THE picture of the mystery 1887 Rossendale football team said to be England's "national champions," sent to Looking Back last week by Bud Johnson, of New Hampshire, USA, is probably the Valley's Irwell Springs side of that year, says Stacksteads reader Michael Toman.

But he believes the notion they were the country's champs is a myth passed down in family lore to Bud, whose mother was born in Bacup and whose grandfather, Miles Dyson, among the players pictured, emigrated to America early last century.

For 71-year-old Michael is another of old Miles' kin -- his great nephew, in fact.

And following last week's glimpse of his footballing ancestor, he plans to contact Bud to branch out his research into their family tree.