ULVERSTON pensioner Derek Akister is looking for help to unravel a 63-year-old sporting mystery.

He was cleaning some rugby silverware at his beloved Ulverston RLFC clubhouse a while back when he came across a trophy different from the rest on display... it had a football on top of it.

The only thing Derek knows for sure about the cup is that it was presented in 1952 to the winners of a soccer competition called the Silver Tuesday Night tournament. He would be more than happy to part with the trophy if he can find a home for it, and he’d like to know the story behind it.

“Ulverston rugby won a trophy a lot of years back and somehow they lost the rugby trophy and this one had turned up in its place,” explained Derek.

“Somewhere there has been a mix-up. I’d like to know what to do with it. It was a competition for pub teams and shop teams but that’s all I know.

“I was going through some stuff at Ulverston Sports Club and doing a bit of a clean-up and I saw this one with a football on top of it. I thought these are the rugby trophies, why is that there?

“Then one of the lads told me that it got presented instead of a rugby trophy.”

Derek has dedicated 56 loyal years of service to Ulverston RL and gave up his voluntary duties only recently as he looks forward to his 80th birthday next year.

He played for Ulverston as a full-back until he was 40, and when he finished playing he stayed involved with the sport as a referee and took up coaching at Ulverston, including helping out with mini-rugby and girls’ teams.

l If anyone can help identify the trophy or can help Derek in his search for answers, call him on 01229 584666.