchen ( hope that’s spelled correctly)
Pete Schevtschenko
Danny Mitton

The day started on a sad and solemn note with the pre-game announcement that a fellow walking footballer had succumbed to blood cancer at the age of 62.

His name was Gilson Rogers. Known to his friends as Gilly. He played his football mainly at the Bolton Arena facility. I played against Gilly a few times and he was one of those players who was very comfortable on the ball, it was obvious from his interactions with other players that he was well liked and respected and he came across as a very thoughtful person. When not playing he would go out of his way to support his teammates and always had a few choice words of advice when they were playing crap 😊. He was a proud Welshman and was part of the Welsh National Walking Football Squad.

A lovely man who will be sadly missed.

Gilson “Gilly” Rogers 

Bury’s first game was against Salcom.
Substitute-Alan.

This was a fast game that Salcom had control of for the most part but there were notable performances from Bury players. Pete “ Velcro “ was on top form beating his man early on as Salcom tried to push high up the pitch Pete neatly sidestepped and executed a lovely pass up front to Andy who was on good form himself using his trademark “ round the corner “ technique to lay balls off for Nev and Dan but only one shot on target which was supplied by Nev but not enough power to trouble the keeper.

Bury picked up three infringements out of nowhere that had all the crowd baffled (the term “ crowd “ might be considered exaggeration but remember three’s a crowd). Bury then picked up another infringement which in typical Heywood mathematical terms added up to a total of … yup…. three…. the crowd said nothing 😊.

Salcom did most of the attacking and managed four shots two of which were on target, Keith Gillespie as usual was superb saving at full stretch with both hands and feet. 

Bury were a little slow in closing down the shots but luckily Keith was alert to the danger. 

The heavens absolutely opened half way through this match first with rain in bucketfuls then hailstones everyone soldiered on to a fair goalless draw. 

Bury 0 Salcom 0
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The second match was against Ribble Valley
Substitute Nev.

Proper back and forth game this with Ribble edging it , lots of shots from both teams.

Keith again saving the day with seven superb saves some from point blank and at full stretch.

Andy again having a great game with good hold up play and superb layoffs to Al who had a couple of shots one of which on target, Al returning the favour for Andy who also had two shots one of which on target. Mike was busy with some neat footwork but couldn’t get a shot on target. Ribble had seven shots all on target Bury had six shots two of which on target. Played well really against a strong Ribble team, some very nice passing moves throughout.

Bury 0 Ribble Valley 0
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Third match against Bolton Arena.
Substitute Pete.

Statistics don’t always reflect the game… but….in this case….Bury had two shots none on target ,  Bolton had nine shots four on target.

Tough game again in absolutely horrendous weather … rain… more rain and then some. The crowd had to abandon brollies due to lightning… and really it should have been called off at that moment. 

Keith as you may recall had a statue erected of him after his last game against Bolton…. ( in my mind at least) he was on top form again saving at absolutely full stretch on several occasions . Bolton are very tricky with ex-professionals on their team but a combination of Keith’s agility and Al’s timely blocks seemed to be enough to frustrate the Bolton strikers but alas a momentary lapse in concentration was Bury’s undoing, Bolton had the ball deep in Bury’s half to the right of the box, two Bury players facing but nobody closing down the shot… the Bolton player took his shot which was buried in the far corner of the net , Keith with little chance against a powerful shot coming through bodies blocking his sight. 
Bury did rally towards the end but to no avail.

Bury 0 Bolton Arena 1
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Fourth match against Rochdale Strollers
Substitute Andy.

The sight of Danny trying his best to squeeze out the excess water from his shorts kind of summed up the mood at this point….. the match kicked off and Rochdale had an early shot off target, Ian McKinnon had wisely abandoned his umbrella earlier on due to lightning… I rather foolishly trying to protect my notebook kept my umbrella up…. but not for long….. an almighty crack of thunder and a huge bolt of lightning narrowly missing the nearby church steeple saw me throw my brolly away along with everyone else on all the other pitches doing the same thing… the officials finally called the whole thing off … match abandoned..  and a collective sigh of …. “ thank f**k for that “
Perhaps a fitting end to the day that the weather was  reminiscent of a typical day in the Welsh mountains and valleys .
Perhaps Gilly was having a laugh at our expense 
Nice one Gilly … Rest In Peace ❤️

GMWFL Sep 2025 – Tough day for Relics 60’s whites

4th Sept 2025
Relics over 60’s Whites started the winter schedule of games aiming to get up the league. Today’s games were tough, but The Relics were not really out played in any of the 5 games, they were just short of fire power in front of goal, only scoring one goal on the day.

Fleetwood
The Relics nearly made the dream start. Tony G carried the ball from his own half, past half way, before laying off a superbly weighted pass to Ian McK on the right who smacked the ball first time, the shot smacked into the Fleetwood post and out of play. Superb play by the Relics. The Relics continued to press with good efforts on goal from Graham, Keith S, and Steve. at the other end Ed didn’t have too much to do with only a couple of efforts from Fleetwood.
Final score Relics 0 Fleetwood 0

Wakefield
Next game was another tough one for the Relics against Wakefield who were four places above above them at the start of the day. Ed, in the Relics, goal was outstanding saving four shots from Wakefield before the Relics got going. Wakefield were on top open the last few minutes and scored a spectacular twist and shot which Ed had no chance with.
Final score Relics 0 Wakefield 1

Blackpool
This game was going to be as tough as it gets as Blackpool were sitting 5 points clear at the top of the league. Following another superb save from Ed the ball fell nicely to the Blackpool striker who hammered it in from the edge of the box. Things were not looking good for the Relics. The Relics fought back and the rest of the game was to and fro, but no more goals.
Final Score Relics 0 Blackpool 1

Manchester Old Boys
Manchester Old Boys were 10 points above the Relics in the table at the start of the day, so another tough ask. Old Boys scored about half way through the game, but that then brought out the best of the Relics who put the pressure on the Old Boys but without any reward.

