Schoolboy who felt guilty about controversial goal in 1972 local derby organises rematch
A FORMER schoolboy footballer who felt guilty about his controversial goal in a 1972 local derby organised a rematch to put his 'demons to bed'.
Graeme Jones, 60, admitted shoving the opposition goalkeeper over the line while he was holding the ball in the last minute of the grudge match. His goal had earned Gayton Primary School, from the Wirral, Merseyside, a 1-1 draw with arch-rivals St Peter's CofE School half a century ago.
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But the former Royal Navy instructor said he was determined to "put right a wrong" after learning of the result's lasting impact on his aggrieved rivals.
Graeme, from Gayton, Merseyside, spent two years assembling old school teammates after coming up with the plan during lockdown.
Unfortunately, his reactivated team lost the rematch 6-2 on Saturday at nearby Heswall FC. But his side recreated an old squad photo that had appeared in a local paper when they were just 10, with all the original players featured.
Graeme said: "I felt guilty, but I wasn't aware of the impact. But when I spoke to my neighbour Craig, who played for St Peter's, he told me, 'I remember that game, and I've never forgiven you. You shoved the goalkeeper about 10 feet behind the line.'
"I thought, I'm going to start fishing around to find out where they are, and it grew from there."
On the rematch, he said: "We stuffed, because they had a couple of ringers! demons have been put bed. My conscience is clear now, and we would have still lost regardless. I wanted to turn a wrong into a right."
