A VETERANS football team has won the league after quarter of a century trying - helped by a goal-fest from one its defenders in the title decider.

Players and officials at Ferryhill Greyhound were overjoyed to finally win the Sunderland and Durham Mill View Over 40s League last week.

And the victory was particularly sweet for defender Carl Beasley, who notched nine goals from right-back, in a 10-1 home win against St Mary’s College Old Boys from Middlesbrough.

Mr Beasley, a 44-year-old warehouse and logistics manager, has played three seasons for ‘The Hounds’ and previously played for Spennymoor, Tow Law, West Auckland and Sunderland RCA.

The Northern Echo:

The dad-of-two and grandad-of-three, from Spennymoor, said: “I’ve always been a defender but pushing forward has always been part of my game, that was 22 goals for me this year but to get nine in one game certainly stands out.

“The way the team plays means everyone gets chances.

“I’m absolutely over the moon for everyone at the club, but particularly the management team and chairman as players come and go but they’ve been working hard towards this for a long time.

“It’s brilliant to win the title. I’ve been involved in football teams all my life and people might think over-40s are not as competitive but we really are.

“We’ve trained hard as a team, together and individually throughout Covid restrictions. On Boxing day with six inches of snow on the ground about 20 lads turned out for socially distanced training.

“We’ve never let out fitness drop, which has been instilled in us from the management.”

Due to coronavirus restrictions, and league meetings being called off, the team, which plays at Dean Park in Ferryhill, does not know when they will get their hands on the league trophy.

The Northern Echo:

Frank Stocker, one of the team’s founding players who now has various official roles including secretary, said: “We started out about 25 years ago in the lower division and worked our way up the table, apart from one relegation, to the Premier League aiming for the title.

“There are 75 teams in the league, over five divisions, with about 3,000 registered players and it is very competitive.

“It is amazing to finally win it, Carl’s performance in that game was incredible but really part of a bigger picture.

“I finished playing at 62 and am the oldest player to play for the Greyhound. Our manager Matt Pearson and assistant David Hall have made sure everyone is fit, we play 80 minute games and all our players play until the final whistle.

“I think that, and having ex Northern League players in their 40s not 60s, has helped us keep going in every game.

“We are such a strong team, we enjoy lots of banter but also work incredibly hard to win.

"It is a friendly club but being in a veterans' league doesn't make us any less than competitive, it really does mean the world to win the Premier title."