FOOTBALL.

Morden Little League's normal 24 games will take place as usual on Saturday February 21 just as usual, and all the current 580 players (400 boys and 180 girls) will get on with their activities, probably blissfully unaware that 30 years ago on that day, the inaugural meeting of the league took place, and the now famous free football for children league was founded.

In an effort to renew old friendships from those early, pioneer days, every known ex-player, ex-manager and enthusiast is to be invited to attend King George Field on that morning, along with as many as possible of those early pioneers who are still around to tell the tale.

Founder Frank Adey is travelling home from Norfolk to be present, and will be reunited with original manager Ron Hobbs and the current officers of the little league football national executive committee, and hopefully a representative from the league's linked organisation - the Groen Wit football club of Apeldoorn in Holland - along with MP Siobhain McDonagh, invited members and officers of Merton Council, and from each of the other 40 or so subsequent little leagues in Surrey, South London and the West Midlands.

But it is those original players from way back in 1968 - probably now in their late thirties or early forties - whom the league would particularly like to attend.

Who knows - perhaps Have I Go News For You star Paul Merton, who played for Remco Royals in 1968, might find time to pop along? Or maybe current Scotland and Wimbledon FC keeper Neil Sullivan - a Switchgear Flashes player of the late seventies - might be there?

Or perhaps ex-Supers semi-pro England international and now Tooting and Mitcham FC manager Jimmy Bolton might renew his Footman Flyers friendships?

Or maybe ex-Switchgear player and now Reading FC manager Terry Bullivant might be in the area.

And if you know of anyone else who was involved in Morden Little League during those early days, then please tell them of the event, or call Geoff Watson on 330 2663 for more information.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.