Final score Relics 0 Manchester Old Boys 1

Winstanley Walkers
Final game of the day for the Relics and it’s Winstanley Walkers another tough ask against previous champions, but its the Relics putting on the pressure. first shot came from Winstanley, after that it was all Relics. A blast from Keith Swain took a nick off a Winstanley defender and wrong footed the keeper to put The relics 1 nil up. A great shot and a rare goal for Keith the bookie. The Relics played for time keeping and possession to finish with a fully deserved win.
Final score Relics 1 Winstanley 0

A tough day for the Relics, but good performances from the squad another day results could have been very different
Squad :- Ed (gk), Graham (Cpt), Ian McK, Kev A, Keith S, Kev B,Tony G, Steve M.

From Swiss Cheese to Super Saves: The over 70s Saga Continues

Bury Relics over 70s September 2025 match report
Bury Relics Over-70s have had a resilient and impressive Spring 2025 campaign in the Greater Manchester Walking Football League, marked by disciplined defending and steady progress. After a shaky start in March, they quickly found their rhythm, going unbeaten in April and conceding no goals. May brought crucial wins and standout performances, especially from Graham and goalkeeper Ed, while June saw them draw three tight matches and edge out Winstanley with a vital 1-0 win. Bob and Jomo have also had a big influence on the good form of the over 70s. Now close on points at the top of the table, the Relics are poised for a thrilling title run-in, driven by teamwork, tactical bravery, and a few flashes of magic.

Bury Relics vs. Manchester Corinthians
As I was late to this fixture, I had to learn from several witnesses and rely on my own ingenuity to produce a report for this match. It was punctuated by a pivotal incident that led to the Corinthians goal. In what can only be described as the most cataclysmically unfortunate moment of the millennium, the Bury Relics’ defence committed a pass so misplaced it could’ve used a satnav. The ball rolled gently into no-man’s land, where a lurking Corinthians attacker pounced with the speed of a caffeinated cheetah, intercepting and unleashing a shot that was less “top bins” and more “top heartbreak.” The goal—scored with the precision of a laser-guided missile—sealed a 1-0 defeat that felt like the most soul-crushing, morale-melting loss in walking football history. As one fan muttered, “Why did the football team go to the bank? To get their goalie back.” And after that pass? “They’re considering renaming the defence ‘Swiss cheese’—because it’s full of holes.” Note: This was the best I could do with the information I was provided with.
Result; Bury Relics 0 – 1 Manchester Corinthians

Bury Relics vs. Tameside
In a match that crackled with intensity from the first whistle, Bury Relics launched straight into attack mode, with Jomo forcing a sharp save from the Tameside keeper within seconds—so quick, even the stopwatch needed a warm-up. But football’s pendulum swung fast, and Tameside nearly stole the lead when their striker wriggled free and struck a shot that beat Alan but clanged off the post like a doorbell at a haunted house. The rebound fell kindly, but the follow-up was sliced wide—cue the first dad joke: “He hit that so far off target, the ball applied for a passport.” The game settled into a rhythm of slick passing and tactical jousting, and it was nice to see Stuart playing in Tameside’s midfield. Despite a few more chances—including Ray’s elegant turn and shot just wide, and Ken’s blocked efforts—the scoreboard refused to budge. Jomo, meanwhile, was everywhere: intercepting, sprinting, and unleashing a rocket that zipped past the post like it had somewhere better to be. As the final whistle blew on a high-speed, high-quality goalless draw, one thing was clear: “This match had more movement than my dad trying to find the TV remote.”
Result; Bury Relics 0 – 0 Tameside

Bury Relics vs. Rochdale
Bury Relics kicked off with intent, and it was Jomo again unleashing a long-range effort early on—only for Ken to accidentally block it like a defender auditioning for the opposition. Alan then produced a save so sharp it could slice toast: a lightning-fast left-hand extension to deny a Rochdale rocket, without the theatrics of a Hollywood dive. “That save was so smooth, even butter took notes.” The game flowed end to end, with Gerry getting a shot off from a well-worked free-kick, and Jomo nearly bending one into the top corner—missing by nanometres, which in football terms is basically quantum heartbreak. Rochdale’s pace down the wing earned them a puzzling free-kick, but it came to nothing. Ken held the ball up brilliantly, though passed back when he had more time than a snooze button. Then came the moment: Bob intercepted, Jomo exchanged passes with Gerry, and with a cheeky glance, slotted the ball past the scrambling keeper—1–0 to the Relics. Rochdale responded with siege-level pressure, but Alan stood firm, making save after save that will have Ed nervously eyeing his jersey. “Alan’s gloves were so hot, they’re being investigated for arson.” Bob nearly added a second with a clever chip, but the power didn’t match the placement. A good game and a fair result, with Relics having a slightly higher number of shots.
Result; Bury Relics 1 – 0 Rochdale

