ONE Friday in February 1985, a group of friends from Abingdon went to play football.

Thirty years on, they have clocked up 1,200 sessions and are still to be found at Radley College sports centre every Friday they can.

The friends, who grew up together, threw a party at Abingdon United Football Club to celebrate 30 years of Friday night football – and look forward to the next 30.

The gang of football-crazy pals now have their sons along to join them.

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Founder member Paul Buckett, of Kennington, said: “Personally I’ve always found it a nice anchor.

“No matter what else you do in your life, no matter what else is going on, you have always got that connection going back to when we were younger.”

Mr Buckett, who grew up in Radley Green, Abingdon, was 21 in 1985.

Radley College had just opened its new sports centre and the sports hall was for hire.

He and two friends from Fitzharrys School, Trevor Jones and his older brother Merv, booked it for a game of football one Friday.

The 51-year-old remembered: “We had 14 the first night and it was so popular we just carried on with it.”

Mr Buckett was then working at Burgess Printers in Abingdon printing birthday cards. That site is now housing behind Waitrose.

He added: “Merv was a maintenance worker at Culham scientific campus and still is, and Trevor was a plumbing and heating engineer and still is.

“We used to meet up, then there would be a quick wash and brush up and it would be out on the town.”

They would go to Raoul’s bar on Walton Street, Oxford, then down the road to Jamal’s curry house, which the owner would open specially for his regulars.

Mr Buckett said: “That’s much rarer now, but we’re all still 22 at heart.” Those three founder members still play every possible Friday.

Merv Jones has a spreadsheet showing exactly who turned up each Friday and who scored what.

Mr Buckett is coming up to his 1,000th personal appearance and has a win average of just over 50 per cent.

The 51-year-old, who lives with wife Sandra, is now a financial adviser and father-of-three.

His son Rob is now 19, and when he is back from Loughborough University he joins in the Friday night sessions.

Mr Buckett said: “The amazing thing is that these youngsters want to play us old codgers.

“We don’t give them an easy ride, that’s for sure.”