Church team to re-live glory day

Trevor Lewis with his Trophy.

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THE month of May marks the 30th anniversary of a local sporting achievement that remains unsurpassed.

In 1979, Church Inn (Royton) won the North-West Sunday Champion of Champions Cup with a 4-2 win over Radcliffe outfit Ravens.

Church became the first team from Oldham to lift the coveted trophy, a feat that no other team from the town has managed since.

And it could all have been so different if it wasn’t for an unfortunate Achilles injury to winger Kenny Bamblin, a Church player who had played in every round of the competition but had to sit out the showpiece final.

Bamblin’s injury meant that a rookie 17-year-old, Wayne Sydall, was drafted into the side by manager Tommy Jump.

As Bamblin watched from the sidelines at the ICI Blackley ground, Sydall emerged an unlikely hero by scoring two of the Church goals.

Bamblin (59), a caretaker at the Chronicle, said: “I got the injury in a midweek match. I felt a red-hot pain in my Achilles and I was out for three weeks, which coincided with the final.

“I found myself encouraging Wayne from the sidelines. He was a bit nervous, but he had a good game.

“It was a real privilege to play with those lads. They we were unbeatable. We won nearly everything in a four-year spell.”

The other goalscorers for Church were Keith Ward and man-of-the-match Jack Hurst.

One player who remembers the final well is Trevor Lewis, a consistent centre-back whose detailed scrapbook revealed many fine images of the day.

Lewis said: “Tommy Jump had this knack of picking the right team from what was a great squad of players.

“It was a tough match against a very good side, but we were worthy winners.

“It says something about the Church side that their record has lasted so long.”

Lewis (57) made records of his own 15 years later in a local league cricket match.

In a second XI game for Royton in 1994, Lewis hit an incredible six sixes in an over against Crompton.




A REUNION of Church Inn players, officials and followers from all stages of the club is being held on Friday night at Royton Cricket Club (8pm).


WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Kenny Bamblin: Chronicle caretaker.

John May: Company director in Chesterfield.

Jack Hurst: One of the senior management team for Oldham Council.

Mick Jump: Unused substitute in the final, Royton-based.

John Hampson senior: Followed Church Inn everywhere, died in 1989.

Dave Lees: Now living in St Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada.

Keith Ward: Director of a local engineering company.

Ian Green: Former Latics goalkeeper, still based in Royton.

Kevin Yates: Retired joiner and a member of Royton CC bowls team.

Tommy Jump: Self-employed joiner living in Royton.

Neil Hilton: Better known as ‘Snowy’, school teacher in Heywood.

Tommy Dwayre: Locally-based, second half substitute in the final.

Trevor Lewis: Representative for a Middlesbrough-based sports company.

Gary Wilson: Nicknamed ‘Kang’, now living in Delph.

Alan Whiston: Captain of the Lancashire over-50’s cricket team.

Fred Mayall: Locally-based, one of the best defenders of his time.

Wayne Sydall: If Bamblin had been fit, would not have played in the final — enough said!