5th June 2025
O 60’s Whites at Heywood 
Squad:
Eddie (GK)
Graham (C)
Ian McKinnon 
Ian McCann
Keith Swain
Kevin Amos
Kevin Bates

Manager:
Ken Buggie

Overcast day not too warm or cold.
Pre-match thoughts:

“ where is everyone “? Eddie
“ what time is it”? Ken
“ has somebody lost a radish“? Kev B

A thoroughly professional day begins with Keith lending a player from another team some shorts and socks, who keeps saying “ can I keep these “?
“ No” said Keiran

“ can I keep these”?

“No” said Keiran 

“ can I keep these”?

“”No” said Keiran 

Repeat about another four times… eventually he wanders off then decides to return the shorts having acquired some other shorts from… somewhere. He kept the socks.. for now.

It’s all go at Heywood.

First game against Corinthians 
Substitute: Keith Swain

Bury started strongly, good pressing, incisive passing resulting in a number of attempts on goal.

Ian McKinnon found good space on the edge of the area, went for placement rather than power but the keeper was up to the task.

Ian McCann also had a shot on target  from a good position but again their keeper was on it.

Despite playing the better football Bury got hit with a sucker punch late in the game, Kev B had managed to nullify the attacking threat from the right wing for most of the game but got caught flat footed by a neat one two between their winger and striker which saw the winger home in on goal and slip one past Eddie who managed to get a hand to it but the spin on the ball took it into the net behind him.

Bury had five shots on goal two of which on target, Corinthians in contrast had two shots on goal only one on target but a decisive one.

Frustrating game, but it only takes one good move to win a match in this league and that good move fell to Corinthians in this instance.

Final score 

Bury 0             Corinthians 1

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Second game up against Bolton
Substitute Kev B

This was a good tight game which could easily have gone either way, Bolton have a very strong side but Bury took them to task pressing high which created a bit of panic for the Bolton players as I think they’re used to teams sitting back against them, pressure from Graham led to him intercepting an attempted clearance by a Bolton defender. Graham then being through on goal feigned a shot and put their keeper on the floor he then moved sideways and chipped the ball towards the net but Bolton’s keeper did something I’ve seen him do on multiple occasions and just raised his long arm ( editor’s note… he has two long arms…and legs) and deflected the ball to safety. 

Shortly afterwards Ian Mc Cann had an opportunity on the edge of the area but again the keeper saved it. Then Keith Swain found himself in a similar situation on the other side of the area after a great pass from Graham but again their keeper saved it. You know what’s coming next 🤦‍♂️

Bolton had squandered a few chances themselves with two great saves from Eddie and some dogged defending especially from Kevin Amos but their striker is pretty ruthless and difficult to defend especially when backed up against your own area and eventually he succeeded in bagging two goals in relatively quick succession.

Bury didn’t give up though and kept pressing resulting in a free kick that unfortunately went over the bar from Ian McCann.

Time was against Bury and they were unable to capitalise on their attacking chances.

Bury had six attempts on goal four of which on target, Bolton had five attempts on goal three of which on target.

Final score 

Bury 0    Bolton 2

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Third game up against Panthers 

Substitute Kevin A

This was a quick physical game lots of running by Panthers leading to catch up running by Bury players just in case the ref didn’t blow his whistle .

The referee was on point however and Panthers quickly accumulated four offences, a combination of running and fouls. 

The resulting penalty fell to Graham but, possibly distracted by the Panthers keeper fluttering his eyelashes provocatively , Graham hit the post ( editors note.. with the ball).

It was fast turning into one of those games.

Shortly afterwards Ian McKinnon found himself in a very similar situation to his shot attempt against Corinthians ( after which Graham advised him to go for power next time) and I swear that even though I was at the other side of the pitch I could hear Graham’s voice reverberating around Ian’s head “ go for power… go for power “ and despite his better judgment sure enough Ian went for power …….and it sailed wide.

Shortly afterwards as if to cement the icing on the cake ( editor’s note… intentional use of mixed metaphors) Graham went for power…. and it sailed wide. 

Now statistically apparently power shots are more likely to beat a keeper… ……………but not today.

Panthers had a number of attempts from distance that didn’t really trouble Eddie.

Bury had five attempts on goal three of which on target Panthers had four attempts on goal three of which on target.

