LESLIE “MICKEY” SUMMERS turned down Bill Shankly’s offer of playing for Liverpool in order “to get a proper trade” but tonight he’s backing Gareth Southgate’s team as England take on Ukraine.

Mickey appeared on one of the pictures of early 1950s Frosterley footballers that Weardale historian Judith Bainbridge supplied for Memories 530 a fortnight ago.

Mickey is now 86 and lives at the Middleton Hall Retirement Village, near Middleton St George, where his “lucky” England shirt certainly did the trick on Tuesday evening as Southgate’s boys overcame the Germans.

The Northern Echo: Leslie "Mickey" Summers is fourth from the left on the second row down

Leslie "Mickey" Summers is fourth from the left on the second row down

“Dad played both football and cricket to a reasonably high level for Wolsingham, Sunniside and other teams,” says his son, Graeme. “When he was in the army national service he played for Maidstone in Kent and also Grimsby where Bill Shankly was starting his managerial career.

The Northern Echo:

Legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly invited Mickey to play for the reds

“When Bill moved to manage Liverpool he asked my Dad to come and join the team but after discussing the matter with his own father, my Dad was advised to “get a proper trade” behind him and so he joined the steelworks as a maintenance engineer.”

He has, though, supported Liverpool ever since.

Although he is pictured playing football for Frosterley, Mickey was born in Wolsingham.

“He married his childhood sweetheart, Doreen Dennison from Frosterley who we understand was a Miss Weardale when she was about 18,” says Graeme. “She sadly passed away in 2018 in their 60th year of marriage.”

Mention of Doreen’s name had Judith searching through her files where she found a cutting of her entering a beauty competition with other girls from Stanhope.

For tonight’s match, Mickey will again be wearing the England shirt bought for him by his four grandchildren.

“Fingers crossed the shirt is lucky all the way through to the Wembley final,” says Graeme.

The Northern Echo: MARGARET HADLEY was able to name just about every player on our Frosterley team because her husband, Ken, features on the second row. The picture was probably taken in September 1954, when Frosterley Rangers had either won the Auckland League Division

MARGARET HADLEY was able to name just about every player on our second Frosterley team (above) because her husband, Ken, features on the second row.

The picture was probably taken in September 1954, when Frosterley Rangers had either won the Auckland League Division One or finished as runners-up. In those days, the league generously gave every player in the top two teams a little trophy to recognise their achievements, and all 11 trophies appear to be grouped at the front of the photo.

The Hadleys still have a couple of Ken’s trophies, from when he played for Firtree United in Division Two who were runners-up in 1950-51. He then stepped up to Rangers in Division One, who were runners-up in 1951-52.

Frosterley Rangers of 1954, back row: Baden Boon, Ted Burrup, Dave Porter, Kenneth Maddison, Arthur Richmond, Wilf ?, Reg Foster. Third row: Bob Chambers, John Turnbull, ? Mason, Clarence Martin, Mick Summers, Norman Deacon, Jossie Dowson. Second row: Jim Blackett, Harry Dixon, Gordon Harding, Ken Hadley, Anty Proud. Front: Herbert Emmerson, Ernie Roberts, Reg Maddison, Dougie Conner.