His final assignment was Ellesmere's away game at Wednesfield after which he was presented with a glass punch bowl to mark his nine seasons as physio.

But those seasons with the North Shropshire side was only the tip of the iceberg. Noel, now 77, began his soccer career with Oswestry Town, looking after the juniors in their Birmingham League days of 1953 .

His first aid training, which he obtained through his work on the railways and in the army, soon came into its own and when a crippling knee injury ended any hopes of a soccer career, he looked after the players through their days in the Cheshire League and Northern Premier League until he left the club along with the manager, Freddy Hill, in the mid 1980s.

Noel was then taken along with Terry Steadman to Llanidloes for seven or eight years before joining Graham Breeze at the fast-developing Llansantffraid team, later working with Geoff Graham when he took the reins.

Around this time he also began a 17-year association with the Shropshire Under 19 youth team which Geoff was running.

READ THE FULL STORY only in this week's Advertizer