I've kind of known former East Lancs, Rishton, Accrington, Church....former everyone, really....man John Seedle for the best part of 50 years now but until Sunday night after Accy's game at Great Harwood never really had a sit down and chatted to him at any length.
Ridiculous really. We were born two months apart at the tail end of the 1950s and since John signed for my boyhood team, East Lancs, when we were both 18 in the Spring of 1977, we've kind of been on nodding terms and said hello occasionally ever since...
I remember thinking at the time that a kid from Clitheroe who'd made a bit of a name for himself in the old Ribblesdale League would have a job to force his way into the reckoning at The Meadows.
Lancashire League teams often seemed pretty much 'closed shops' in those days, selection nailed down by well-established stalwarts in no mood to give up a place to a youngster, however promising. No way was Seeds getting Roger Sharp's shop even if Roger did look about 65 and 'ran' in with the gait of a stockbroker rushing for a departing train at Euston.
I couldn't have been any further from being right. Within weeks John was established as an indispensable first team seamer and became a fixture as an all-rounder on the local scene in five different decades. Around for so long that he played in at least three leagues which I'm pretty sure don't exist any more.
But back in the day as an East Lancs supporter in my late teens you had little contact with the players. Brian Bowling, a wily but tiny cricketer who had the mild-mannered looks and countenance of a bashful lay preacher, may occasionally venture onto the bowling green side to have a word with the likes of my grandad and his mates but no self-respecting player would be seen 'doing a lap,' particularly not towards the notorious barrackers I hung out with under the QEGS side scratching shed.
"We even had to practice in whites in those days, " John told me and if Jim Kenyon or someone came stomping around it was usually to take issue with some perceived slight from what was very much perceived as the opinionated know-nowt riff-raff.
Fans were fans and players were players, particularly at what was perceived as a "snobby" HQ and thee was little interaction even in the bar after.
The late Wayne Cooper once told me if he ever saw one of the most bellicose critics out and about he could not be held responsible for what transpired. I kept my mouth shut after that and have found that wise ever since.
Having tried hard to be a player, I never ever criticise amateur cricketers. They try hard and are grievously disappointed when things go wrong, far more so than blokes stood watching, supping ale and munching pie and peas.
Even when John represented Church for a time we would only exchange an odd hello. I did once get the opportunity to sit in on the Rishton balcony as John and Mark Aspin were talking cricket but even I struggled to get a word in there.
It was quite incredible then to discover that on Princess Anne's Wedding Day in 1973 the two of us, fourth years at secondary school, separately attended glam rockers Mott the Hoople's gig at King Georges in Blackburn.
The support act that night was a virtually unknown London band with a solitary single out but a bit of obvious money behind their presentation and lighting. The lead singer seemed something of a confident young fellow striding around with his half-a-mic-stand and skintight satin threads.
His name was Frederick Bulsara aka Freddie Mercury, his band Queen. I wonder what became of them?
We were also both at a Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes gig in Holmfirth's tiny Picturedrome on a cold Yorkshire night a couple of years ago, quite how we missed each other in that tiny venue I don't know. John got to meet the New Jersey legend in a hotel later. I'm envious!
John's solitary season with Accrington, 1990, was steady-away rather than spectacular but he played in a team captained by Andy Barker with Robert Haynes as pro which was good enough to finish fourth in the old traditional 14-team set-up.
He coaches Great Harwood now and was enjoying a pint when I joined him on the balcony at Cliffs Park after what must have been a satisfying win for his side.
It can't be avoided saying that losing has become a habit for Accrington at the moment but both John and I were in complete agreement about one of the few consolations for us after a weekend which saw yet another brilliant Jurie Snyman century end up with him on the losing side in a thrilling T20 before ultimately being crushed at Harwood - just a place above us - in a match in which we actually created a few opportunities.
I didn't see the Friday night game against Darwen which ended in a one-run defeat but Darcey Carter, who made her debut in that game, made a wonderful impression in her full Lancashire League senior debut two days later.
A quick check tells you Darcey, who hails from a cricketing family, has been playing club, representative and eventually full ODI international cricket - for Scotland - since Under-13's with well over 200 games under her belt, including a handful for Folkestone firsts in the Kent County League at one of wicket-keeper Emile Haratbar's old clubs.
Currently with Lancashire and with List A T20 Women's appearances for them under her belt, no way was she phased by appearing in senior men's cricket.
Introduced into the attack after just seven overs on a day selection meant Accy had to go with spin from the off, she settled on her length from the off with her off-spin and after the disappointment of seeing a chance put down, bowled Harwood opener Oddie - the first wicket ever taken by a female in the League* so I really am there to record history - then unluckily missed out on a sharp return catch from Harwood pro Thikshila De Silva before he had scored which could easily have turned the game.
Her13 over spell showed her mastery of control, variety and refusal to be dominated even when de Silva threatened to break the shackles. Exemplary.
As it panned out, De Silva scored 66 out of a 100-run stand with Kennedy which occupied more than 20 overs as Jurie and Darcey bowled with some control. Ali Hasham (three for 73) eventually did tempt him into another caught and bowled, this time accepted, but the middle order powered the home side to a challenging 194 for eight.
