LIFE has a nasty habit of bringing you crashing down to earth with a bang - just ask the supporters of Chorley Football Club.

On Saturday, Mark Molyneaux's Magpies booked themselves a place in the UniBond First Division end of season play-offs courtesy of a 4-1 win at Stocksbridge.

But that feat was overshadowed by news of the sudden death of chairman Jack Kirkland, who sadly passed away just hours before the game.

Jack was a good friend of mine and I was deeply saddened to hear the news of his death.

Football can be a murky business at the best of times but I always found Jack to be a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

When he first took over at Chorley eight years ago, even Jack himself would have admitted he had limited knowledge of the non-league game.

But in the years that followed, no-one could question the passion and commitment he showed towards Chorley and if he hadn't done what he did then the club might have gone to the wall without him.

Like all chairmen, he experienced his fair share of ups and downs.

When Stanley got relegated from the Unibond Premier Division, Chorley were the club who joined us in the First Division.

But thanks to Jack's unstinting dedication, the Magpies are back on the ascendancy again and what a fitting tribute it would be to their former chairman if they gained promotion via the play-offs in his honour.

My thoughts and very deepest sympathy are with Jack's family, and everyone connected with Chorley Football Club, at this sad time.

Brian Pilkington, another man I have great respect for, will step in as caretaker chairman until the end of the season and he has a hard act to follow in trying to replace a man who'll be sorely missed.

Let's just hope Chorley can make it. Given the history and tradition of the club, they should be playing at a higher level.

And what a fabulous climax to the season it would be for the whole area if they did go up.

Non-League football fans across Lancashire have enjoyed one of the most memorable seasons in many years.

Accrington fans have seen Stanley reach the Conference, Morecambe are in with a great chance of promotion to the football league, and Bacup Borough supporters are currently celebrating promotion to the North West Counties First Division.

Our 1-0 victory against Hyde United on Saturday saw us break the 100-point barrier for the season, but we couldn't quite make it a memorable double as we fell three goals short of the century mark.

Nevertheless, it's been an absolutely fantastic campaign and August can't come quickly enough for me now.