The Blackburn Community league was formed in 1985 by Ismail Esat and Iqbal Bhai. Twenty years ago games were played at Daisyfield Playing fields before moving to its present home at Witton Park in 1987.

Years earlier in 1982 Iqbal and Ismail also ran the Northern Sunday League but that was 6-a-side.

It has been a long and winding road for these two champions of local football and this special feature is to celebrate their undying voluntary work and those who have assisted them.

The fact that this league now boasts over 50 teams from all backgrounds in both the summer and winter is due to their hard work and determination.

So after months of judging and petty arguments the results are in. Here then are the greatest teams and players to take part in the seven-a-side Blackburn Community League over the past twenty years.

You may not agree with our full list and if weve missed someone out there is a reason for it.

Players and teams have been chosen for their performances in this 7-a-side league only.

The judging panel: Asian Image readers and Mohammed Matadar; Shuiab Khan; Ismail Esat; Iqbal Bhai; Ismail Sidat; Kamran Inayat; Salim Dalal.

Top five greatest teams:

1 Whalley Range

(1992-Present):

They won the triple, the double and anything else you could get your hands on and our judges decision was unanimous. Nowadays the side still manages to win games without breaking sweat despite being made up of internationals. In the nineties they ruled the roost. And it is the nineties side that we hail as the greatest of the past twenty years for one reason. A truly great side will win crucial games by having only three or four of its first team players on the pitch and this is what they did over and over again. At times they could pick average players from the street to make up the numbers and go on to annihillate the opposition. It wasnt pretty football (neither were the players) but that green shirt had a magic quality.

2 Johns Cut Price

(1987-1994):

The whos who of local football broke the mould from 1986 onwards. These guys went through seasons unbeaten and even went one season (as Nawaab FC) with a 100% record. Feroze, F Dalal, Imtiaz Dalal, Imran Dalal, Illyas Mohammed, Booth, Hughes, Chaudhry, Holden, Hill, Osborne, A Khan, Valli and Shiekh made up an awesome squad until 1994. Winter -summer: it didnt matter and come the mid-nineties the side had to be broken up because...and this is in the words of the manager We just didnt give anybody else a chance..

No truer words have been said.

3 FJM Pawnbrokers

(1994-Present):

Franko and the crew have had an uncanny knack of winning championships on the final day of the season. The side made up of some exiled ex-Johns Cut Price players proved that the game isnt over until well into injury time. With a goalkeeper who can stop anything thrown at him and wingers who could run all day, FJM remain a formidable team to play. On the ground, in the air - their unique style of football has been unrivalled in this league.

Their five years at the top has been interrupted in the summer but back to back championships and cup victories in the winter puts them right up there with the very best.

4 Comet FC

(1988-1999):

Rarely did we get players from the same neighbourhood who played in a team that went on to glory. Its what boyhood dreams are made of. Comet FC were certainly one of the youngest sides to win the league and did it with some sexy football of their own. Ferocious on the counter the likes of Master, Waka, Aslam and Hussain were a godsend playing football as it should be - on the ground.

5 Angel Wear

(1989-1995):

There was no better example of fancy football. Haji, Mogra, Shamsudin, Zuber, Chaudrhy, Yunus and Ismail Adam were winning cups year in year out and the league twice. These guys went up against the mighty Johns Cut Price and had their day. But it wasnt consistent enough and come the mid-nineties the team split up. But that wasnt before they had cemented themselves as the magnificent seven.

GREATEST MANAGER

Franco Mastrobuoni (FJM Pawnbrokers): A strange choice some might say as the greatest manager beating the likes of Salim Dalal, Ismail Esat and Muazzam Mulla. Although the others werent bad players he pipped the competition because of his ability to take to the field in times of desperation and then go on to score vital goals including a winner in the final game of the season to hand his side the championship in the 2003/2004 season. Oh and he can be pain to play against too!