Peter Agnew rolls back the years with Avoca

Former international goalkeeper Peter Agnew is set to make some sort of modern day goalkeeping record in Newpark at the weekend. Due to the unavailability of Avoca’s two regular goalkeepers, Agnew will step in for a senior league match at the weekend, which will mean he has played in goal at senior level in each of the last five decades.

The 54-year-old competed with the Irish senior team in the 1980s under then national coach Ray Cantan, when the side was ranked 12th in the world.

But he started playing with his club Avoca as a teenager in the 1970s and through the 1980s when the team was regularly among the best in Ireland and also occasionally claimed medals at European level.

Always supremely fit, Agnew, more regularly an umpire, will play against Rathgar Chiefs on Saturday. To add to the occasion, he will line out alongside his son Ziggy, a regular in the team, who will play just in front of his father in the centre of the Avoca defence.

St Andrew’s pupil, Agnew jnr, who is 17-years-old, has been following in his father’s footsteps at underage level and played with the Irish U-18s last season. He is again a member of this year’s U-18 panel panel who are preparing for the European Championships in Santander, Spain in July.

Also this weekend, Railway Union will take part in the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Challenge in Rotterdam. The Sandymount side face crack local side HC Rotterdam, Lipovci and SK Senkvice in the pool before the playoffs on Saturday and Sunday.

LEINSTER SENIOR LEAGUE – Tomorrow – Division One: Avoca v Rathgar Newpark, 12.00pm; Corinthians v YMCA, St Columbas College 12.45pm; Monkstown v Three Rock Rovers, Rathdown School 1.15pm; Glenanne v Pembroke Wanderers, Glenanne Park 2.00pm LEINSTER SENIOR CUP – Sunday – semi-final: YMCA v Glenanne, Alexandra College 3.00pm