Sporty yedscratter solved - after 19 years! IT might take a little time, but customers of this ancient page can usually be relied upon to produce the goods. For instance, Mike McLoughlin of Eccleston has come up with the answer to one of my sporty yedscratters - almost 20 years later!

Which, I reckon, must qualify as summat of a record.

Mike, from Gillars Green Drive, explains the reason for this incredible delay: "While looking through copies of the Star in the local archive library, I came across a report in the edition of September 16, 1979."

Mike's eye had alighted on a flashback photo of a mystery rugby player, featured on the Whalley's World page - and he immediately recognised him as his grandad, Teddy McLoughlin. Teddy was pictured alongside old-time St Helens Recs player Joe McNulty.

Mike explains that his grandad was a guest player with Recs at some time, though he actually staked his claim to sporting fame with Rochdale Hornets. He earned a Challenge Cup medal during the 1921-22 season with the Hornets and was the only player from St Helens to own a cup winners' medal from the days of the old Northern Union which pre-dated the present RL set-up.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.