To be honest I can’t remember who had shots on target because playing and reporting at the same time is… challenging. So I’m going to say Keith and… Keith it shall be.

Final score 

Bury 0   Panthers 0

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Final game up against Burnley Clarets

Substitute Ian McKinnon 

( editor’s note… what do they feed them in Burnley…..they’re all built like tanks)?!

That’s my first use of an interrobang ( look it up) so apologies if it’s not strictly correct grammatically.

What can I say about this game… well… based on Ian’s notes in my little orange book…. not very much ( editor’s note… consider yourself told off Ian 😊)

So… first things first….Bury had four attempts on goal one on target, Burnley had five attempts on goal three on target so immediately I can see that Eddie was the star of this show with an especially memorable dive pushing the shot around the post.

Did I mention how big the Burnley players are?!

It was all a bit Olivia Newton John to the point where the referee warned both sides to calm down and be less physical , he rather charitably warned us that henceforth he’d be noting offences having allowed us all to get 
away with murder for the first three minutes.

Burnley pressed hard and deep which prompted Graham to drop back further than usual, to provide an outlet for the potential break Kev B moved up front tying up one of their defenders, because he stayed quite high upfield this yielded a lot of space in the Burnley half which meant that Graham and Keith especially were able to thread the ball through to Kev B , Kev B had three attempts on goal one of which on target , half chances really with tight defending from Burnley. ( did I mention they’re quite big)?

One neat pass from Keith enabled Kev B to set up Graham who had moved forward at this point but unfortunately the shot went wide .

There were some good attacking moves from Bury ..Graham just narrowly failing to thread the ball through the eye of a needle  right at the end of the match.

Ian McCann was busy throughout as usual but forced into a more defensive role due to Burnley pressure. Kevin Amos stalwart as always in defence.

Final score

Bury 0        Burnley Clarets 0 

So two points from four matches, not brilliant, but not the whole story, Bury played well in all the games and it really could have gone the other way in the matches they lost.

But…. that’s football 🥅 ( editor’s note… this is what the nets look like… except they’re a lot smaller than this when you’re trying to score a goal).

Heywood 4th June 2025
On the final day before the summer break the Relics kept themselves in contention for the over 70’s league title with a clean sheet in all four games and 6 points from the days activities.
The squad of Ed, Jomo, Tex, Gerry L, Ray H, Bob D, Ken Buggie, Pete T were on top in all their games and were unlucky not to come away with maximum points.

First game was Corinthians which is always a tough game, but the Relics started well with some neat footwork from Ken on the edge of the box but his shot was saved. Ray then had a fierce shot that the keeper managed to keep out. Ken then tried his hand (well, must have been foot) again, but mishit his shot. It wasn’t all one way traffic and Corinthians had a few chances too but not much to trouble Ed. Gerry nut-megging Corinthians Denis and leaving him twisting himself into the ground trying to see where Gerry went was the highlight. Relics last attempt was a good move from Tex to Ray who’s shot was saved.
Final Score 0 – 0

Tameside were up next, another team in the mix for top spot. Relics dominated play with Gerry testing the keeper early on. Pete & JoMo then had a neat interchange of passing with JoMo’s shot saved. JoMo had his shooting boots on but frustratingly couldn’t beat the keeper with a string of shots. A good defensive display meant that Ed didn’t really have much to do. Final Score 0 – 0

Rochdale were struggling and the Relics were hopeful of three points from this game. Relics started strong with a fierce shot from JoMo that was headed for the top right hand corner but the keeper managed to save it with his left elbow! Komodo was then denied again. Ray then hit a tremendous right foot shot (a beauty for a left footed player) from the left touchline which rattled the far post, which is probably still shaking! Relics didn’t manage to get the ball in the net though. Final Score 0 – 0

Final game of the day was Winstanley who started the day top of the table, 1 point in front of the Relics and a 1 goal advantage on goal difference. It was going to be tough. relics started with a flyer, a free kick was touched to Gerry who smashed the ball low into the net, a great goal. Relics were keeping the ball well, and another chance fell to bob after a run down the right from Tex, a great pass to Bob, who’s first time shot was saved. Another free kick was touched by Ken to Gerry who smashed another shot that the keeper managed to keep out. A great display by the Relics, saving the best for last. Final Score Relics 1 – Winstanley 0

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

First up were Winstanley with Keith S and Alan starting on the bench. We dominated possession throughout with Keith G having no notable saves to make as Shev shackled their tall, dangerous centre forward. We had 5 good shots, 4 from Graham and 1 from Dave but all of them were just past the post and similarly their keeper had no notable saves to make. Kev, Dave, JoMo and Graham played good football to create the chances but we couldn’t make the breakthrough. A frustrating 0-0 draw.