Bury Relics vs. Winstanley
This clash between Bury Relics and Winstanley was a tactical tug-of-war wrapped in high-quality walking football. Winstanley fired the first warning shot wide, but Relics responded with a slick multi-pass move that ended with John W unleashing a thunderbolt—only for the keeper to stand firm like a brick wall in boots. Bob earned a well-deserved pat on the back after a heroic interception, and moments later, found himself the lone defender in a 2-on-1 break. But Bob was colossal, snuffing out danger like a fire extinguisher at a barbecue. “He read that attack so well, he’s now banned from the library for finishing all the books.” JW nearly broke the deadlock with a blistering left-foot strike, but the keeper’s undercarriage got just enough on it to send it wide—“That save was so cheeky, it should’ve come with a parental advisory.” Winstanley’s silky footwork nearly produced a stunner, and Relics responded with a gorgeous four-pass sequence ending in a blocked Gerry shot. As Winstanley pressed, the Relics’ backline—Bob, Peter T, and John W—held firm with crunching tackles, clever positioning and canny passes. Bob had a chance from a free-kick but launched it into orbit, possibly earning frequent flyer miles. Ken’s late effort was classy but denied, and with two late subs, the game fizzled out into a fair 0–0 draw. This game was full of flair, grit, and skill, to keep the fans enthralled (I know I was).
Result; Bury Relics 0 – 0 Winstanley

Summary
The Bury Relics have had a rollercoaster of a day across these four fixtures, showcasing mettle, debonair flair, and a few moments we’d probably like to forget. They suffered a narrow defeat to Corinthians but bounced back to beat Rochdale, both these games decided by single goals—one from a defensive blunder and the other from a sublime Relics move. Against Tameside and Winstanley, the Relics held firm in high-tempo, end-to-end battles that ended in goalless draws, with standout performances from Jomo, Bob, Peter T, and Alan keeping the scoreboard clean. To inject a bit of comedy, “The defence was so generous at times, they’re now being considered for charity status.” And “One shot was so wide, it’s now listed on Airbnb as a weekend getaway.” Oh Dear 😊. All in all, a good day with a mixed bag of results, but plenty of promise in the performances to show Relics are still in with a shout of winning the league. The players and management performed well, and all contributed positively to the 5 points attained today; well done Bury Relics.

Players: Alan B (GK), Jomo (C), Ray, Gerry, Ken Bu., Peter T, John W and Bob.
Manager and staff: Pat, Keiren and Keith S.
Fans: Keith B, Dave M, Dr. John and others.
Dr. John contributed to making this report.

England Debut for Graham

Huge congratulations to Relics stalwart, Graham Walton, who made his debut for the England Walking Football team at the Maureen Evans International Memorial Cup, which was held at the Neath sports centre, on Sunday 24th August 2025. There were 3 age categories: 60s -65s-70s and he played for the Over 70’s in a triangular competition against Wales and Ireland. 

Each team played twice against each other and England won the 70s Tournament after their two draws against Wales and two wins against Ireland was followed by Ireland beating Wales in their last game. Unusually, Graham didn’t score but hit the post twice and laid on 2 goals. When asked about the experience the master of understatement said “it was a good day played with and against some good footballers”.

Over 60 Stripes Put On A Show

Bury Relics Over 60 Stripes concluded the first half of their Greater Manchester Division 2 Walking Football league campaign in match week 4. A squad of 8 were selected of Keith (GK), Ken Bo, Mike, Mark T, Steve H, Iain, Mark E and Andy. Pat was Manager and Eddy, Kev and Neville, were in attendance on a dry and humid day. 

First up were Claret Casuals with Ken and Mark E starting on the bench. It started evenly with Andy driving in a long shot to the keeper’s midriff and Keith making a good save from the Casuals dangerous frontman. We gained the ascendancy by passing neatly and good interplay between the forward trio of Mike, Iain and Andy. Another long shot from Iain whizzed past the post. Then Steve won the ball at the back, strode forward over the halfway line and hit a good shot which the keeper cleared with his feet for a kick in. We were on top now and a lovely crossfield pass from Iain put Mike in on the keeper; he chose to stroke it first time across the keeper but it slid past the far post. Casuals took heart from this and began getting into our half more. A very timely block from Mark T sent a strong shot out and from the resulting corner they fashioned a chance which Keith cleanly dealt with superbly. This warning shot kickstarted us back into action. Firstly, Mark T was set up after a good move between Mike and Andy which he hit hard but high over the bar. Then a beautiful pass from Andy put Iain in 1 on 1 on the goalie, he did everything right but couldn’t get it past a despairing dive. We finished strongly with another fantastic forward move culminating in an Iain shot which was blocked just before the final whistle. An entertaining but frustrating, 0-0 draw.

