The final whistle for ex-Latics doctor

Dr. John Kelsall (right) and Joe Royle at Wembley 29th April 1991. Littlewoods Cup Final Oldham Athletic v Nottingham Forest.

A LEES GP and former Oldham Athletic doctor is hanging up his stethoscope today after 41 years.

Dr John Kelso (64) qualified as a doctor in 1970, following in the footsteps of his father, Henry Herbert, who was a GP in Oldham.

His first job was at Boundary Park Hospital where he worked with IVF pioneer Patrick Steptoe, who was developing the treatment which led to the birth of the world’s first test-tube baby, Louise Brown.

Dr Kelso said: “It was an exciting time, of course it was.

“It was the start of all the fertility treatment he was doing and we used to get people from all over the world to see him.”

Dr Kelso also worked with Mr Steptoe’s partner, Professor Robert Edwards, at Dr Kershaw’s Cottage Hospital, where Louise was later born in 1978.

“He used to come up from Cambridge at that time when they were refrigerating the eggs. It was very interesting but of course at that time they hadn’t perfected it,” added Dr Kelso.

The father-of-three went into general practice in Lees in 1972 at Dr Walker’s High Street practice, and has been at Leesbrook surgery for 15 years.

A lifelong Oldham Athletic fan — his grandfather was director — he was the club doctor for nearly 30 years until 2004.

The stint included the glory years under manager Joe Royle, accompanying the team to the Littlewoods Cup Final against Nottingham Forest at Wembley in 1990, the year before they were promoted to the top flight.

“It was fantastic, a wonderful time, happy memories. There was a great camaraderie there with Joe Royle,” said Dr Kelso.

“It was great going to Wembley with them and seeing them there. It was the peak of their history.”

Dr Kelso is married to Joyce, a fitness instructor, and they have two grandchildren. The couple live in Grasscroft and he is looking forward to doing more walking, travelling and gardening.

“All my relatives were doctors on my father’s side. I followed in a similar station and I have no regrets,” he added.

“The one thing I will miss is the patient contact because I have seen quite a lot of generations. Some families I have looked after four generations.”