Next up were Panthers with Shev and JoMo starting on the bench. We started well with Graham neatly laying off for Alan to hit a good shot into the side netting. Panthers replied quickly though and a great shot from them forced Keith into a good save which he caught cleanly. The game settled into a midfield stalemate with the difference being that Panthers rapidly got on the 3 fouls mark. The 4^th foul was a long time coming after numerous close calls but eventually it did to give us a chance from the spot. Graham stepped up bravely after a recent miss in the 60s and placed it nicely to the left of the keeper (pictured above). A well taken 1-0 victory.

Our middle game was against Blackpool with Graham and Dave on the bench. After 2 solid performances we began to unravel on a roasting warm day as our players started doing very uncharacteristic things. First off, we left a Tangerine with total freedom in our half, he received the ball and struck a rasper towards the top left hand corner which Keith hurled himself at, John Martin-like, to turn one handed over the bar. Then a nice passing move between JoMo and Alan set Keith S up in a good position, normally he would look to pass it on but this time he hit a great shot which their keeper did well to keep out. The third incident was one of those double whammys when we again left their forward totally free in our half but as the ball was played up to him, all on his lonesome, he moved too quickly whilst taking his shot to notch up their 3^rdfoul rather than first goal. It wasn’t long before they ran again and JoMo stepped up for the penalty. He chose to hit it hard and straight but the keeper stayed upright and batted it away. At this point we were on 1 foul and Ken stated straight after the save “we all know what is coming next, we will gift them a penalty and they’ll score it”. In double quick time he was proved right and the next time the EuroMillions tops £200m I am asking him for the numbers. As soon as Blackpool scored they went into full lead preservation mode and Kev self subbed himself to get Graham on to add to our firepower but to no avail as a late shot from Dave flashed past the post. A very frustrating 1-0 loss.

Our fourth game was against Wakefield with Kev and Alan on the bench. The Yorkshire outfit were always a top team but the addition of dynamic No. 9, Tony Breslin, to their ranks for this season has put them out of sight at the top of the league. They piled forward from the off with Shev putting in a great shift to limit Tony’s chances as they got the ball up to him time after time. Keith G was also working overtime in goal and this game really proved his worth as an addition to the Relics goalkeeping ranks with some outstanding stops to keep us in it. They then scored a brilliant goal when Tony threaded a beautiful pass just a toe’s width in front of the covering Keith S for the long striding Kim to smash first time across Keith G into the net. Sometimes you have just got to hold your hands up and say WOW. Right from the restart, JoMo pulled up and with his injury history Ken whipped him off faster than a Buck’s Fizz skirt to be replaced by Kevin. They kept pushing for the second goal but everyone defended manfully and eventually we got some respite with a couple of breaks forward, the second of which saw a good shot on target from Dave after a lovely pass from Graham. Wakefield could see us clawing our way back and hit back immediately with their second goal, a trademark goal from Tony at the edge of the D, quick feet, pivot, fierce shot with no backlift which flew in off Keith G’s outstretched hand. Some teams would have thrown the towel in at this point but not this resilient Relics outfit as we threw everything we had left at them and admirably won a DOGSO. Graham drilled the penalty home but the Blue card was of no help to us as the ref blew for time immediately on the restart! Is there a case for the extra 4 minutes to be added so that the punishment can be served in full? An exhausting 2-1 loss.

The final game was against Corinthians with no subs available with JoMo injured and Dave having to return to work. This was a game too far for us after 4 tough games in blistering heat and we looked weary, both physically and mentally, from the off. One mistake at the beginning cost us, Keith G threw it out, a piece of miscontrol was pounced upon and the ball hit straight back into our net. After that there was nothing in the game as two too tired teams went through the age old motions of the team 1-0 up holding onto the ball and wasting time whilst the team 1-0 down huffs and puffs trying not to give 4 fouls away as they chase the ball. A yawn inducing 1-0 loss.

An important day as we continue to learn lessons from the new formats and age groups introduced in 2025. Everything is changing but the one constant is the fantastic effort that the players are giving in difficult circumstances.