Next up were Preston North End with Mark T and Iain starting on the bench. We started where we left off from in the previous match when Steve H won the ball at the back and threaded a pass up to Mike who smacked it low and hard against the post. The attacking tone was set when Mark E took possession, strode forward with the ball and played a diagonal ball to Mike in space, he took one touch and drilled it across the goal towards the bottom corner. It looked a certain goal but their keeper dived low to his right to make an excellent save with his outstretched hand onto the post again! Then Andy skilfully intercepted a waist high ball at the edge of the box and absolutely lashed it on the half volley towards the goal, unfortunately it was straight at the keeper who palmed it out as it knocked him off his feet. A high octane start but the Lilywhites have been the Stripes bogey team over the last few years and always pose problems no matter the match situation. As we piled forward it left space when we lost possession and they had the next 2 chances, firstly Keith turned a good shot round the post and then from a breakaway they rattled the bar which was a real let off. We continued pushing unabashed and Mark E shot across goal just past the post followed by another Steve H long shot which the keeper dealt with well. It wasn’t all one way traffic though and Keith had to pull off another great save as they countered. As we entered the last few minutes we kept looking for all 3 points and we forced a couple of corners. On the first Andy produced a great bit of movement to get himself free and when the ball was played to him he thundered it just over the bar. On the second Mark E played it short to Ken who slipped it into a free Mike who went high this time only for the goalie to tip it over the bar for another blinding save with the ref blowing for full time before the resulting kick in could be taken. Phew! An incident packed 0-0, both keepers were faultless with Mike ruing a possible hat trick evading him by inches.

Third up were Wakefield with Andy and Steve starting on the bench. Although we had drawn our first two games Pat was buoyant with how we had played and implored the players to keep the excellent level up in a fantastic team talk which banished any doubts that the squad may have had due to our lack of goals. The first chance fell to us as Mike returned the compliment to Ken with a little threaded pass but again it went past the post. The second chance fell to Wakefield’s diminutive maestro who turned on a sixpence at the edge of the D and shot it low and hard across Keith into the bottom corner. This was the pivotal moment not only of the game but the day. Were we going to burst like a ballon or fight like tigers? Roared on from the sidelines by Andy and Steve our heads did not drop. We got straight back up from the canvas and poured forward in continuous waves. Mike had a turn and shot which the keeper saved then Mark E really grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. He had a strong shot blocked for a corner, then a Cruyff turn and shot had the goalie scrambling followed by a GOAL! Finally, after a plethora of opportunities throughout the day we scored and it was well worth the wait. A great move started off by Iain after he won the ball in the middle of the park and he moved it on to Mark T who had cleverly moved forward as soon as we regained possession, he played it first time up to Mark E who had time and space, he took his time and used that space to stroke it confidently past the keeper in to an inviting corner. A mixture of relief and delight in equal measure at breaking our duck erupted from the Relics support and squad. The goal was needed and confidence flowed as we did not let up. Good interplay led to more shots on target from Iain, Mike and Mark T. Wakefield’s second and final chance saw a carbon copy attempt of their goal but a vital Mark T block prevented them taking the lead against the run of play. Iain then really stepped up towards the end, firstly setting Mark E free to walk it in and put it under the goalie for his second goal and secondly to intercept the ball in his own half, cooly walk it up and fire it into the bottom corner to seal a tremendous 3-1 victory.

Our final match versus Rochdale Striders saw Ken and Mike on the bench. Striders started well making Keith earn his biscuits with 2 quality saves. We replied through Mark E and another Steve H long shot as a much tighter game played out with Striders defending doggedly. Our best chance came towards the end when Steve H found Andy who gloriously turned it into’s Iain’s path who was now 1 on 1 with the keeper but was denied by a brilliant save.

Pat the Manager commented – “Thanks everyone who played today. Great team performance. Without some good goalkeeping by the opposition and post’s 😉 we were deserving of more points. Great support on the sidelines which makes managing the team a pleasure. Talk me through those goals Mark E  and Iain 🤗 “

This was my first chance of the season to report on the Stripes and was hugely impressed by not only the quality of their football and how they try to play it but more importantly by their tremendous team spirit and camaraderie. This was truly epitomised on the day by Neville’s attendance, support and encouragement – what a great club man he is. 

19 shots on target, 3 goals and 6 points for the Stripes were the statistics of the day. The story however is no matter how much beautiful football you play it is very, very difficult to score goals at Heywood and you don’t always get your just reward. If the squad can convert a higher proportion of chances to goals they have a shot at promotion as they are only 6 points behind at the halfway point of the season, if not, they should finish comfortably mid table.

A Scotch Ian report

Bury Community Football and Bury Relics go to Whitehaven

Whitehaven friendly tournament
Date; Whitehaven, June 3rd 2025

Background
A man called Richard turned up one Tuesday at the Castle for game of walking football and asked if Bury Community Football would be interested in a friendly with some players from Whitehaven. So, on the 26th of February 2025 we played a 5-team league format friendly at the Castle. The league consisted 5 teams, with 3x coming from Bury. Bury Black Bibs managed to top the league after winning all games, but it was very close, with Whitehaven’s top team, who won all except the Black Bibs, just being beaten by a single goal. After, we went to the Jewel in the Crown for tea. It was a very good day of football, played in a friendly manner; it was great to meet the Whitehaven lads. Picture shows the team photo from the Bury Tournament.

Return leg in Whitehaven
As a consequence, since the Whitehaven lads had made considerable effort to make a long trip to Bury from Whitehaven, we thought we’d return the gesture and take a couple of teams to Whitehaven. Ergo, on the 3rd of June 2025, a combined set of players from Bury Relics and Bury Community Football, took a mini-bus and a car to Whitehaven, which was 17 players in total (15 on the bus, 2 in the car). The outward journey was punctuated by a visit to a very nice service station called Tebay services (I think it’s won awards) for breakfast, which was subsidized by Ramsbottom Rotary (see below). It was an interesting breakfast as I learnt about Cuddy’s Cheese that apparently used to be sold at Tebay, and Dave bought himself a magic carpet. Additionally, following a fuel up of the grey matter, the remaining part of the journey involved a 50-question classic sports quiz. When I was setting it, I was thinking it could be simple for the sporting geniuses that were along on the trip, but I got many groans of this being difficult. From all the teams of 2, it looked like Phil and Dave B, Mark and Keith T (#1028) and Mike and Ian were the favourites. This was emphasized when one of the teams started to brag as they finished while all the other teams were half way through theirs. As it turned out, the said team had missed out the last 2 pages and didn’t win as a result. Phil and Dave B came a commendable 2nd place on 33 points, while Mark E and Keith T (#1028) won with 36 points (well done). Photo shows Keith T (#1028) and myself taking a selfie on the minibus.

