First watching the Blues as a young boy, accompanying his father to Shawbridge games, Chris was more inclined to swing on the pitch side rails than observing the games.

The ground was a far cry from today, with just the cover behind one goal and the main stand with the changing room underneath which cost 6d to get in.

It was the 50-year-old’s teenage years that saw his affection grow for then Lancashire Combinations side, attending more and more games. His first away game was a 1980 match at Colne Dynamoes, the spontaneous affair came after a friend passed their driving test then borrowed their father’s car for the day.

“We won the Lancashire Combinations in 1979/80, I do remember going to down to quit a few games, about 50 would turn up, there wasn’t a great sense of expectation and success and if there was the league was static, there wasn’t a pyramid like today, it was just Lancashire Combination and that’s it,” recalled Chris.

The static nature of non-league football was moulded into a more competitive pyramid for the 1982/83 season as the North West Counties was formed. This change meant Chris was about see a transformation in his club.

“Northwest counties was only created in 82/83 and that’s when things started getting interesting, it was the trigger for some of the Clitheroe’s best teams,” recollected Chris.

The North West Counties League had three tiers; just like that Clitheroe had promotion and relegation to fight for. However, at the end of 1986-87 season, this was reduced to two as a result of the formation of a First Division of the Northern Premier League also known as the third tier of English football.

“Northwest counties was only created in 82/83 and that’s when things started getting interesting, it was the trigger for some of the Clitheroe’s best teams,” recollected Chris.

Chris continued:

“For me the Eric Whalley years were the best, Eric created the only team to win back to back divisions, he probably created what was the best non league team in the north of England and the calibre of the players we had then was fantastic, great team spirit, I think we were unbeaten in the league for two and a half years.”

“We had Steve Mullen who was without a doubt the best player to ever play for Clitheroe, he was 25, the man absolutely in his prime, he was outrageously gifted. It was some of the best football going.”

“Eric Whalley was the man that brought it all together, he died this year, it was a huge loss to non league football” reflected Chris.

It was the 1985/86 season that the Blue’s won the league, however their elevation through non-league football was stalled.

“We won the North West Counties League in 85/86 the following year the Northern Premier decided to create a first division and promoted teams from northwest counties and not only did we not get promoted, we effectively got leapfrogged by other teams, whilst we stayed in North West Counties Division 1 because we didn’t have floodlights.

“In my twenties I got involved with the floodlight fund and the club itself was quite rocky off the pitch and it became clear I had to get involved with the running of it, when I was in my mid twenties I ended up being chairman for a year,” Chris explained.

It was a short rein at the top of Shawbridge for Chris, as he moved between roles before finally settling as secretary. The chief executive of a small business went onto talk about how taking responsibility of his boyhood club was more passionate necessity than wish.

“I think with a non league club there of three distinct elements. One is getting right on the pitch, one getting it right off the pitch and one is hosting games. Three are linked but a very separate things, of course if you don’t get the off the field stuff right there won’t be a club on which I can enjoy the football.

“I’m a fan and it was a case of if there some sort of part I could play to help the off the field activities then I would do it,” Chris detailed.

The secretary spoke about some of the more memorable days at Shawbridge, reminiscing about the times when the blues were led by non-league legend Eric Whalley.

Chris took over the secretary role on a more continual basis following the failing health of 40 year Club Veteran Colin Wilson.

“We lost Colin Wilson our secretary of 40 years who died at the start of the year, and I think he was finding the work load quite hard, I said I’ll step into the role because somebody had to, it wasn’t a desire to be secretary it was desire that off the field we were a strong team that I could play a very small part in,” he recounted.

The last time Clitheroe picked up silverware away from the league was in the 1998/99 season when they lifted the North West Counties Floodlight Trophy. Prior to that the Blues’ best cup run in recent years was an FA Vase cup final at Wembley against Brigg Town, they lost 3-0.

But for the man who proudly places his Clitheroe FC mug on the office desk, trophies aren’t the be all and end all.

“Being a football supporter is a steady diet of misery, with high points of victory. I don’t measure pleasure or joy in terms of winning medals, but when there is success because it has been so sparing you do enjoy it, we’re not some big time club, every success we get we’ve earned through the players and the graft off the pitch as well,” illuminated Chris.

“That’s almost what being a fan of Clitheroe Football club means, that you’ve got shared memories, shared experiences, almost part of your history, whilst it is about last minute winner and it is around fantastic away trips and it is about trips to Wembley, it’s really about chanting on the terraces and going with the same 20 or 30 people to the away games and continuing that friendship, “ he added.

Such shared memories came in the form of epic FA Vase trips to Tiverton, Burgess Hill, Chippenham and Mangotsfield. Along with the 2000+ attnedence at Shawbridge watching a 113th minute goal which saw the Blues book their place in the final. One of the greatest memories was Reno’s goal in the final 10 minutes of the 2003/04 season, a goal which put Clitheroe 3-2 up, meaning the league title was theirs, the passion of a pitch invasion followed.

Non-league football is an accountant’s nightmare, finances are often not there or not enough, many league clubs have succumb to the big A. Administration has taken several at this level, the likes of Darlington FC and Northwich Victoria are more recent non-league casualties.

Although, the Shawbridge Sec has no such fears.

“I genuinely feel this is one of the best run non league clubs in this league,” said Chris.

“Got to mention the ridiculous level of work put in by Anne, Billy and Andrew. My efforts pale into comparison. Also delighted to have Andy Breckell as match day secretary with his encyclopaedic knowledge of football as an ex football league linesman and conference referee.”

Looking to the future Chris is excited about the current shape the Blues are in.

“I’m very pleased we’ve got a youth team, I like simon’s approach of having players who know where Clitheroe is and want to play for each other and the team.” He said.

Despite Clitheroe being secure off the pitch, the secretary does have one regret,

“My only regret is not doing better in the FA Cup, we’ve never got in, the nearest we’ve got in my memory was getting into the third round qualifier against Harrogate and we didn’t quite make it to the 4th round

“I always fancied getting that ten second snippet on match of the day, that’s always been one I’m desperate for us achieve, it’s always been the goal, but there’s a few years yet!” Chris concluded.