8th of May 2025 over 60’s Stripes playing at Heywood 

Manager  Ken ( don’t blame it on the sunshine, don’t blame it on the moonlight , don’t blame it on the good time , blame it on the) Buggie

Squad:

Mike Bartram  (C)
Keith Gillespie (GK)
Andy Richardson
Steve Hassall
Ken Bond
Iain Dawson
Nev Kitchen 
Will Scott
Mark Evans

Will Ken survive if his team don’t perform? Is the Board behind him ?
Will the fans kick off? Will he be walking tall at Friday’s session?

Pre-match thoughts from the totally unbiased match reporter…

“ it’ll be great you’re going to play fantastic football “

An overcast day neither too hot nor too cold , a slight breeze.
Perfect conditions for football.

First match up against Salcom

Substitutes: Nev, Mike, Ken

This started off pretty even with lots of back and forth and neither team seeming to dominate, looked to be settling into a cat and mouse game but then after about 5 minutes Andy collected the ball from Will who had managed to get it upfield tight to the left hand line, from what looked at first like an unpromising position Andy somehow managed to weave the ball slightly more central against a tight marking defender and unleashed a beautiful shot that gave the keeper no chance… one nil and you could feel a surge of positivity ripple through the adoring fans on the sideline.

Andy decided against a knee-slide celebration and just gave us all a big grin instead. 

Great goal.

It was almost two nil shortly after when Andy placed an inch perfect pass to Mark from the left hand side as Mark moved in on the right and Mark let loose a tremendous strike which thundered against the post.

Ste also had a good effort saved when he struck from distance with power and accuracy.

However the momentum of the game shifted considerably with Salcom dominating possession and what felt like a bit of panic seeping in to Bury’s players, poor marking leading to lots of shots having to be dealt with by Keith in nets, Mark made a great block towards the end on the edge of the area, it nearly all unravelled when a great save from Keith resulted in a rebound falling at the feet of a Salcom player who just needed to tap it in but he swung wildly at it and it spiralled off into the distance much to the relief of Bury players and staff alike.

At the other end of the pitch shortly after Will performed some beautiful footwork to create space for himself resulting in a good shot on goal well saved by their keeper.

Thankfully the referee blew the final whistle as that was as much excitement as we could cope with so early on plus I was running out of space to write it all down. 

A great start , good win 

Bury 1   Salcom 0

I told them to tone it down in the next game as I was running out of paper.

Both teams had seven attempts on goal.
Bury had 3 on target Salcom had 5 on target. Good match.

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Second match against Ribble Valley

Substitutes: Ste, Iain, Will

This was a tough game, the stats speak volumes …

Bury had 4 attempts 3 on target 
Ribble Valley had 11 attempts 6 on target .

Both Andy and Mark had good shots on target saved well by the opposition keeper, Mike and Nev played well in midfield and Ken was stalwart in defence but as the game progressed Ribble just kept piling the pressure on.

Keith made several great saves but Bury just couldn’t break past the press and eventually Ribble scored from a corner and could have had two but for the post. 

Right at the death Bury had a breakaway chance with Andy supplying Mike in a good position but he got closed down before he could convert and then the whistle went.

Very difficult game against strong opponents.

Bury 0   Ribble Valley  1

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Third match up against Bolton 
Substitutes: Mike, Mark, Andy

Even with one of their best players on the bench Bolton had a formidable team on the pitch and an ex Man City player as a manager, this was looking ominous.

To get a true sense of how this game went I’ll start with the stats.
Bolton had 12 attempts on goal 9 of which were on target.

Bury decided to give Bolton’s keeper a rest with 0 attempts on goal.

Bury were under pressure right from the off, unable to break through in any significant way. Bolton marked each man so closely you couldn’t get a fag paper between them and their opposite number .

Unfortunately Bury made it easier for Bolton by opting to play musical statues and since no music was playing nobody budged, (not entirely fair but an overall impression over the length of the game) , this of course made it very difficult to progress the ball upfield. 

Will and Iain did their best in midfield and Ste and Ken were very busy in defence and Neville did his best to keep up with a long legged opponent  but the entire game belonged to Keith Gillespie in nets.

The game could almost be described as a penalty shootout …from a goalkeeper’s dream… shot after shot after shot from all angles and if you can imagine a penalty shootout where the keeper saves 9 out of 12 with the other 3 wide or high… that’s what it felt like .

