Rockin' Robin celebrates eighth decade!

Far from taking it easy in his 'golden years', Ashton United's President Ronnie Thomasson was out and about celebrating his 80th birthday at the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League club's Hurst Cross on Tuesday night, writes Jez Sayle.

Thomasson, pictured left with Robins Director Eric Stafford, was welcomed by a clubhouse packed full of family, friends, and club representatives past and present including former players Peter Carty, Darren Royle and Andy Johnston who won promotion to Conference North as well as collecting three successive Manchester Premier Cups just over a decade ago.

Having followed the Premier Division's Robins for most of his life, Thomasson became Chairman when the club was languishing in the second division of the North West Counties League back in the mid-1980s. When he stepped up the club was in such a state he was told he'd probably be the last ever person to hold the role!

But through the efforts of the committee under his stewardship, United rose through the ranks to reach the Northern Premier League in 1992 - having massively improved facilities at the ground in the process.

Tuesday's birthday boy became President some twenty years ago when just a young lad in his early 60s - and is still a regular at the ground where he's shown such devotion over the years.