A calm start by Jon and Nathan was however blown apart spectacularly in the seventh over when De Silva trapped Hayhurst palpably in front, clean bowled a clearly stunned Jurie first ball and had Emile leg before for three in four.
With skipper Graeme Sneddon out next over and four more wickets soon falling, 50 for eight had a potentially humiliating look to it.
Credit then to Nathaniel Young who had watched this carnage unfold at the other end while settling into what became his second senior half-century.
Joined by Darcey at 64 for nine, the pair added 49 without alarm before only a daft run-out ended the partnership. De Silva, with seven wickets under his belt, had overs in hand but with Nathaniel unfolding his range of strokes and Darcey solid in defence and driving confidently herself, at one point even an experienced old fool such as myself was beginning to reckon up that at less than one a ball required, an unlikely win such as the Seconds achieved at Greenmount last season wasn't totally impossible. They batted that well, both of them.
I don't know how much of Darcey Lancashire will let us see but she's a proper cricketer who probably merits nudging up the order next time.
As well as chewing the fat with Coach Seedle, it was a great pleasure to see my old Accrington Observer boss Margaret Cheesbrough after the game. Margaret and husband Richard have a long association with Great Harwood with sons Matthew and Daniel - Dan is now 50 for those of you not feeling old enough - fine players for the club. They were regular thorns in the side of Oswaltwistle Immanuel during my long years scoring for them.
Both lads live away now raising their own lovely families but Margaret and Richard literally open their back gate and walk onto Cliffe Park.
Mrs C was deputy head at the Ob and though my time on news was mercifully shortened by an unexpected early promotion to Sports Editor, her help, advice and support not to mention her generous and caring friendship make her one of the most fondly-remembered colleagues of what's now a 46-year working life. She helped me through some good times and was there when I had some struggles too.
This column would be considerably tighter, shorter and snappier if she ran her sub-editing expertise through it.
On the way to the ground I nostalgically passed another Alma Mater, the former site of Great Harwood Gas Depot, often referred to as "Maplins" back in the day where among my colleagues were Andy Stevenson and the late Glyn Davies, former Accrington players, and the legendary and dear departed Dave Heap, an Accy super fan who brightened every day you spent with him. Brian Prickett was a regular caller and more likely to interrupt a game of seven-card Don than to stop anyone qualifying for the Queen's Award For Industry.
Talking of those we have lost, it was sad this week to hear of Danny Greenwood's passing. I remember Danny starting as a first teamer with Church. Thoughts with Danny's family and the many friends who will be stunned and saddened at th loss of such a young and vital soul.
His dad Alan was a regular at the Observer front desk with football bulletins, along with other regulars like Keith Barker Snr, Andy Breckell and ex-ref Ivan Smith. Such happy days getting paid to chat sport and write about it.
You never went a week without the averages in when I was in charge! Statto here reckons Jurie, after his 55-ball 100 on Friday (10 sixes and four fours) is now on around 837 )500 plus in the league) runs for the season in all competitions.
Nobody surely deserves to pass 100 four times and finish up on the losing side on three of those occasions.
Friday night cricket is over for the sides I score for for the time being. CherryTree lost a low-key affair to Oswaldtwistle last weekend in a match from which neither side could progress.
At least Ziyed Bhada, who I forewent a couple of scoring fees to sponsor, has hit the runs he lacked earlier in the season with my backing. He made a match-winning 67 on Friday and followed that with 48 against Walkden on Saturday at Preston Old Road. Brother Min, the Cherry Tree pro, made 56 but the innings faltered against a very competitive Walkden after both were dismissed after a 102-run stand.
It hammered home the message of not getting down when a partnership is in full flow. One of my favourite past pros who few will remember was an Aussie lad named Will Carr who bowled indefatigably for Oswy Immanuel and had the valuable knack of getting good players out even when they had got to 50. Batsmen who looked well set and ready to expand would find their defence breached and their furniture removed. It's something to think about and keep plugging way for.
The Walkden scorer Ian, a smashing lad, generously shared a huge bag of delicious B&M Bargains Pork & Apple Sauce crisps (reduced from £1.99 to 10p) with me and there was further culinary delight on Sunday when umpire Tripathi let me sample his spicy omelette with a bit of toast. If Pankaj, who had some lovely words about an earlier piece I mentioned him in, offers you some, snap it up but for goodness sake have something cold and fizzy handy - it was dynamite!
Out into the wilds of Earby then Nelson I go this weekend then, hoping everyone has the success we all crave. It will be nice to see Steve Hipgrave at Applegarth unless he's playing Twos but I'll miss his dad Herbert who passed away in winter, he was a fixture at the ground and always made a fuss of my canine companion Rollo.
We're officially half way through the season. All winter I count the days till cricket so enjoy the rest of this summer now it's heading towards the wrong end.
*Thanks to Nigel as ever for providing the stat about Darcey.
**Last week's quiz answer, the man who'd played for all those posh-sounding teams was 1971Accrington professional David Bailey, the former Lancashire batsman who hailed from West Hartlepool.
This week - in 1991, Shane Warne's year here, which Accrington batsman finished highest in the Lancashire League averages? NO looking it up.
