ROGER Craddock says the spirit of the league in which Old Reigatians play has kept him going after celebrating more than 50 years competing for the club.

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The club put on a special game for the 70-year-old last Sunday against Old Suttonians.

Craddock was joined by his brother Peter, 65, and his son Steve, who captains the club’s first team, in the match, after grandson Jamie Prentice performed a ceremonial kick-off.

Craddock said: “It was a fantastic day. I was really quite gobsmacked by it all because, yes, I have been around a fair amount of time but it coincided with my 70th birthday a couple of days before.

“The club really did me proud.

“They say football’s in your blood and I suppose I’m almost living proof of that.”

He still runs the sixth team, only playing if they are short or as a substitute because of injury.

He played regularly up until he was 60 in a career that started when, living in Brockham, he was invited by some fellow old Reigate Grammar School pupils to play.

He first played against Clapham Old Exhavians at Norbury in the third team in September 1957, of which he said: “I can’t remember whether we won 3-1 or lost 3-1.”

The league’s name has changed from the Old Boys League to the Amateur Football Combination, but much remains the same.

He said: “Their ethos is the spirit of football, fun and friendship and the nature of the players and the league hasn’t changed one iota. That’s what keeps me going as much as anything.”

In 1966-67 the first team won the Surrey AFA Junior Cup. “I was captain that day and that was probably my proudest moment, we beat Carshalton 3-1 at Kingswood.”

The first team won the league once during his time with them, the thirds were runners up once and the fifth team finished second two years running, starting in 1993-94. A committee member from 1962 until now, the father of four has held many positions at the club.

He was eager to thank club vice-chairman Dave Setters for being the “mastermind” behind last weekend’s celebration game.