Emotional memorial lunch for Belvedere and Calder Vale Sports Club

During the last 18 months, the long-standing Burnley sports club lost quite a number of much loved, veteran players who over the decades graced the playing fields of the club in Holden Road.

Sadly, due to the pandemic, the club had been unable to hold any wakes or simple meetings of members to recognise their passing and celebrate their lives.

So on Saturday a special service was held, attended by over 120 members, and started with short stories of all those being commemorated.

Chairman of the club, Ian Wilkinson, said: "We held a special event to remember all those of our members, and former players, who passed away during the coronavirus pandemic – we wanted to do this as during the pandemic, we were unable to attend funerals, or gather to share our memories.

"Father David Featherstone, parish priest of the Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption, Burnley, led the assembly in some spiritual healing, and then in prayers in memory of those who had passed away. This was then followed by a 'Corinthian' lunch and celebrations in memory of all those who passed, not just in the pandemic, but in living memory."

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson spoke about the power of amateur sport to bind a community and sometimes change lives, especially for young and disadvantaged people – he also paid tribute to the long history of Belvedere and Calder Vale Sports Club of working with the local communities and congratulated the club's recent award of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Those remembered at the lunch were: Ray Marquis, Ivan Clegg, Eric Haworth, John Dinsdale, John Collier, Shaun Sumner, Trevor Robinson, Brian Edmondson, Simon Turner, Canon David Towers, Terry Clegg, Gerald Martland, Wilf Sparks and Bob Nuttall.