Guided tour of Whitehaven Harbour
On arrival in Tesco’s Super store in Whitehaven, we were met by Richard, who had kindly planned a tour of Whitehaven Harbour. On reflection, afterwards, we were thinking this was a strategy to tire us out, as it involved climbing a huge stone staircase. It’s not an ideal thing to do, just after 3 hours in a minibus 😊. Anyway, the tour was excellent, with great scenery and an interesting narrative from Richard. Some of us did an alternative walk on a beach, which was also good. Note; if we go back to Whitehaven, we can get a game of beach cricket in, as this beach is close and we could do both football and quick game of cricket. Photos show the harbour and the steep steps Richard made most of us climb.

Football games
On to the football stadium, where we were warmly welcomed by Phil and Nige, and all the players of Whitehaven. Whitehaven had prepared a nice spreadsheet of the football format for the day, which was similar to the Bury friendly, with a league format consisting of 5 teams. This time Whitehaven had 3 teams and Bury the 2. Each team played each other once, with the winners of the league format being Whitehaven team 1. Well done for winning the league. The league finished as; 1st place Whitehaven 1 won 3 and drawn 1 = 10 points, 2nd place Bury 1 won 2 and drawn 2 = 8 points, 3rd place Whitehaven 2 won drawn 1 and lost 1 = 7 points, Whitehaven 3 team and Bury 2nds both drawn 1 lost 3 each = 1 point.

Since the top 2 teams were not tired enough, they decided to have a one-off “FA Cup” final. This was an incredibly tight game, with Whitehaven throwing the kitchen sink at Bury, who were defending for their lives. It was not all one-way traffic though as Bury had attacks of their own on the break, and, as it’s like in professional football, it takes something special or individual genius to break the deadlock. Youth team player Craig scored a wonder goal for Bury to win it, taking the ball inside a defender and hitting an unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner. A fabulous goal. I think he’s still smiling now 😊.

A selection of photos including a mass team photo of everyone.

In summary
In my small opinion, the football was great from both sets of players. Notably, for Whitehaven, from what I saw, Richard scored at least 5 good goals, with good build up play from Geordie, one-touch give and go football from all that team. In the first game, Bury 1 were under extreme pressure, with Pat making some great saves. It was a great point for Bury to draw that game, a bit fortunate. Whitehaven’s other teams were also strong, with awesome individual skills from Kate (Lenor Messi) and her supporting cast. Whitehaven’s 3rd team played well and scored on the day, which was great.

Bury players were also fabulous; Pat in goal didn’t concede all day, Keith S was top scorer for Bury with 5 I think, Pete S, Tony G, Mark E, Craig and Ian made up a very strong Bury 1 team. Bury’s second team played well too but were probably undone by the physicality of tournament football. Despite this, Phill did a sterling job of leading the team, with Alan in goal making multiple good saves, Mike, Keith B, Watford Mark, Dave B, Keith Hamblett and John Hamblett, Keith T, John H and John (Leeds fan) all made useful contributions to the team. Dave B did not leave his most feared left foot at home, who scored 2 sublime goals that were similar, both top corner screamers. One was against the winners of the league, Whitehaven 1, but they were winning 6-0 at the time 😊. Well done to all the players.

Hospitality and great attitude of all
Whitehaven’s friendliness and hospitality were great and there was no confrontations or heated disagreements about any of the football. The facilities with showers, changing rooms and a bar were good. Richard, Phil and Nige did a great job of organizing the event and a Curry to be delivered to the bar, which was delicious. Thanks to Richard’s wife who served behind the bar, when the bar staff didn’t turn up (and also helped serve food). Everyone enjoyed the football and the food afterwards. It was a great day out. Thank you very much to Whitehaven people. Thanks to all from Bury players too, who had a positive and helpful attitude on the day.

Acknowledgements to others:
Colin Whaley with his minibus was excellent. Most importantly, he was punctual, helpful and a safe driver, whilst been quick enough to be prompt. At no time did we feel unsafe and he was very helpful if someone wanted something from the luggage boot and also stopped whenever we wanted to. We recommend Colin and his minibus company to anyone for a day trip, he was fabulous. See CW Exec Travel.

The VCFA and Ramsbottom Rotary. When I was organizing this trip, I was worried we would not get 16 people to fill the coach, and so I asked Anne and Katherine from the VCFA if I could get some money to make seats cheaper for everyone, so better attract people. Katherine kindly put me in contact with Kevin from Ramsbottom Rotary Club and he supplied me with Duck Race Tickets. I managed to sell 150 worth and that subsidized the trip. As we sold all 16 seats on the bus in the end, we used the surplus to buy breakfast at Tebay Services on the M6. Even Colin the driver got in on the act. So, a big thank you very much to Anne and Katherine of the VCFA (VCFA site) and Kevin from Ramsbottom Rotary Club (website) for that.

