Bargain Bob Olley sketch depicts the grit of Sunday League
Artwork illustrates football worlds which are leagues apart. Ex-midfield dynamo Tony Henderson reports
The mega-money world of professional football has dominated the headlines with the saga of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
But the other end of the footballing spectrum is celebrated by South Shields artist Bob Olley.
His portrayal of the world of local Sunday League football has been sold by Boldon Auction Galleries (for a bargain £15).
The pen and ink work is based on Bob’s own brief Sunday League appearances for South Shields firm Browns the Builders, where he worked as a painter and decorator before becoming a miner.
It stands as a stark contrast between the massive earnings and player power of the Premier League and the thousands of players in the North East who turn out with full commitment in local leagues simply for the pleasure of taking part.
Bob played his games at a coastal collection of field pitches called The Dragon, near the New Crown pub in South Shields.
He remembered: “There certainly weren’t many facilities. When I played I remember the trainer coming on to the pitch with his metal bucket and sponge. It didn’t matter what was wrong, you still got sponged.
“It was a hard league and as a young player you could get battered. I remember having to borrow boots which were two sizes too big and that was really the end of my Sunday League career.
“But teams played with a lot of enthusiasm and for some it was a stepping stone to a higher level of football.”
Bob’s 1985 artwork features a player’s girlfriend at the pitch side, with the footballer sporting a plaster cast on his wrist inscribed with a love note, while the goalkeeper chats up a couple of girls at the far post.
A player reads a newspaper with the headline Di and the Tell Tale Valet, several manage a quick cigarette, and a dog makes an appearance - as does the trainer and bucket.
The rest of the illustration is taken up with a beleaguered referee trying to control a free-for-all among a bunch of players.
“I imagine things are still much the same in Sunday leagues today, although treatment will be a bit more sophisticated than a bucket and sponge,” said Bob.