AIRDRIEONIANS beat Everton 8-5 to win the Frank Etherington Memorial Trophy in a fundraising final at Highworth Bowls Club last Sunday(12 August).

The football-themed event raised £400 for the Brighter Futures Appeal for a £2.9 million new radiotherapy unit at the Great Western Hospital.

The family of former club secretary Frank Etherington organised the competition in his memory for the second year running.

The club member lived at Crane Furlong in Swindon. He died aged 70 from leukaemia and heart disease in November 2016.

His son, Rob Etherington, said: “Dad was Tottenham born and bred and was a keen supporter of Tottenham Hotspur FC.

“He used to watch every home game when he was growing up in the 1950s and 60s, until he moved to Swindon.

“Just a month before he died, we took him on a tour of the White Hart Lane stadium, and he was able to show us where he went to school and the streets that he knew.”

Mr Etherington fell ill about five years before he died and received radiotherapy treatment in Oxford.

Rob said: “Dad was always very keen for us to support the Great Western Hospital’s Brighter Futures Appeal.”

Ten teams of mixed fours took part in Sunday’s competition, with each team choosing the name of a football club.

Rob, 47, of Fairwood Coate, Swindon, said: “Each team played five matches during the course of the day, leading up to a semi-final and final.

“Our team, Tottenham Hotspur, comprising myself, mum Josie, son Sean and my uncle Nick Oliver, finished fifth and just missed out on qualifying for the semi-finals.”

The Airdrieonians winning team comprised Maggie and John Jordan, Hugh Linning and Roy Read.

They beat an Everton team comprising father and son Stuart and Dave Murray, and husband and wife, Neil and Chris Biles.

Frank Etherington was a member of Highworth Bowls Club from 1989 and secretary for a few years in the late 1990s.

He and his wife, Josie, used to organise tours to places such as Eastbourne, Ilfracombe, Weymouth and Wales for the club members.