Photos by Ian, Watford Mark, Craig, Richard and Dr. John.
Report by Dr. John.

Photo memories of the trip

Over 75s top dogs extend their lead

Date; June 25th 2025
A humid day but not blazing sunshine, was at Heywood for matchday 4 of the over 75s league. And for my dad joke; what animals takes the most risks? Lambs, they always like a gambol. To the football….

Bury Relics vs. Invincibles
The first team up for the Relics are the Invincibles and it appears they have loaned some Bolton players, that includes an England international. Interestingly, there is “swagger” style coming into walking football, as one player has a pair of shorts that has one leg shorter than the other, possibly cut-off purposely. I speculate, scientifically, to give more oxygen and hence power, to his shooting leg muscles. The game kicks-off and the Relics are passing and moving with great energy, notably John W, who is attacking all space, waiting for a pass that just eluded him. On Relics next attack down the left, the same John turns, shoots and there is the sound of a reverberating fence (it’s just wide). Immediately, Invincibles go down the other end, a long-range toe-bung and a great save from Eddy; he has to drop down to his knees and saves the ball with his thigh, a brilliant save. It’s now Relics turn to attack again, and Keiren receives a pass without realizing he has time to turn and shoot. However, his layoff is good one and a powerful shot comes in but a defender blocks it. Relics regain possession and Bob has a long-range strike that is put out for a corner. Then John W gets the ball out wide and literally sprints past his defender; I am waiting for a whistle to sound but it does not come and John shoots wide. Then a moment of genius by the same man. John W receives a pass with his back to goal, a good 5 yards away from the area with a defender in close proximity. He turns his man, gets about a yard wide of him and shoots, low and hard to the left of the keeper, what a great goal. Bury Relics go 1–0 up, with a fantastic goal. The Invincibles try to immediately respond, using long-range artillery of the toe-bung, which are always unpredictable. Eddy makes a good save from it and the subsequent play is another shot from the right-hand side of Eddy’s goal, he saves again out for a corner. The game has definitely got more Harrison Ford, or Frantic, for those not familiar with his movies, since Wardle scored. From the corner, an Invincible player absolutely power-hoofs a shot out of the ground; it seems internationals can also miss the target 😊. The first half ends with Relics having the better quality, with John W being on fire. A good half with a great goal to lead 1-0.

The second half is a battle, with Invincibles now laying siege to the Relics goal. Dave and John W play a good one-two on the edge of the area, with the former making a great dummy, to let the ball roll back to Eddy (but not sure he meant that). Bob has been tenacious from the start but his tackle is marginally late to give a foul to Invincibles, a free-kick 4 yards from the area. No problem though, as Relics defend well and while Invincibles did have the opportunity to shoot, they were just to slow in execution. Next, a running offence by JW and the free-kick is quickly taken but there is a lucky ricochet to a Relics player, Salcom John B, who, in a flash, is clear up-front and he precisely finishes passed a bemused keeper, who was just wondering what biscuits the league would be providing today. The keeper did well to get a hand to it in his moment of shock but that was an unexpected attack and goal to the Relics. Now 2-0 but with Relics currently on 3 fouls. Invincibles shoot quickly from the kick-off but easy for Eddy, then their next attack was good, with their striker finding space. The shot is not great and Eddy can save. The next passage of play leads to a Relics 4th foul. It was a soft foul but I think it’s tough been a ref as Relics complain. In any case, it is a penalty that is expertly dispatched, high to the left, with Eddy having no chance. The Invincibles are back in it at 2-1 but with plenty of encouragement from the side-lines, Relics manage the game out for a superb 2-1 win.
Result; Bury Relics 2 – 1 Invincibles

Bury Relics vs. Rochdale
Due to dodgy tech, my voice recording disappeared. In summary, Bury Relics had good possession from kick-off with 14 passes around the team but unfortunately, it does not lead to a Relics goal, as possession is lost. Rochdale respond and are more direct; after 2 passes their striker has a shot that is well saved by Eddy. Bob is on form again and is given the task of marking their striker, who regularly scores when I watch at Heywood. He does get a couple of shots away but both are saved by Eddy, so apart from them Bob, and on occasion Dave, keep him quiet. Bob’s anticipation was on the mark as he intercepted 2 Rochdale attacks by predicting the pass and then launching raids on the Rochdale goal. John W was battling hard, being a ferocious competitor, which is good. However, in his enthusiasm, he picks up 2 fouls and is consequently substituted. Rochdale edged the first half by the fact they had 4 shots, none of which troubled Eddy but Relics only had one shot that went high and out of the stadium. Ergo, Relics have not tested their keeper yet. Relics vs. Rochdale is 0-0 at half time.

