BASTOCK HAS LONGEVITY

On a day when Alex Ferguson took over the reins at Manchester United, another long serving football man was glorified on radio and press for his longevity. Paul Bastock is a goalkeeper who on Saturday will turn out for his local club Wisbech Town, in the United Counties League (Premier) thereby beating Peter Shilton's record of 1249 appearances as a goalkeeper last weekend beating league rivals Sleaford Town. OK, Wisbech Town isn't at the top tier but this is surely an achievement that will tickle the "Guinness Book of Records"?

At 47 years old Paul is still the guardian of his first team goal and on Saturday his club will take on local rivals Thetford United, an East Anglian derby. Paul has appeared in the Football League, helping Boston United into the top tiers and playing there for two seasons. He has played alongside Gazza, when he had a spell at Boston (where he recorded 625 apps in all competitions) and Alan Shearer and Le Tissier in 1987 when they were at Southampton in the youth team, a team that won the FA Youth Cup.

He was at Coventry City as a youth when they stole the FA Cup from the Spurs in 1986, and on Saturday his team could well extend their unbeaten league this season run to 13 games and maybe reach higher up the table than the present 4th position. He began his professional career at Cambridge United in 1988.

I cannot spend my time listing all his 20 clubs, but he had two spells at Boston, four spells at St Albans (270+) and several appearance for the National Game XI (non-league selection).