SOUTH Reading footballers laced up for a cause on a sweltering May afternoon 34 years ago.
South Reading Community Centre took on Windsor in a match for youngster Paul Makepeace as players took to a rock-hard pitch.
The picture, which was posted on Whitley Community Museum’s Facebook page, garnered a strong response from its members, with many reminiscing about the event and recognising loved ones.
Curator David Turner explained: “I found this photograph in our archive collection without any information. But with 95 responses, I soon had a history of this particular team and the event of that particular day.
“It was a charity football match between SRCC and Windsor for Mr and Mrs Makepeace’s son, Paul. What I didn’t know when I posted this photograph was that it was in fact Paul’s 37th birthday.
“I have said before that local football teams created a camaraderie not seen in today’s era of PlayStations keeping people indoors.”
Collectively, commenters were able to identify the vast majority of the team.
Trevor Absolom said: “They were great days. Dave Stannett had the best left peg outside of pro football,” while Steve Priest described the event as a “great day out”.
With over 4,800 followers on Facebook, the Whitley Community Museum is an accessible online and in-person resource.
The group serves as a platform for residents past and present to share memories through photographs and comments.
It also allows group members to reconnect, with members reacquainting themselves with friends and schoolmates from decades ago.
The museum held a Whitley Way Back When event at the Community Cafe on Northumberland Avenue earlier this year to showcase its photographs and exhibits in-person.
For more information, search: Whitley Community Museum on www.facebook.com
