Trevor Westwood - Rushall Olympic

It was with deep sadness that members of Rushall Olympic Football Club have learned of the passing of their friend, colleague, former stalwart committee member and record appearance maker TREVOR WESTWOOD last night following a long illness.

Trevor had been associated with Rushall Olympic for many, many years and really was one of life's true gentlemen and a dear friend to all who knew him.

His first associations with Olympic were known to date back prior to 1958, before his spell of National Service intervened. Indeed, he was certainly playing in the old gold and black colours during season 1956-57. However, upon returning to Civvie Street he was apparently lured away for around a season by then fierce local rivals Pelsall Villa. Fortunately, he finally saw sense and returned to his spiritual home of the Pics and went on to enjoy a tremendous playing career that spanned a club record 557 appearances - a figure that may well now never be broken, given the financial temptations that are put the way of today's footballers.

Having a real eye for a goal the fleet footed Trevor also netted 185 times for Rushall, with his haul putting him into fourth place in the all-time record goal scorers list of the club.

During the peak of his career he was a key member of the Rushall Olympic side who had become one of the powerhouses of football in Staffordshire during the 1960's as the Staffs County League South Division One Championship was clinched in seasons 1960-61, 61-62, 62-63 and 64-65. Meanwhile, a plethora of trophy wins were also claimed, that included the likes of the Walsall Senior Cup, Sporting Star Cup, Lichfield Charity Cup, J.W. Edge Cup, Walsall Memorial Charity Cup and Wednesbury Senior Cup - some of which were won on several occasions each.

When Trevor's playing career finally came to an end, although he was still playing during season 1973-74, he had already turned his attentions to Rushall Olympic's off the field activities after becoming a member of the club committee towards the end of season 1972-73 - making it an awesome 35 years of service to Olympic as a club official, until ill health resulted in him taking a back seat.

During that era the club moved rapidly forward both on and off the pitch from Rushall's Rowley Place to the Aston University Sports Ground in 1975.

Trevor was one of the fondly remembered Rushall Olympic "Magnificent Seven" that also included Brian Greenwood, Mick Clayton, Graham Wiggin, Johnny Edwards, Brian Humphries - who all joined forces and enlisted the help of Councillor Dick Arkell to obtain the lease of some land in Daw End, Rushall, to eventually mastermind the Pics return to the village at our current Dales Lane home in 1977 - and the rest, as they say, is history.

In April 2008 during a special evening at Dales Lane faces from Rushall Olympic both past and present came together to celebrate the remarkable achievement of him serving the Pics magnificently for 50 consecutive years. The special surprise evening was laid on for the genial gentleman of Dales Lane by his family, friends and colleagues as the tremendous achievement of the guest of honour was marked by the presentation of a an increasingly rare Football Association Long Service Award.

Trevor leaves behind wife Patricia (Pat), who herself had an extremely long association with Rushall Olympic as Treasurer and on the ladies committee.

On behalf of the club we would like to take this opportunity to offer our most sincere and heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Pat, their children, grand children and all of their family and countless friends for their immense loss.

Details of Trevor's funeral arrangements will be disclosed by the club in due course.