Wakefield grassroots football club Peacock FC celebrates 50 year anniversary and remembers stalwart Steve McHale

Peacock FC formed at its namesake estate and pub, which is now the Red Lion, and has played 50 seasons since.

At a bash over May Bank Holiday, which the club hopes will attract hundreds of former players, they will commemorate the life of Steve McHale, who was involved in the club until his death last month.

The club started from a Leeds United supporter group based at the Peacock pub.

Club secretary Adrian O’Malley was one of the original players and then in his last year of school.

He said: “I was playing for the pub team but I wasn't old enough to get into the pub.”

Since then there’s been ups and downs for the club both on the pitch and in trying to keep it afloat.

Adrian said: “The first team we had I thought was good, we won a league and cups.

“A team in the 90s used to play a team in Ireland – that was a good era – we used to go to Country Galway and they came over here.

"Won a league cup in the noughties, but more of the good times might have been in the pub than on the pitch.

"Over the years we haven't won a lot at all but everyone says it's always good fun playing for the Peacock.”

Since then it’s become harder for players to commit to every Sunday.

Adrian notes that in the 1970s many players would have worked Monday to Friday in pits or factories that no longer exist.

He said: "Now, if you turn up you get a game. We know our strongest team but most weeks if we have a couple of subs we're happy.

"Some are more regular than others, let's put it that way."

He said pub closures had meant many of the teams from that era were no longer around.

Clubs from Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Castleford moved into the Wakefield and District Sunday League.

He said: “It's sad that grassroots football has suffered. In terms of pitches and changing rooms, councils haven't got the money, it's expensive to run a team. Insurance and everything.

"But really you're just doing it for fun, the lads love it and it’s important to keep it going as long as we can.

“We've been swimming against the tide really. Many clubs started to disband but we have kept going for 50 years."

This year the club could face relegation to the second tier of the league but Adrian said everyone was determined to carry on.

He said: “All lads have said they want at least another season and they are determined to get back up if we go down .

"We want to keep the club going, for how long we don't know. We've been on verge of folding so many times but we always keep it going.

"The lads said ‘we have to do another season for Steve’.”

The club will play its last league game of the season on Sunday, May 4 followed by the event at the Red Lion.

There will be a presentation, celebration of Steve’s life and performance by covers band The Cheats.