DICKIE IS HANGING UP HIS BOOTS

 

BRITAIN’S oldest known footballer (aged 86) is hanging up his boots after 79 years. Dickie Borthwick was recently turning out for a local Sunday league side until he was sidelined by the pandemic.The many time, grandad then suffered a back injury which he recovered from, only to develop a chest infection. Dickie, from Weymouth, fought off the illness but believes it would be a step too far to make a full comeback after a two-year break — though he is having a farewell friendly.

Dickie plays on the wing or up front and said: “I think it would probably be too much of a struggle to play again, especially in cold weather. It is time to pack it in. “I’ve had a good run. I’ve still got the urge to get out there and kick the ball around but if you can’t do it, you can’t do it.”

Dickie beat Prostate Cancer nearly ten years ago, reckons he has appeared in more than 1,600 matches and scored around 400 goals. He last played for local veterans team  AFC Wyke Smugglers in December 2019, when he was aged 83. The retired engineer, who started playing football at age seven while living in Scotland added: “I wouldn’t do walking football". I agree with him, because even at my young age (70), the blokes I play Walking Football with all RUN! Dickie said, "I’m used to playing the whole 90 minutes at full pelt and I still want to play the game properly.”

Dickie, who will arrange an over-50s farewell match, 11 v 11 at Portland United's ground, once the weather gets warmer, puts his longevity down to quitting his 30-a-day smoking habit 40 years ago, drinking tea and eating a bowl of porridge before games. Dickie, who plays on the wing or up front, said: 'I think it would probably be too much of a struggle to play again, especially in cold weather. It is time to pack it in'.

The average age of retirement amongst footballers still playing at the top level is 35. Ezzeldin Bahader from Egypt, currently holds the Guinness World Record for oldest professional football player at the age of 74 years, 11 months, and 3 days. Bahader played in a third division match on October 6, 2020 and said that he hopes to surpass his previous record when games resume. Stanley Matthews of Stoke City played at 50 years and 5 days old in 1965. Kazuyoshi Miura at 54 and just over 1 month played for Yokohama in the J League. Essam El-Hadary, goalkeeper, of Nogoom FC played for the Egypt national side 159 times, lastly in 2018.He was over 45 years old and is the oldest to play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Goalkeepers seem to survive longest.

Of the top ten oldest 5 were goalkeepers, including John Burridge. He turned out for Blyth Spartans at 45 yrs 7 mths 29 days in August 1997.  JB played for Man City in 1994 and was the oldest player to play in the Premier League at 43 years. He has a record for playing for the most number of English League clubs...18. He has been with 29 clubs overall, totalling 768 League games in England and Scotland and Non-League, turning out for to name a few; Blyth, Witton, Purfleet, Gateshead, Scarborough, favouring the north-east, but also Purfleet, Northampton and it goes on. He is now 70 years old. 

I reckoned I could survive playing Walking Football until 70+ by volunteering to go in goal, but I got so much "stick" from odd team players about letting in goals, that I retired from wearing the gloves and have graced the outfield again.