GOT a friendly little slap on the wrist from old-time goalkeeper Jim (Jemmy) Barnett. This was for my lack of sporting knowledge concerning a "mystery" soccer shield unearthed in St Joseph's Club, Peasley Cross.

A picture of the shield, kindly brought to my attention by reader Bill Rattigan, was featured on this page (July 30). It was at first thought to be the Windle Pilkington trophy, competed for in the long gone St Helens Sunday School League.

Not so, claims died-in-the-wool Yicker Jemmy. It was, he adds, the old Austin Pilkington Shield which he once had the honour of helping to hold aloft.

"And," he goes on pointedly, "you and Eric Bond (my old Haydock pal who's now chairman of St Helens Combination) should have known that!" Jemmy was between the sticks when Haydock St Mark's won that large and impressive trophy way back in 1938. His younger brother, Edwin, played full-back for the church's second team at that time, some seasons before Eric Bond began his long and illustrious non-League career - still to be found kicking a football with St Helens Town Reserves when nudging 50.

Jemmy Barnett himself was an umistakable character on the junior soccer league, looking more like the Invisible Man than a top-notch 'keeper.

Just about the only part of his anatomy on show during matches was the tip of his nose - Jemmy's goalkeeping gear comprising a floppy peaked cap, roll-necked jumper that reached to his bottom lip, large gloves, long baggy shorts, knee-pads and long stockings.

Yet despite that mummy-like appearance he was as agile as a cat and a thrill provoking all-action shot stopper.

PLEASED to hear, after a gap of many years, that the old sporting hero is still very much alive and kicking!

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