Unbelievable display ….but then…towards the end a deflected clearance rebounded back to the goal at pace….Ken Buggie averted his gaze ..heart in mouth…everything froze …but Keith dealt with it as if nothing had happened..so really it was 10 saves he made.

Meanwhile at the other end of the pitch Graham ( Bolton’s keeper) was reading “ 101 things to do to stop yourself getting bored in a football match. “

The referee was good and fairly lenient towards Bury as a couple of times people wandered into the area but he deemed it not to be affecting play based on the position of the ball at the time… a bit of a let off but to be fair those lines are barely visible in the heat of a game.

What can I say 
Man of the Match 
Keith Gillespie

( my words don’t do it justice.. magnificent display)

Bury 0   Bolton  0

With two difficult games one after the other  Ken Buggie is wondering at this point whether he should accept the offer from Barcelona.

(Board members were spotted looking at his current contract )
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Fourth match against Rochdale Strollers.

Substitutes: Nev, Will , Mike

Both teams wearing blue of a similar shade, there was some discussion about wearing bibs which was decided against 🤦‍♂️ perhaps influenced by a statement by a Rochdale player “ we never pass to each other anyway so it doesn’t matter “ .

This may go some way to explaining a bit of confusion early doors when a Rochdale player called Howard ,( who I had noticed in an earlier game was a bit handy with his feet if you see what I mean ) , blustered and bundled his way from the half way line straight down the middle splitting the defence and slotting a well placed shot past a potentially weary Keith still recovering from the previous game. 

One nil to Rochdale. Not a good start.

Rochdale had two other clear chances which they fluffed fortunately for Bury, but then… then… a little bit of magic was sprinkled on the sad …increasingly worn ..plastic pitch .

Andy received the ball on the right wing deep in his own half , he looked up briefly and without hesitation stroked the ball beautifully upfield… as it flew down the line past Ken ( Boogie Nights) Buggie , Ken was heard to say “ beautiful pass” and so it was… landing at the feet of Ken Bond on the edge of the box as if delivered by Royal Mail , without hesitation Ken caressed the ball past the keeper and into the opposite left hand corner… what a goal.

The crowd went wild and the momentum shifted to Bury but it wasn’t all going their way and Ste still had some serious defensive work to do at the back but inspired by the goal the movement up front started opening up spaces and Andy got ready to exploit the disarray settling into Rochdale’s play .

Andy received the ball on the right wing again but this time a little further upfield into Rochdale’s half  , a gap opened enabling him to thread the ball diagonally through to ….oh my days😮😱….it’s Thierry Henry … the unmistakable long legs ( albeit slightly paler than I remember) the characteristic shift of the body position …to enable a classic one touch finish ..pushing the ball across the front of the keeper from the left to bury it in the right corner… no wait …it’s that Ken Bond again… another classic goal even better than the first… grown men started weeping ..women fainted… what a turnaround.

Other stuff happened …but it was all irrelevant .

I could give you the shot stats… but who cares?

Bury won

Bury 2  Rochdale Strollers 1
( Board members are seen hastily scribbling a new contract for Ken Buggie on the back of fag papers salvaged from the Bolton game)
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Final match against Moston Brook

Substitutes: Andy, Mark, Ste

In an unexpected move Ken ( boogey woogie ) Buggie decides to put Thierry Henry in defence… sorry Ken Bond I mean.

Against a difficult team like Moston Thie….. (ahem ) Ken’s defensive skills were much needed, Nev went up front and marvelled later that “ there’s so much space up there “ .

Moston dominated possession but didn’t have it all their own way and Nev (spaceman ) Kitchen managed to lay off a couple of beautiful passes to Mike, one shot went wide and the other was well saved by their keeper.

Everyone was stalwart in defence but Ken ended up crashing to the ground entangled with the other teams biggest player , this player left the game shortly afterwards muttering “ how am I supposed to play against Thierry bloody Henry the man’s a machine “

Ken ended up on the floor again shortly afterwards when Keith decided to smash the ball into Ken’s face ( fair enough.. don’t want him getting too cocky) Ken’s female fans screamed “ no … not the face” but he was fine… dazed but unmarked.

The ball ended up at the other end of the field eventually Ken pushed up to half way then spotted perhaps a wayward or perhaps an intentional pass that fell into space in the middle of the pitch, he launched forward and shot a daisy cutter to the bottom right corner that somehow the keeper managed to save.

