BLACKBURN Rovers fan Ned Longworth has supported his hometown club since he was just six.

And yesterday the retired salesman celebrated his 100th birthday in style with a special day at the club’s Brockhall training ground.

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Ned, of Lower Darwen, who can recall the 1928 FA Cup-winning side entirely from memory, watched the team train, ate dinner with them and got a special behind-the-scenes look at the club’s state-of-the-art training ground.

He was also presented with a special Rovers shirt by manager Gary Bowyer, signed by all the players and with ‘Ned 100’ on the back. Ned, a widower, is a great-grandfather-of-two.

He said: “I am very grateful for the hospitality and everything is world class.”

Ned, who says the best player he saw in Rovers colours was Alan Shearer, said he had some special memories from more than nine decades of watching the club.

He said: “In 1924 we had an inside forward called Johnny McIntyre and he scored four goals in five minutes in a First Division match against Everton.

“You will never see anything like that again.

“I have been to Wembley three times — and in 1960, when we lost the Cup Final to Wolves, that was very painful.

“But I saw Colin Hendry score the winner in the Full Members Cup Final in 1987 and that was very good.”

Ned, who served five years in the Army and fought his way from Belgium to France during the Second World War, said he had received a telegram from the Queen in the morning and had received more than 60 cards.

He said: “I have been up since 6.55am and it has been non-stop today!

“I would like to thank all the people who have sent me cards and their kind wishes.”