FOR most of his life Roy Pennington has worked with a ball and crane.

But he also waited on for singers such as superstar Tom Jones.

The rugby mad fan, who has drawers stuffed full of rugby shirts, retired this week after 37 years as a crane driver -- 25 of them at William Hare's Gin Pit works less than a mile from his home in Astley Street, Tyldesley.

It is hardly surprising Roy, 65, is rugby mad. He was brought-up in Abbey Lane in Westleigh with the Cheetham family. His mother, the late Ellen Cheetham, was the sister of Leigh RLFC centre Tom Cheetham who played a big part in his upbringing.

Roy remembered: "I first lived with my mother in Platt Street, Leigh but when I was two went to Abbey Lane to live with her family who brought me up. I used to love going to the Leigh ground with uncle Tom.

"I started playing rugby at seven at X11 Apostles School when Paddy Griffin was head. I was brought-up at the family shop at 81 Abbey Lane and as a kid I can remember teacher Mr Airey saying he wished I'd put as much effort into classroom work as I did on the playing field!

"In 1951 I started work as a stripper and grinder at Hayes's mill and we formed a soccer team playing in West Brom colours.

"During national service," Roy recalled with a smile, "factory boss Johnathon Hayes would send 10 shillings (50p) every three months or so just to make the lads know everything was all right.

"In 1954 I entered the Army catering corps and played rugby union for the first time. I went in as a nine stone four pounds scrum-half and came out at 13 stones!

"I enjoyed playing union and when I came out joined the Leigh Tech side. We changed at Wood End pit, played alongside Lilford Park and used to go to the Village Inn in Green Lane after matches."

Roy is still a member of Leigh RUFC -- successors to the technical school side -- and is an avid follower of both codes.

Until the early 1990s he assisted Kevin Ashcroft coaching the now defunct Atherton ARLFC.

Before starting working on the inside overhead cranes at William Hare's Gin Pit works, Roy had been a crane operator at Irlam Steelworks, travelling there for nine years until 1972 in a 1936 1.5 Riley Kestrel car he'd got from a relative.

From 1960 until 1976 he was head waiter at Leigh's famous Garrick Club where the Beatles once played and where he ferried drinks to superstar Tom Jones' dressing room.

Roy remembered: "We weren't allowed to serve when Tom Jones was singing."

Nowadays father-of-four Roy enjoys watching both rugby league and union and supporting his rugby-playing grandsons, brothers Chris, 13, and Dave, 9, Hodgson and Paul Caanan, 10, who play for Leigh East and Phil Chadwick who plays centre or stand-off with Warrington Wolves' Academy side.

He said: "I support Leigh Rugby League Club because they are special to me but I'll watch any side if it looks like being a good, close match.

"My all-timer hero is Peter Riley, (in the 1939 Athletic Ground line-up pictured here Peter is second from right on the front row, Roy's uncle Tom being pictured second from left, front) he used to give me his shinguards when I was a kid. I've never seen a better tackler in all my life. He always went low."