A North Shields rugby legend is hanging up his boots at the age of 73 after dedicating 40 years of his life to the sport.
Arnold Wilson, known as Arnie, joined North Shields Rugby Football Club back in 1982 and over the years has represented the club most weekends.
He and some colleagues working for a local bus company had tried to get a rugby team together but opted instead to join their local club. And ever since then, Arnie has been propping for North Shields Crusaders, their second team, week in, week out.
During his final season, Arnie played 13 games out of the 15 scheduled fixtures, and in his last local competitive game, against Novocastrians, he played the full 80 minutes. Now, four decades later, he has decided to hang up his boots for good.
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And to pay tribute to everything he has done for the club, Arnie will feature in the final end of season club game on May 14, before being presented with an engraved tankard at the club dinner, despite Arnie being teetotal. Those at the club described him as a "loyal and enthusiastic player" and called his retirement "the end of an era".
A statement from North Shields Rugby Club said: "Our Arnie is a testament to the dedication, loyalty and sportmanship that goes hand-in-hand with grassroots rugby.
"As a local club we put everything back into our players, whether it's our minis, U15 youths, the under-30s and over-30s, we know just how crucial it is to look after each and every player right up to retirement and beyond."
North Shields chair, Ian Hook said: "Arnie is a great clubman and, as club Vice President, he has been a great servant to the game who has earned the love and respect of everyone both on and off the pitch.
"He might not be seen charging around the field of play but in the scrums, he is still a formidable opponent. Any young buck fancying his chances in the front row will find that Arnie's 40 years of experience mean that he isn’t going anywhere.
"When Arnie came to the club in 1982, I was stepping up as the 1st team captain. As a young lad myself, Arnie had a good 13 years on me back then. Many other players have been and gone over the decades but Arnie is still with us and has still been pulling on the blue and white hoops.
"He will continue with his great work for the club and the people he loves but I guess that retirement from playing catches up with us all eventually – for Arnie though retirement has come very much later than most."
