MULLION FC have announced that they are launching a new trophy in honour of their president Dave Walden.

Dave has been involved with Mullion FC for the last 26 years and to mark his efforts, Mullion will host Porthleven on Saturday, August 5 (3pm) for the inaugural Presidents Cup. All players and friends are welcome to attend.

Chris Rosevear, chairman of Mullion, said: "Dave is remarkable and a real asset to Mullion FC.

"He has worked extremely hard for the club over the years and continues to do so even though he has just had his 90th birthday. I feel privileged to have known and worked with him and I hope to do so for many more years at Mullion FC.’

Dave started in 1990 when he took on a role as a Committee Member, but the club soon spotted his talents and in 1991 he was made club secretary and then match secretary in 1992 – a role he has continued in to this day. He took on the role of Club President in 2013.

Dave has a long history with football, which started in 1946 when at the tender age of 20 when he played as a midfielder with Wallingford Town in the Reading and District League.

But his playing career was short-lived as his foot, which was damaged during his time serving in the Royal Navy, forced him to resign as he was unable to play. Dave was not fully ready to hang up his boots however and took on the role of referee, earning him the princely sum of 12½p per game!

In 1951, Dave was offered the role of manager for Wallingford’s second team, which he took and kept for the next nine years.

In 1960, Dave’s work forced him to move to the small village of Merton, near Swansea and so his management role ceased and he was resigned to a period of time without football.

But this was not meant to be and when members of the local village Youth Club heard of his experience they snapped him up and he ran the Merton 5-a-side Youth Team for the next two years.

In 1962, Dave’s work again saw him move to Oxford and take on the daily commute into London. He lived in Oxford until 1985. During this time, he was not directly involved in football but remained a keen supporter of Oxford United and a regular on their terraces and also became a parish councillor. At this time both his son and daughter had spent periods of time working at Culdrose and Dave and his wife Hazel regularly made the long and difficult trip from Oxford to Cornwall to visit. It was in about 1985, fed up with the journey that they decided to retire fully to Cornwall, a part of the country that they both loved.

Dave said: "When I first came to Mullion there was no second team – they came on in 1993. And I am proud that I oversaw the inception of the ladies' team at Mullion. We were one of the original members of the Cornwall Women's League when it was formed."

He added: "There have been some highs and some rough times, but I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Winning the treble, winning the league three times and winning the Combination League in 2014/15 have been my highlights. It has been good graft, and has kept me going."