HALTON Borough Football Club have seen footballing trends come and go, but one thing which hasn't changed is their enthusiasm for the game.

Having been founded in England's World Cup-winning year, Borough began life at an historic - and revolutionary - time for the game.

There was new thinking with Sir Alf Ramsey leading the move from the old 2-3-5 system to 4-4-2.

But it wasn't just the highest level which was changing.

The old Widnes Alliance was witnessing the birth of a club which would become one of the stalwarts of soccer in the town and is now in its 40th-anniversary season.

Boro started out as Widnes Corporation before changing name when Runcorn and Widnes came together as Halton under local government reorganisation in 1974.

The club was essentially an amalgamation of players from Peter Spence's Saturday team and Sunday side Blue Circle.

'A lot of players turned out for both teams and moved to the Corpy,' explained chairman Mick Millea, who has been involved with the club for 32 years and is the most seasoned of a long-serving committee.

'They were all mates and wanted to play together in the Widnes Alliance League.'

Characters on the field steering the club through its infancy included Billy Hicks, Dave Hanley, Rob Lunt and Tommy Kennedy.

'They kept it all together when it got hairy,' laughed Millea. 'Dave Hanley could draw the opposition into the centre circle, telling his stories while the Corpy scored - if you've heard his stories, then you will know what I mean!'

Around the time the town of Widnes became part of Halton, the old brigade of ICI Rec stalwart Joe Burgess and Co were unable - try as they did - to keep the Widnes Alliance together.

Borough joined the Warrington & District League where they re-main.

Over the years the club has enjoyed many successes with the first team winning Premier Division and Division One titles and the Jubilee Cup, while going close in the Guardian Cup and Supplementary Cup.

The second string have been Reserve Section One champions four times and won the Rylands Cups five times.

'The teams of the 80s and 90s took the club to a higher level,' added Millea, a Widnes Football Development Forum member.

'Graham Webb, as a player then manager, had learned under Terry McLoughlin, who missed out on the Premier title by one point to Whiston Cross.

'Graham assembled a team of who could play football but had a good camaraderie off it.'

Players from that era included strikers Kev Martin, Dave Pinnington and Andy Owens and midfieldmen such as manager Webb himself, Carl Pye, Jay Rogers, Paul Heggarty, Tony Wiltshire, Paul Moore and Mick Farrell.

In defence would be Gary Prescott, Mike Cowens, Keith Pol-hill, Marc Allen, brother Ste, Ian Wilson and Mark Sorvel with Mark Pye or Mark Southern in goal.

'It was a formidable squad of players and most were chosen to play for the league representative team which added extra pressure on the squad winning trophies,' said Millea.

Millea joins Dave Handley, Terry Gilhooley, Algie Burns, McLoughlin, Webb and Steve Parker, among others, on the list of former first team managers.

Joining Millea behind the scenes are fellow long servants treasurer Tommy Allison (29 years), secretary Deve Gates (26) and Steve Parker (22).

The committee also includes player Paul Butler, who has spent 21 years on the books, and reserve team assistant manager Martin Coffey who has been with the club for 12 years.

The first-team management duo are Mark Southern and assistant Paul Shaw while Will Thompson is in charge of the second string.

* The club is holding a 40-year Celebration Night at Ford Sports & Social Club, Cronton Lane, on Friday, March 23.

Starting at 7.30pm, the function will include entertainment from a band and disco.

Tickets are £5 and available from Mick Millea (tel 0151 424 7918), Dave Gates or Billy Hicks.