Paul Rudkin has made his 959th – and possibly final – appearance for Spalding and District Sunday League side Jubilee FC.
At 65-years-old, the man who has been with the club since its fourth match back in 1977, is finally calling it a day.
He’s been either secretary or manager for all but a handful of those games.
It’s possible there’s one last appearance – Paul is pondering on whether to name himself in the squad for the Mont Pell Trophy final against South Holland United at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field on April 16.
He had hoped to make it to 1,000 appearances and that looked very possible after completing his 900th , in October 2018.
“But along came COVID,” Paul said. “That and also the Sunday League only has seven teams this season – there were four divisions and 52 teams when I started!
“Maybe if there had been 12 or so teams for the past couple of seasons I might’ve managed it.
“It’s disappointing but I’ve been very lucky and enjoyed every minute of it.”
Even when a doctor said a simultaneous groin strain and pulled calf muscle probably ought to signal the end of his playing days after 500+ appearances, there was more to come.
“I’d been out for a while and was watching a game at West Pinchbeck. The ball flew out of play and I trapped it,” Paul said.
“I thought ‘well, that didn’t hurt.’
“So I managed to cram in another 20 years!”
He’s actually a lot nearer to 1,000 league and cup appearances but nobody knows just how close.
He played about 20 matches for Still Vaults before joining bottom-of-the-league Jubilee just after the club was formed in Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee year.
Getting changed in a glasshouse at Pick’s Farm, Deeping St Nicholas, ahead of that first game – a 5-0 defeat to Littleworth Reserves – Paul couldn’t have imagined the incredible feat which was ahead of him.
If indeed the match does turn out to be his last appearance, it wasn’t how it was supposed to end – a 4-2 defeat to Gedney Hillbillies.
Paul’s notched 96 goals for Jubilee, even being joint leading goalscorer – with two – until February this year!
Few players can say they were still turning out, let alone scoring, at 65.
He is Spalding Sunday League’s untouchable legend.
