A PENSIONER with a passion for football has spent 30 years rebuilding his home club’s records after they were destroyed by fire.

Lifelong Crook Town Amateur Football Club fan Michael Manuel first discovered the fate of the club’s match records during a committee meeting in 1988 when it was revealed they had been set alight during an argument years before.

Saddened at the news, Mr Manuel decided to create a new account of the club’s history and almost 30 years later the 74-year-old has produced new and detailed records of every match the team has played from 1945 to the present day. Each entry includes the team line-up and result, as well as identifying the goal scorers.

But it does not stop there. Mr Manuel’s research has not only seen him study contemporary newspaper reports of the matches but he has corresponded with former players and their families all over the world.

He has also amassed a large collection of photographs and memorabilia about his beloved football club and the town itself, which has provided copious material for a number of history books and a DVD.

The grandfather-of-two has become an authority on the subject, speaking in schools and regularly assisting journalists and students investigating the topic, along with the relatives of former players researching their family histories.

He is now rebuilding the records from the club’s official formation in 1889 to 1945, starting with Crook triumph over Etherley in October 1889.

“It gets harder the further back you go but I am about three seasons in now,” said Mr Manuel, a retired hairdresser.

“What I like most are the stories and finding out more about the players. Reports in The Northern Echo have been very useful and I have spent a lot of time at the County Record office.

“I was born and bred in Crook and I love the town and the club - I went to my first match in 1949. I never expected this to become as big as it has but it is nice to keep busy as you get older.”

Mr Manuel’s collection includes many rare programmes, posters and tickets, including some from when Crook players went on a tour of India in the 1970s. He also has programmes created by both the supporters club and members association after the two groups fell out for a short while.

“The funny thing is the members association wouldn’t tell the supporters club who was playing so you see some players listed as S.O. Else as they didn’t know who it was,” said Mr Manuel.

“Programmes can be such a valuable source of information. Some even tell you the player’s height and weight.”

To find out more about the club, visit crooktownfc.co.uk