ALAN MILROY, who celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday, had a colourful and varied footballing career. As far as we know, he is the only Northern League goalkeeper who regularly played as a centre forward with clubs like Willington and Bishop Auckland.

Alan featured in Grassroots Memories last week, making his debut in goal for Shildon at Whitley Bay on Saturday, August 26, 1961, and conceding 12 goals.

He recalled: "After the game, I met up with my best friend Keith Waine. Keith played for Bishop Auckland and he had conceded eight goals for Bishop Auckland at Ferryhill the same day. He thought that I had conceded only six, but he had been looking at the scores in the Stop Press in the Sporting Pink (the evening sports paper once produced by the Echo's sister, the Evening Despatch), which were just the half-time scores. I informed him that I had conceded another six in the second half.

"I played another two memorable games against Whitley Bay. In the 1963-64 season, I played in goal for Bishop Auckland who lost 4-0 to Whitley Bay and then in goal for Willington against the Seahorses in the 1964-65 season which was another 4-0 defeat. Three games against Whitley Bay where I conceded 20 goals - but my team never scored one."

Alan's first game in the Northern League was for Evenwood at Penrith in the 1960-61 season. He said: "Brian Keating, who played for Crook when they won the Amateur Cup in 1959, was our centre forward, and he scored both of our goals in a 2-2 draw, Rigg and Jameson replied.

"I later I transferred to Spennymoor, and my first game for them was at home to Evenwood in December 1960. The Spennymoor team was Milroy, Iceton, Newton, Ramshaw, Twinn, Blenkiron, Osmond, Jubb, Dowson, Flaherty and Gardner. Evenwood fielded McNulty, Tookey, Charlton, Bell, Peak, Whitfield, Joyce, Myers, Martin, Rummillioff, Dixon.

"Harry Bell was our manager and we won 4-0 with two goals from Jubb, and Dowson and Blenkiron our other scorers.

"My first game as a forward was for Willington at Whitby in the 1965-66 season and we won 3-2. Myself and Boxer Taylor put us 2-0 ahead at half-time, Kennerley and Edwards equalised for Whitby, before Cutty hit the winner for us."

On September 6, 1966, exactly 55 years ago, Alan played at centre forward for Willington in a great game at Crook when he scored twice in a 5-5 draw. Two goals in two minutes by Eric Ferguson had given Crook a 2-1 half-time lead, but after only 16 minutes of the second half they were 5-2 down with Alan on the scoresheet for Willington. On 63 minutes, Eric Ferguson completed his hat-trick to make it 5-3 to Willington before Dave Rutherford hit two late goals for Crook, the last in the 83rd minute, to leave the final score 5-5. The other Willington scorers were Nicholson, Cutty and an Alton penalty

The following season, on August 30, 1967, there was another thriller between Crook and Willington at the Millfield which ended 3-3. On this the Crook Town side was Hardwick, Butterfield, Heatherington; Hall, Stephenson, Little; Wake, E.Ferguson, Clapperton, Jackson, Walker. The Willington line up was Walton, Wharrior, Elliott; Walker, Whyatt, Palmer Hampton, Bussey, Milroy, N.Ferguson, Wilson.

Alan finished his career in local football with clubs like Cockfield, Bakelite, and the Old Vinovians. He concluded: "I continued to play in goal and then at centre forward for all those clubs, especially at Cockfield where my friend Keith Waine often went in goal."

Thanks to Alan and his family for answering our many enquiries.

ON a sad note we have to announce the passing of Allan Brown, twice an Amateur Cup winner with Crook Town in 1962 and 1964, with other spells at his home town of Shildon and at Bishop Auckland as well as assisting Howden-le-Wear on a Sunday. Allan was a great footballer who consistently won the ball in midfield while also scoring vital goals like an 83rd minute equaliser for Crook against Dagenham in

an Amateur Cup tie in 1961-62, the winner for Crook at Wembley in the 1964 Amateur Final against Enfield and the winner for the Black and Ambers against Carlisle in the F A Cup 1st Round in November 1964.

As kids we worshipped him, and as team-mates at Howden-le-Wear, we looked up to him. He never let us down as a player or as a person. Well done, Allan.