Ken Buggie was perhaps relieved that he’d missed , being conscious of the fact that there was only one defibrillator available to deal with fans collapsing with excitement if he’d scored.

Moston enjoying a lot of possession resulted in them having 7 shots 4 of which on target,  Keith dealing with them with relative ease.

Bury had 3 shots , 2 on target, Moston came close at the end of the match but were foiled by a timely block from Mike.

A good draw

Bury 0   Moston Brook  0

A hard fought for but deserved 8 points.

A roller coaster of a day, some classic moments to take away from some very difficult games.

Ken Buggie has a new contract, Ken Bond has a new fan club , Nev Kitchen has a new space to explore, Keith Gillespie has a new statue being built and the Stripes have a renewed sense of purpose and belief.

All is right with the world and with that I bid you goodnight and a safe journey home , and may your god go with you as Dave Allen used to say.

7th May 2025 Over 70’s at Heywood 
Manager Keith Swain 
Assistant manager Pat Fitzgerald 
Pre match thoughts ….

John Morris “ make sure you spell my name right “

Squad:
Joon Mooris ( C )
Eddy Ford ( GK )
John Wardle
Gerry Luczka
Terence O’ Rourke
Bob Daniels 
Graham Walton ( promoted from youth squad)

A fine beautiful sunny day with a promise of fine beautiful football from a squad boasting both experience and youth with the notable promotion of Graham from his Academy position in the 60’s and 65’s to the Senior division.

First game up was against Corinthians
Substitute Gerry

Bury started well with good passing and movement especially between John W  and Graham who linked up well but Corinthians came back into it and started pressing more as the game went on.

Corinthians had more opportunities on goal with 7 attempts in total 3 of them on target.

Bury had 5 attempts on goal but only one on target a good effort from Graham from a tight angle producing a good reaction save from their keeper.

This match saw quite a lot of shall we say “ fast walking “ or running as it used to be called . First match tends to be on the quick side but this was pushing the boundaries, at one point Ed rolled the ball out and a Corinthian flew through the air like a ballerina to intercept and take a shot on goal which Ed dealt with superbly.

(Predictive text keeps changing Ed to Edge so if I forget to alter it just remember it’s Ed not the guitarist from U2 who was playing)

No goals in this game, a creditable draw considering Bury didn’t really gel and Corinthians pressed well.
Ed on good form both in goals and guitar.

Bury 0   Corinthians 0
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Second game up against Tameside Striders Blues ( who wear a yellow strip🤦‍♂️)
Substitute John W

Looking at the stats Bury should’ve walked this game ( intentional pun)
Bury had 6 shots 5 of them on target whereas Tameside had 4 shots with only 1 on target.
But football ain’t that simple.
Bury eventually dominated with good shots from John M and Gerry on target but they started poorly with wayward passing and poor marking and just couldn’t seem to string a move together.

Tameside took advantage of a mixup at the back and forced Ed into a great save which rebounded back to the kicker , Ed tried his best to get to the ball before it left the area which left him out of position, the original kicker then passed it to an unmarked player on his left who had a simple tap in despite an heroic effort by Ed to get back to block it.

Suddenly the game was running away from Bury but they then decided ( telepathically) to turn it on its head….The spirit of Maradona descended and settled into their loins giving them a freedom to pass and move , caressing the ball round the pitch with precision, moving off the ball, talking to each other… this culminating after a seven pass move with a superb goal first touch shot from ( checks notes) Joon Mooris. No wait Jon Marris, Jane Morish… no… John Morris.

Great team goal and Bury really should’ve won… but they didn’t 

Bury 1   Tameside 1

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Third game against Rochdale Strollers
Substitute Tex

Maradona decided to sit this one out .

Strange game this… Bury seemed to dominate despite playing poorly, poor passing poor movement yet somehow they managed to stop Rochdale from even having a single shot, quite chaotic at times, nevertheless Bury had 5 shots two of which were on target but the game was decided by one of those weird footballing moments .. a relatively weak shot from Graham hits the keeper bobbles over him and with backspin trickles and I do mean trickles in slow motion into the far corner, unfortunate for the keeper who later made a great save.

Bury 1     Rochdale Strollers  0

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Fourth and final game against Winstanley Walkers.
Substitute Bob

Maradona came back off his break and possessed the entire team again for this final match.

