WHEN it comes to sport, Brian Bennett is an all-rounder -- that is, sport occupies him all year round! Well until recently.
For football occupied his winter months while his first love of Cricket took up his long hot summers -- or more likely his rain-affected summers.
He is not alone when he says he has played both sports or the fact the he managed teams in both football and cricket. Where the numbers most drastically reduce is that Brian has been a football referee and has been, and still is, a cricket umpire.
"An umpire is the best position to watch a game of cricket from. Where else can you see some of the world's greatest crickets in close up action."
With all due respect, Brian is not talking about players who compete in the Burnley Midweek League -- a league he has helped run from its outset and a league he serves as chairman, registration secretary, results secretary and umpires secretary.
What Brian is talking about is his time in the middle in the Lancashire Cricket League.
"I have been an umpire for more than 30 years and have had the privilege to be on the same pitch as some of the greatest players."
Brian was there when Allan Border hit a mighty 187 for East Lancashire against Colne.
He remembers Rishton chairman Wilf Woodhouse covering Michael Holding's run-up rather than the pitch in one rain-affected match.
He recalls the doubters who said Shane Warne would never make it as a bowler at Accrington let alone become the greatest spin bowler the world has ever seen.
He remembers Viv Richards and Brian Close, David Lloyd and Steve Waugh and he saw a young James Anderson progress through the ranks at Burnley.
"You could always tell he was going to be a good one. He was in the right place at the right time but he has made the most of his opportunity."
So it seems a far cry from the pitches at Towneley Park.
Pitches he has stood on the touchlines off and, a mow here and a change of markers there, pitches he has stood on the boudaries of.
"Cricket has always been my number one sport but football has given me a lot of pleasure over the years. I first started playing football at the age of 15 and was involved in it up until last year."
Brian's introduction to football was with Waterloo Amateurs back in 1951.
A left winger when he started out and, as the years caught up with him, a full back when he finished, Brian went on to play for Lucas in the old Lancashire Combination -- now more commonly known as the North West Counties League.
"We were a very successful team," recalls Brian. "I was with Lucas for a long time and had some great times with the club."
After a lengthy spell at Lucas, Brian went on join Keighley Green -- a club that suited his sporting needs as it had a football and cricket team.
Keighley Green played football in the East Lancs Amateur League and cricket in the Burnley and District Amateur Cricket League.
"The cricket team was the more successful of the two but we had a decent football team as well. A lot of people have said it but I do believe the standard of football was a lot better back then."
But like clubs of today, clubs back then also found it difficult to keep going and that was the case with Keighley Green.
So after Brian's association with the club ran from 1968 to 1987, the club finally folded due to lack of a backer.
After that, Brian went back to what he knew best and returned to Lucas -- where he worked for 33 years -- and helped run the football and cricket teams.
Even when he was made redundant at the age of 52, Brian could still be seen around the factories recruiting players.
"That was a bit odd. I had worked there for so long and was made redundant. But I had to go back to pin notices on the boards to recruit players. It was almost like I still worked there."
Once Lucas closed down and with it, its sports club and facilities, Brian got a call from Steve Bird to help out with Trinity BL.
"I probably have some of my fondest memories of football with Trinity. The year before the club folded we did the league and cup double in the Burnley and District Football League.
"That was a great achievement although it was sad to see the club fold."
Brian also ran the successful Bridge Inn team in the Burnley Sunday League -- a league where he got his first taste of refereeing.
"I helped out one particular and found out I was rather good. The thing is the league found out as well and they wanted me to join the referee association. But it wasn't for me."
Today, Brian is the mainstay behind the Burnley Midweek Cricket League. He has run the Irish League Club and now the Burnley League Club which has won many titles under his guidance.
"There was a time when the league nearly folded and that is when I decided to take it over. I know I fulfill a number of roles but that is the way I like it. I enjoy doing it and want to carry on doing it."
He added: "I thought it was a terrible waste when the Burnley and District Amateur Cricket League was forced to fold. It should never have been allowed to happen but there was no-one to take it over."
While football has taken a back seat to his beloved cricket for the time being, don't rule out another return to the touchline.
Afterall, Brian is an all-rounder!
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