MOST youngsters enjoy a game of football and these teams of Aireville School pupils are no exception.

Taken in the academic year 1968 to 1969, the under 12, 14s and 15s pose for the mandatory team pics before a game.

Former teacher David Handley sent the school’s 1969 magazine. B Davies was the headmaster at the time.

Within the magazine’s pages are pen and ilk illustrations by M Dransfield, LW Monkhouse, Anne Roberts and D Binns.

There are poems by pupils including Valerie Heslop, Paul Batchelor, Susan Bowers, Celia Johnson, Sheila Hargreaves, John Bunnett; too many to list.

Among the pages are the subject prizewinners, headmaster’s prizewinners, house trophies, Duke of Edinburgh awards, City & Guilds proficiency in arithmetic awards and GCE and CSE awards.

Fascinating, too, are the supporting adverts in the magazine, one of which is from none other than the Craven Herald Limited ‘for all your printing and stationery requirements’.

Many companies now gone, such as Ribble Travel, Phillip of Skipton, Ledgard and Wynn, John & Johnson Ltd, Gargrave, and The Skipton Rubber Stores, which sold PVC jackets and coats, plimsoles, bathing caps and hockey boots among its stock.

Another striking advert is from the Midland banking group which takes pains to not only impress on the fact that girls can get the same pay as men and rise through the ranks into management jobs, but that boys have good prospects of becoming a bank manager and could early £5,000 per year if they are exceptional, and all before they reach the age of 35.

However, what does stand out in the magazine are three rather splendid photographs depicting the under 12s, 14s and 15s, football teams of that school year.

The football write-up states: “Altogether the school football years was very successful; a total of 27 games were played, of which 19 were won, 1 drawn and only seven lost.

“The under 13 team had a most successful year, winning eight of their 10 games, drawing one and losing one.

“The under 14scame through the season undefeated with a total of 44 goals for and only 11 against.

“The under 15 team had a very good season, remembering that six of the usual team were missing as they were playing for the Keighley District team.

“The season was completed by the school Under 15 team playing the school staff. The match was played in a good spirit and ended with a fair result: 1-1.

Mr Handley, who had the magazine in his possession said: “They were very good photographs of the teams and I often wonder what had become of the players and what they were doing today.”

The football players in the pictures are:

Under 15s

Back row, from the left: Bruce Harrison, Robert Grainger, David Gardt, Ian Phillips, Donald Taylor, Michael Davies.

Front row, from the left: Robert Hodgkiss, Colin Maud, John Atkins (capt.) David Scott, David Rushton.

Under 14s

Back row, from the left: John Field, Trevor Hindle, Martin Dransfield, James West, Garry O'Neill, Georffrey Brown, Andrew Tapsell.

Front row, from the left: Neil Ives, James Cox, Andrew Preston, Donald Bell, Barry Kent.

Under 12s

Back row, from the left: David Helliwell, Michael Chapman, Garry Paley, Brian Preston, Adrian Smith, Andrew Robinson.

Front row, from the left: Derek Ives, Neil Tasker, Peter Gomersall, David Hodgson, Keith Airey.