Second half is underway by Rochdale, and a great shot by them as their striker finds a modicum of space down the left and strikes hard. It’s OK for Eddy, who can get behind the power shot to palm it away. There is a screech of a whistle as 2 players take a tumble outside the Rochdale area but there was no malice and the game continues. Relics are battling and defending well, with a blocked shot that rolls the ball back to Eddy. Then one of the Relics gives away a running foul but this kind of running has been happening all day already. Then the Rochdale striker gets a ball in the nose from his own control; he receives a hard pass from a colleague, he controls it and it flicks directly onto the end of his nose (ah, the famous nostril trap, not sure it’s allowed here). Looked painful, and yes, it’s not in the rules, it’s a free-kick to Relics. However, Relics commit another third foul and it’s now a tight-rope for the rest of the game. This leads to conservative play, retaining possession, with regular passes back to Eddy. When Rochdale do regain possession, their #6 in midfield gets the ball but can’t see a subsequent pass, he mulls it over and decides to swivel and shoot. A great effort that just went wide, luckily, it would have been a great goal for them. Then again, another good effort from Rochdale, their striker gets the ball up front and he sets-up a midfielder who strikes hard but just past the top left-hand corner. Very close and another good chance for them. Then Rochdale commit a third foul, so both teams now wary in their play. The game peters out for a goalless draw, with Rochdale probably deserving a split decision win (if it was boxing). Note; Peters out apparently means breaking wind in French, but for me, the game just ran out of gas 😊. Intriguingly, one of the Relics players was approached by a league supremo after this game, reminding them of the tradition of hand-shaking following a games conclusion. From my experience, when you’re shattered after a hectic match and nobody is in front of you with an outstretched hand, it’s easy to accidentally miss that bit out. Definitely not a case of bad sportsmanship on any of our players’ part.
Result; Bury Relics 0 – 0 Rochdale

Bury Relics vs. Tameside
There is an early chance for Bury Relics, where JW intercepts the ball and instantly passes it to Keiren in space. The first touch is a bit heavy, which takes him a bit wider than he wanted, but like all good and seasoned striker, he still made the goalkeeper work with a save of his good shot. In reply, Tameside get down the Relics goal and hit a good and hard shot that is deflected wide for a corner. From the corner comes another shot but it’s wide. Great tenacity by JW, who shadows their winger all the way down the pitch towards the Relics goal, but no inch was given, and the Tameside player ends up making a mistake and possession is back with the Relics. Several passes later, and it’s JW in the action again with a long shot that is saved. Good play by the Relics; Another quick passing move finds Joe in some space and he takes a shot but it’s too high. Relics now come under pressure, under the proverbial Kosh, and some good defending is needed to usher the ball back to Eddy, away from Tameside’s strike force. Then it’s sea-saws in the Relics favour, with some sustained possession and pressure on the Tameside goal but without any clear-cut openings. Bob then thinks he’s Lee Sharpe, and bursts down the wing, but, surprisingly, he’s not quick enough to stop it going out of play. He did say after that he was thinking himself George Best rather than Lee Sharpe in that moment; fair enough. The teams go into the half time break goalless, which is about fair.

There is a terrific start to the second half, with some magic provided by Joe. He receives a pass with his back to goal and pivots quickly before unleashing a thunderbolt toe-bung shot. Only the brilliance of the keeper prevents an excellent Relics goal. Then my dodgy phone goes on the blink again and stops voice recording (well it didn’t save the recording). From memory, this was pretty even, with chances for both teams. After the final whistle, there was definitely a flurry of handshakes, as the management reminded everyone to be gentlemen and to shake hands, and right too.
Result; Bury Relics 0 – 0 Tameside

Bury extend their lead at the top of the league, with a superior points tally of 22 points, 6 ahead of second placed Tameside. The advantage of depth of squad was evident today. Bury were without one of their top performers this season so far in John M but he was replaced by John W who’s today was on fire. In addition, Bill, Joe and John B of Salcom slotted right in, as Kev was not available this time. The young manager Ian M, who’s in his inaugural season as a Bury Relics manager, is doing a tremendous job, encouraging and advising his team throughout the games. If everyone is available next term, he’s going to have to make some difficult decisions on who he leaves out. The entire squad are playing brilliantly. Eddy should get a special mention, he only arrived back from holiday at 4am the day of these fixtures but was still sharp in goal, making a great save on his knees in the first game. Well done to all the Relics, all made a positive contribution to a fairly successful day at the office.

Team: Eddy (GK, C), Dave M, John W, Bob, Keiren, Bill, Joe and John B.
Manager Ian M.
Supporters: Sir Pat, Keith S, John M, Ken Bug, Ken Bon, Keith B and others.
Report by Dr. John.

Photos

65s Stand Ins Stand Out

19th June 2025 Heywood 
Over 65’s
Squad:
Keith Gillespie ( GK )
Graham Walton( C )
Pete Schevtschenko
Alan Blackley
Kevin Amos
Keith Swain
Nev Kitchen 
Andy Richardson

Manager:

Ken Buggie

Pre-match thoughts 

“ It’s hot….. too hot”…..everybody!

First match of this final session before the summer break , it’s the kind of day when sensible people grab an iced drink and find a bit of shade sit back and play spot the cloud. 

There were no sensible people to be found …and thus …caught between the hammer of the sun and the anvil of the plastic pitch …battle commenced at Heywood .

Bury were down to a bare six due to a last minute cancellation but fortunately Nev Kitchen and Andy Richardson were able to turn out for the Relics.

First match up against Bolton Arena.

Substitutes Kev and Nev .

Fast game this with Bolton dominating from the off stringing lots of good passes together, Bury seemed a little punch drunk and were getting dragged around the pitch and Bolton’s striker was soon able to find space to the left of the goal and he slotted it in neatly leaving Keith G not much chance of stopping it.

Bolton were looking to add to their lead and forced Keith G into two wonderful saves. 

The game started to swing a little bit in Bury’s favour with a great on target attempt by Keith S and a good shot by Andy which missed the target.

