NEW Gardeners have ended their long running association with the Blackburn Sunday League - but it is not the end of the story, just the start of a new chapter.

While the Darwen club have decided to call it a day after 20 years with the league it will now concentrate its efforts on the Junior Gardeners - the younger section of the club formed four years ago.

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The popular team will be a sad loss to the league but Dave Berry, who was manager and secretary, says they will be back once the current batch of young players rise through the ranks.

“I suppose it is the end of an era but it is not the end of New Gardeners,” said Berry. “We’re having a bit of a sabbatical, it just happens it will be a rather long sabbatical.”

One of the Blackburn Sunday League’s longest serving teams went out on a high by winning the league title - the third time they had achieved that feat in the last 20 years - while Berry and Paddy Lauber were both honoured at the end of season presentation awards.

Berry won the President’s Award while Lauber was presented with the League Special Award.

Fittingly, New Gardeners were also named team of the year.

The honour came as a complete surprise for Berry who got a taste of his own medicine.

“I nominated Paddy for an award because he has been a great servant for the club and for the league in general,” he said. “I didn’t think for a minute I would get my award, so it was a bit of a shock when they called out my name.”

Berry is the latest in a line of managers who have serve the club with distinction following club founder John Shorrock, who has sadly passed away, Barry Kirby, Steve Banks and Steve Eggleston.

However, Berry who also took over the secretary’s role decided at the beginning of last season that he wanted to step down and concentrate on running the Junior Gardeners Under Nines team.

“For me personally, it all got a bit too much. I was manager and secretary and it was getting more and more stressful,” said Berry.

“I made the decision at the start of the season that I wanted to have a complete break.

“It is a tough job running a team and I have respect for anyone who does it because it is a lot harder than people think. Ideally, we wanted someone to come in and take over the role but it had to be right person who was right for New Gardeners.

“Unfortunately, no-one came forward so we had to make the decision to call it a day and fold the team.

“It’s not anyone really wanted but in the end, it was the only choice.

“The last thing anyone would have wanted would have been someone to take it on half heartedly and then half way through the season for every thing to fall apart.”

Despite the sad news, Berry says he has plenty of fond memories with the club which includes winning the Division One league title three times, the Second Division title once and also winning the Blue and White Rosebowl once.

But it is the friendships forged that have been his lasting memory.

“We have enjoyed our fair bit of success on the pitch and it was nice to finish on a high but the best memories are the mates I have made over the years and they are friends for life.”

Berry also gave a special mention to June Shorrock who ran the club with her late husband John. She reluctantly took the stage when New Gardeners won their team of the year award.

“June didn’t want to go up but we made her because she is very much part of New Gardeners,” he added.

“I took over the team because of what John and June did for the club. I played for John when he ran Darwen Town U12s so I have known him most of my life. I was devastated when he died so me working with our juniors teams is kind of carrying on the work he did.”