WHEN you've worked at a football club for 50 years, you might expect to start breaking some length of service records.

But Keith Lord, who celebrates his 50th year at Clitheroe this season, has no intention of setting any records - he is happy for his father Arthur to take that particular accolade.

"My dad was here for 55 years," said the Blues groundsman, who has been the physio, manager, chairman and kitman at the North West Counties first division club over the years.

"I came here in 1952 as the physio and I have done almost everything else since then!

"But I don't expect to be doing the groundsman's job in another 12 months. I'll still come down here but I don't think I'll be able to carry on for too much longer."

Lord, who is now 70, has been a regular at Shawbridge since he was eight years old and fell into an official role by accident.

The side were playing at Nelson, without a physio, and when one of the players went down injured Lord stepped in.

"I didn't really know what I was doing and then when I went home my brother, who was an ambulanceman, went mad and said I had better get some training with the St John's Ambulance."

A retired painter and decorater, Lord has seen some turbulent times over the years.

The club was threatened with expulsion from the Lancashire Combination in 1980 - just a year after winning the title for the first time in 103 years - because of the dilapidated state of the ground.

The then chairman Cyril Whiteside said at the time: "The floor of the changing rooms has rotted and anyone using them is taking their life in their hands."

But a massive fundraising effort raised tens of thousands of pounds for ground improvements.

"Things started going downhill," said Lord. "The club struggled a lot financially and there were a lot of good clubs in the Lancashire Combination like Southport and Morecambe, we never stood much of a chance. It was a good league.

"They threatened to throw us out if we didn't bring the ground up to standard but then the fans formed a supporters club and they raised £37,000 to clear the club's debts.

"Our Treasurer, Terry Nelson, he moans a bit but he's as good a Treasurer as I've known."

But less than 10 years later, in 1989, the club was in crisis again when, with debts of around £20,000, club officials had creditors breathing down their necks for repayment of debts.

But the club has enjoyed good times to match the bad.

After the Lancashire Combination title win in 1980 they joined the North West Counties League and were promoted as champions of the third division in 1984, promoted again as champions of the second division 12 months later and were crowned champions of the first 12 months after that.

And the side went to Wembley in 1996 in the FA Vase final - although they were beaten 3-0 by Brigg Town.

But Lord reckons today's side - whose FA Vase dream was shattered just nine days ago when they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Whitley Bay - is better than any he has seen at the club.

"We have had some good teams over the years but not as good as the team we have today. If we hadn't had such a bad winter here I think we could have won the league this year.

"Dave Burgess (former Blues manager) did well here last season but this guy (current manager Lee Sculpher) is brilliant, the best manager I have known down here. He can talk to people and they listen to him.

"If we'd had this team at Wembley in 1996 we'd have won and we had quite a good side back then with some good players like Simon Westwell and Carlo Nash.

"But it is the best atmosphere down here there has ever been. When lads move on to UniBond clubs and then come back saying they would rather play for Clitheroe there can't be much wrong.

"They're a real good set of lads, there are a few comics. Neil Spencer gets up to all sorts but I couldn't possibly say what!

"I have some great memories, like our FA Vase wins last season at Wimbourne and at Chippenham.

"The Wimbourne game was one of the most exciting matches I've seen at this level. We were losing 2-1 and then equalised in the fourth minute of injury time and went on to win.

"We did think our name was on the cup last year until we went to Taunton."

The side were confident they could beat Taunton over two legs but capitulated in the first leg, going down 5-0. They won the second leg 4-3 despite going 3-0 up in the first 20 minutes.

But Lord is getting used to FA Vase disappointment after the devastating blow last week and the 1996 disappointment.

"It took me about two months to get over the defeat at Wembley. I really thought we were going to win it that year but it wasn't to be."

But there has been success in other competitions and it has been enough to keep Lord occupied - and entertained - for half a century.

"I have a lot of good memories like when we won the Lancashire Trophy in 1985 beating Barrow at Preston.

"I couldn't watch League football now. You can't when you've been involved at a club like this for so long.

"I'd sooner go and watch a game on Roefield and watch young lads play than pay £40 to see a League game."

And behind every great man, so they say, is an even better woman, and Lord can thank his understanding wife Peggy for putting up with Clitheroe for all these years. "I have a good understanding with the wife, she's got used to it."

Her patience may be stretched though, if her husband carries on for as long as his dad did!