The highlight of Hols­worthy Football Club's annual off-field activities took place on Friday at the Memorial Hall, an event well supported by some 150 or so committee members, managers, players and supporters alike, writes Alistair Clements.

Proceedings commenced with a brief outline of the season just passed by Chairman Barry Parrish, who then introduced guest speaker Mike Johns, Portreeve of Holsworthy, a well known figure in the town. He, together with other guest Ron Gerry, plus a number of long serving supporters, could remember the old ground in Stanhope Park which was requisitioned as a prisoner of war camp.

Has he paid for the window he broke in the stand as a youngster yet though? His tale was greeted with mirth, maybe he has only just owned up to it now, probably some 50 years on. Even whilst serving in the Forces in Aden he kept in touch with the club's results with copies of the 'Holsworthy Post' being sent out, despite his sport of choice being played with a different shaped ball. A good humorous speech enjoyed by all.

Barry Parrish gave especial thanks to Tony Bayley, who arranged the dinner, a considerable undertaking in itself, and to other committee members, team managers etc who run the club. He also made public the club's hopes to build a first floor extension to the existing facilities to provide upgraded changing rooms, a major project requiring an extension to the lease, agreeing funding, getting planning consent and so on, and will undoubtedly take three or four years to come to fruition.

Another guest and vocal supporter of the club, Councillor Richard Brown, was of course nobbled with the re-election slogan 'New facilities for votes'!

Player Jason Cisneros took the stand to congratulate his second team colleagues (he, like many of them, has appeared often in the first team as well) and presented them all with dedicated t-shirts. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. The third team was well represented and officials of the youth and youngsters teams too. None of them would exist but for efforts behind the scenes.

Many awards were distributed to age group team players and also the first team awards where goalkeeper Dean Chidley, celebrating some 20 years at the club, took two awards including Team and Supporters' Player of the Year. Manager's Player of the Year was Stuart Rickard and Football Team Player of the Year Mike Landricombe with his brother Levi being leading goal scorer.

On the committee side of things, Nick Lock took the Clubman of the Year award, all the more popular having had some health problems during the year, and Supporters Committee award to Sylvia and Clifford Gilbert for all their fund raising efforts, unsung but vital.

For a complete inability to mix cement properly whilst carrying out ground upgrading works last summer, the Ross Bloomer Blunder of the Year award went to Bryan Smith and Alistair Clements, although rumour suggests that Tony Bayley's linesman exploits ran them close. Of course, Ivor Phillips, who spends more time being Club Secretary and attending League, County, FA, Referees etc meetings than being at home was rightly mentioned and there are many others in the back room, running the various teams and undertaking unsung tasks but too numerous to mention.

Everyone had a fine time at the dinner, always the culmination of season. The AGM will take place on July 3 but by then pre-season training will already have started with a five a side competition taking place the following day.

What will the coming season hold ?