A WIRRAL man is re-staging a junior football match 50 years after he unfairly scored a late goal to rescue a draw for his side back in September 1972.

Graeme Jones, of Gayton, says he has lived with the guilt for five decades and is now determined to put things right with a rematch between Gayton Primary School and Heswall St Peter’s.

Graeme, 59, said: “I scored the equaliser for Gayton in the very last minute of the game from a corner, but I’ve always felt quite guilty about this because when I jumped and headed the ball, I also managed to shove their keeper about 10 feet behind the goal line as well.

“Miraculously, the referee, who was our own sports teacher, Alan Jones, awarded the goal and then blew the whistle to end the game.”

Fast-forward nearly 50 years and the former Royal Navy physical training instructor felt it was time to replay this match in order to settle the score once and for all and to make amends for his misdemeanour.

He said: “The main aim was to reunite everyone and to recapture the exact same Gayton Primary School football team photograph that was first published in the Heswall and Neston News and Advertiser back in 1972, whilst also raising funds for both schools so that they can purchase additional sports equipment.

“During the Covid lockdown, I started searching for everyone and by July 2021, I had managed to track down all the lads who, with a little bit of bullying, all agreed to participate.

“Bearing in mind that most of our team will be at least 60 years old in August 2022, the game will be two halves of 30 minutes!”

A similar team has been put together from ex-St Peter’s pupils and the game is now scheduled to take place at Heswall FC, Gayton Park, on Saturday, August 27 at 11am.

Former Liverpool and England legend John Barnes has even been enlisted to manage the Gayton team and Graeme is hoping a few more special guests may be involved.

n Admission will be £4 for adults and £2 for children. Anyone wishing to sponsor the event can email graemejones62@yahoo.co.uk for further details.