FOOTBALLERS who played on Low Bentham's pitch when it was last used 42 years ago returned to the ground to see today's players contest a Craven Cup match.

Eleven men who played on the pitch in the North Lancs league returned to Low Bentham for an afternoon of nostalgia.

Unfortunately they didn't see a victory as Bentham went down 2-1 to Earby.

The pitch, owned by the Hewitt family, was last played on 42 years ago, but has been brought back into use on a temporary basis while Bentham's usual ground is redeveloped.

Bentham's playing fields are undergoing a facelift with drainage and upgrading work thanks to the Market Towns Initiative and local fundraising.

Forty years ago there were two local teams - Bentham Wanderers at Low Bentham and Bentham United at High Bentham and a healthy rivalry existed between the two.

The former players' ages now total 865, ranging from 63 to 82.

Ron Tomlinson, 82, estimated the field had been used for football for about 100 years as his father had also played on the pitch.

The former players were Ron Tomlinson, Cyril Tomlinson, Geoff Wilson, fred Carter, Wac Carter, Mike Smith, Bill Noble, Jim Ellershaw, Cliff Fisher, Ronnie Fleming and Frank Wheildon.