Ant and Ian steering the good ship Santos

SANTOS STALWARTS . . . Ian Ward (left) and Anthony Duffy

ANT and Dec have been the mainstay of prime-time television for what seems like ages, but at Lancashire and Cheshire League club Santos there is an Ant and, erm, Ian, both stalwarts in their own right, writes JOHN GILDER

Probably the ultimate volunteer, 54-year-old Ian Ward is into his ninth season with Division Three outfit Santos, his eighth as the open-age secretary.

He said: "It really is just like volunteering work and the camaraderie is good, even though I am old enough to be a father to most, if not all, of the players.

"It isn't what I would call an easy job as secretary, especially in the winter months when the weather can be testing."

TASKS

Ward's match-day tasks include greeting the referee, introducing himself to the opposing players and officials, making sure that the corner-flag poles and goal nettings are okay, collecting players' subs, paying the referee his match fee and also running the line as assistant referee.

There are many peripheral duties which the ultra reliable Ward commits himself to, such as attending midweek league meetings.

A warehouse worker at the Vine Mill in Royton, Ward was once an avid follower of Oldham Roughyeds and attended most home matches at the old Watersheddings ground.

But since his marriage to Michele almost five years ago, he has had to re-assess his weekend time.

Ward added: "I still keep an eye out for the Roughyeds, but my time is tight and there is a job to do with Santos which I get quite a lot from.

"On the pitch itself, it hasn't always been easy, especially when we lost our second team and a league re-structure meant we moved up a few divisions.

"We are bottom of the table right now but hopefully we aim to move up the table."

Player-manager Alex Taylor and Patrick Harwood take care of on-field matters for Santos and, despite their current lowly status, the side looks very equipped to steer itself clear of the drop.

And one player in particular who has blossomed with Santos this season is striker Ant Duffy, who has scored in each of the side's last 10 games and is the leading marksman with twelve goals.

Duffy (29), who formerly played for Broadgate and High Crompton Conservative Club in the Oldham Sunday League said: "This is my third season with Santos and the playing side has become much better because the lads have stuck together for the last twelve months.

"We train every Tuesday night and we have nights out together and that helps the team spirit.

"I think we are good enough to move up the table and for me personally I would like to hit the twenty-mark for goals by the end of the season."

EVERYTHING

As for Ward, Duffy added: "He is the sort of person who we just couldn't do without at Santos because he does just about everything for us.

"He lives and breathes football and we appreciate everything he does for us."

Ant's father John, who passed away in 2015, played for Oldham Sunday League club Norweb in the 1990s.