Superb game 

Bury had 7 shots 4 of which on target compared to Winstanley who had 3 shots 2 of which on target.

Again superb passing and movement pretty much throughout the game, Bury dominated but Winstanley had a couple of chances one from dead centre close range that somehow that guitarist from U2 managed to save.

Great defending from Tex led to a breakaway with the ball ending up at Jane Morrisey’s feet who passed it superbly from far on the right over to Graham on the left who buried it first time .. great goal.

John W had a great effort saved later on .
But for a valiant display by Winstanley’s keeper this could have been 4 nil , Graham had a couple of great efforts saved early on too.

A very very good display to finish off the day

Bury 1   Winstanley Walkers  0

All in all a thoroughly deserved 8 points.

Special mention for Bob who was as consistent and reliable as ever, Bob does a lot of the unglamorous things that can easily go unnoticed but without which the team would fall apart, tracking players off the ball, closing down attacking players, blocking shots , passing under pressure. Well played Bob.

NB
A photo (above) has been brought to my attention of the last match against Winstanley which seems to show Gerry tackling John W on the edge of our box … I can only assume that  not only was the spirit of Maradona present but also the spirit of George Best when he decided to tackle Rodney Marsh despite them being teammates at the time.😂

Editors note

Apparently there are a few spelling mistakes specifically around the spelling of the name of John Morris .

I can’t imagine how this happened but do wholeheartedly apologise to Jane and it won’t happen again… this month.

Bury Relics Over 75’s went into their second set of fixtures of the Greater Manchester Division 1 Walking Football Spring 2025 league campaign with a squad of Eddy (GK), Dave, Bob, JoMo, plus the Salcom trio of Billy, Joe and Kev. Ian McKinnon was Manager with supporters Pat, Kieran, Ken, Frank, Kodak Keith and Ken Bond enjoying the Heywood sunshine.

First up were Invincibles with Dave on the bench. We started the game well and looked in control but weren’t getting the shots in that our possession warranted. The 5 minute half time break saw Dave replace Bob for the restart. The Invincibles management team made a couple of tactical changes and they were a completely different proposition in the second half. The game was evenly balanced but, unfortunately, our propensity for trying to force the play resulted in 4 fouls and a penalty which was clinically dispatched for an unlucky 1-0 loss.

Next up were Rochdale with Kev on the bench. They had a great 3 – 0 win in their first match and had a very strong squad on show so we definitely went into this as underdogs on our earlier second half showing. Both teams began strongly but the defining moment was a brilliant curling left footed shot JoMo hit from the right hand touchline which went in off the inside of the far post after 5 minutes. We relaxed and knocked the ball around well for the rest of the half. Kev came on for Joe at half time. This time we did not let our standard slip in the second half but instead we actually raised it with some wonderful stuff being played. Rochdale were trying hard to get a foothold but we just didn’t let up. JoMo’s second goal came from a defensive mix up which presented him with a loose ball 8 metres out, he hit it on the half turn into the top corner of the net with the goalie completely caught out by such quick thinking. We saw the game out with long passing moves with the ref eventually blowing for time at the end of a 15 pass move. A tremendous 2 – 0 victory.

Last up were Tameside with Kev again starting on the bench. We continued where we left off from the previous match stroking the ball around forcing their goalie into several excellent saves. Eventually, the culmination of one of these moves saw Billy hit a fierce strike from 15 yards out which dipped just before their keeper and squirmed under his diving body for a 1 – 0 lead. At half-time Kev came on for Billy. We were looking just as good playing the ball around at the start of the second half until we lost our bearings and entered our box to concede a penalty. This was expertly taken to leave Eddy no chance. After such a shock we could have caved in mentally but we resumed from the kick off in the same pass and move manner and with 2 minutes left it paid off when a great piece of interplay put Kev in space just outside the box. He lashed a rising shot and despite a valiant effort from the Striders custodian it nestled into the opposite top corner of the net (pictured above). An immediate tactical substitution was made to sacrifice Joe, our impressive centre forward, and bring on Billy to play 3 at the back and 2 in midfield, to hold onto a lead that we had worked so hard to get back. Fortunately, this worked out well as we saw out the last couple of minutes to win  2 – 1.