Gradually Bury began to string some decent passes together despite tight marking from Bolton and Graham found himself just to the right of the Bolton goal with a defender in front of him, he managed a neat shimmy to get round the defender and just managed to toe poke the ball before he was closed down by another defender and it shot like an arrow into the bottom left corner giving the keeper no chance. This was a toe-poke with attitude…great goal.

Not easy coming back from an early goal down and it ended in a creditable draw.

Bury 1      Bolton Arena 1
Bolton had 8 shots 4 of which on target 
Bury had 5 shots 2 of which on target 
Tough game but a decent result.

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Second match up against Preston

Substitutes Keith S and Andy R

Not sure where to start with this game, it was very scrappy with both teams making lots of errors.

However I’m going to start with a statistic, Bury had 7 shots… all of which on target… first time I’ve seen that and to add to the merriment these were the shot takers in order:-
Nev
Kev
Nev
Kev
Kev
Pete
Nev 

So this was basically the Nev and Kev show with a guest appearance from Pete .

This game was all over the show with everyone playing their part in the chaos ( I think Ken had to just look away on several occasions).

Alan picked up two offences for running and so Ken replaced him with Andy ( Alan asked me to point out that he feels he was “ harshly adjudged to have been running “) 

I can’t possibly comment.😊

So…. anyway… the ball is pinging about all over the show with little rhyme or reason and then it just magically appears at Kev Amos’s feet in the opposing half with just one defender badly placed to stop him, Kevin calmly advances towards goal and smashes it past the keeper… GOAL….

Bury then decided to give a masterclass in how not to do game management…. deciding it would add a bit of spice to the proceedings by passing to the Preston players.

This tactic led to a great attempt by Preston whose striker spun and sent a low shot heading towards the bottom right corner , both Ken and I were convinced it was going in but somehow Keith G managed to get down at full stretch to palm it round the post. Preston had three attempts on target but that was the best.

Luckily Preston were still providing opportunities for Bury to score also though most shots weren’t really threatening the keeper, Pete picked up the ball midfield and had a crack which deflected off a defender right back upfield to the feet of their striker 
Pete ended up running back to toe poke the ball from his feet but was adjudged ( not harshly 😊) to have run and I was expecting the worst as I have been blue carded for a very similar incident but fortunately just a free kick was given.

Towards the end Neville ( that’s predictive text at work right there) found himself in a similar situation 
to the one that lead to the goal earlier on… closed in on goal and unleashed a mighty effort heading straight for the top left corner that somehow the keeper just managed to get a hand to . 

Not today Nev….. not today.

Bury 1      Preston 0

Preston had 6 attempts on goal 3 of which on target 
Bury as previously noted had 7 attempts on goal all of which on target.
( sorry for the lack of detail Nev  and Kev on your other attempts… I was so distracted by the way each team seemed determined to pass to their opponents that I was fully expecting everyone to start hugging each other burst into tears and call it a day)
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Third match against Rochdale 

Substitutes Alan and Pete 

This match swayed back and forth with Rochdale having 8 shots on goal 4 of which on target 
Bury had 6 shots on goal 3 on target 
Early doors Keith G made a tremendous save as the ball seemed destined to bury itself into the bottom left corner of the net…. then shortly afterwards at the other end of the pitch a lovely pass from Andy found Nev who unleashed yet another mighty shot only to be denied by the post ( I swear I heard the post give out a little yell of pain … or that might’ve been Nev) .

A free kick to Bury in a decent position saw Andy put the ball over the crossbar…. shortly afterwards Keith S decided to prove that he could also get the ball to go over the crossbar …. way way over the crossbar… over the fence and part of the way into next season…. I think we should put his name down for walking rugby ( don’t worry Keith you weren’t the first and certainly won’t be the last to do that).

Andy had a decent shot blocked then Ken replaced Graham with Alan at the half way point.

Rochdale managed to get a free kick just to the right of centre near Bury’s goal and a bit ( lot ) of confusion ensued resulting in poor marking which gifted Rochdale a free shot to the bottom right corner of the goal… too much for Keith to get to.

Bury were a bit rattled at going a goal down and didn’t really recover… Alan had a lovely shot blocked towards the end of the match but that was all they could muster.

Bury 0      Rochdale 1

6 shots by Bury 3 of them on target 
8 shots by Rochdale 4 of which on target.

Not a match that Bury should have lost.
———————————————————-

Last match up against Corinthians Whites
Substitutes: Keith S and Nev.

5 shots from Corinthians 1 of which on target .
4 shots from Bury 3 of which on target.

The highlight of this game was a lovely move fairly early on in the match. Bury were under a bit of pressure from a decent Corinthians team initially but Andy managed to thread a ball from central midfield to Alan who had moved forward on the right hand side into space which Corinthians seemed a bit blind to as Alan did it a few times , Alan controlled the ball well and neatly side-footed it to Graham who had moved up to a central position in front of the box and Graham did what Graham does and scored a cracking goal wrong footing the keeper.

The rest of the game was a bit sloppy some unnecessary showboating passes going wrong ..poor passing that led to an attempt by Corinthians which fortunately hit the post.

Bury woke up a bit after that and put some good passes together leading to Alan supplying Andy with a great chance which hit the post.

And then….. the ref blew his whistle …and the collective sighs of relief were audible in Whitefield .

A good result for Bury 7 hard earned points. Nice way to end the season.
Everyone had good moments and everyone had bad moments, a bit chaotic at times but highly entertaining if somewhat nerve wracking.

Well done ladies.