Overall, an unusual day in which we scored 4 left footed goals from open play in only 3 games whilst conceding 2 extremely soft penalties. The quality of our football deserved the six points gained and they took us to equal top of the table with Tameside on 10 points. It is extremely tight though with Invincibles on 8 and Rochdale on 6 so all 4 teams have everything to play for next month.

17th April 2025
Another day of sunshine football at Haywood as the Relics entered the second game day of the 2025 season. Relics were looking for a bigger points haul than the six from day 1.

Bolton
An even game which Bolton started and finished well. From the start Bolton were on top with their first shot hitting the Relics crossbar. Keith G in the Relics goal was tested again soon after but he was down quick to save with his feet. Relics had warmed up now and. matched Bolton for possession, although play was mainly around midfield. Ian McC and Alan B had a couple of half chances but didn’t really test the keeper. Ian McC had the Bolton keeper on the floor, but he managed to stretch and save Ian’s chip shot. Bolton scored late in the game with a strong shot from centre field just outside the area. The power of the shot and coming through a sea of legs gave Keith G no chance.
Final score Relics 0 Bolton 1

Preston
Although another mid field game the Relics turned possession into more shots and chances. A shot from Graham W. Was saved for a corner by the Preston keeper. Dave L had his shot parried out to Ian McC’s shot was parried out to GW whose shot was saved. GW had another shot saved. Dave L put the Relics ahead near the end of the game with a snatched shot after a great save from the Preston keeper.
Final score Relics 1 Preston 0

Rochdale
Another “midfield” type of game with an even number of shots from both teams but none really troubling the keepers. A good defensive display from Kev A and Pete Shev once again resulted in Keith G in the Relics net with nor much to deal with.
Final score Relics 0 Rochdale 0

Corinthians
A super dominant display by the Relics against Corinthians. Possession and shots all dominated by the Relics. My shot count was 13 for the Relics with just one for Corinthians. The Relics winner coming late on in the game, began with a cross field pass from Dave L to GW his superbly placed shot in the bottom left hand corner gave the keeper no chance and gave the Relics the win they so much deserved.
final score Relics 1 Corinthians 0.
A good way to end the day. Seven points from a possible 12 put the Relics into a tight placed second spot in the table on 13 points with Preston and Winstanley.

Well done to the players on the day. Some great individual performances from. Keith G (gk), Graham W, Kev A, Ian McC, Ian McK, Keith S, Dave L, Alan B, Pete Shev

Another beautiful day welcomed the Relics over 60’s (whites) to Heywood Sports Village for the second match day of the 2025 season. Four games today for the team made up of Ed (GK), Pete Shevlin, Kev Bates, Ian McC, Ian McK, Graeme W, Alan Blackely, Keith S.

A tough start today against Corinthians as always, but the Relics were ready for the task. The game was mainly each team keeping possession of the ball for as long as possible. Corinthians tested Ed with a couple of shots, but Ed kept them out. Relics responded with a shot from Graham W which was deflected out for a corner. Nothing much else between the teams. A solid performance from the Relics and a final score of 0 – 0

The next game against Bolton was another tough game. Bolton had the most of the pressure and chances. A scramble on the edge of the Relics are was cleared. Then a dribble to the edge of the Relics area, and a left foot shot gave Bolton the lead. Bolton 1 – Relics 0. Further good pressure from Bolton produced two good saves from Ed. Relics responded and had two good attempts one just over, and one just wide. Final score Bolton 1 – Relics 0.

Up next were the Panthers, with Relics having the majority of possession. Ian McK shot wide, Kev had a couple of efforts one saved, and a miss. Kick wide. The pressure on the Panthers was starting to ruffle the fur and resulted in a four-foul penalty for the Relics which Graham W put away. Relics 1 – Panthers 0. Relics continued to dominate but couldn’t add to the score. Kev said after the game that he missed two sitters but I missed them too so I didn’t mention them. After all it’s the three points that count. Relics 1 – Panthers 0

Relic’s got off to a great start against Burnley with both Ian’s McC and McK having great efforts. Both Ian’s combined well formthenRelics goal with McC to McK who’s shot was parried out to Graham W on the right hand side of the box from a. Very tight angle slotted the ball between the keeper and the post for a spectacular goal. Relics 1 – 0. Ian McC had a shot saved by the keeper’s foot after a nutmeg pass from Ian McK.
Final score Relics 1 Burnley 0.

Seven points on the day for the Relics and good performances along the way too. Well played to all the players.