IT was a special day for a sports club when it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Bolton Indian Sports Club, in Darcy Lever, invited residents young and old to mark the occasion by hosting an all-day celebration on Saturday.

During the day, there were cricket and football games, face painting, bouncy castle, tombola, food stalls and a display of club pictures over the years.

In the evening, there was a live show featuring African dancing, Henna displays and a comedian, which was attended by the Mayor of Bolton Cllr Martin Donaghy.

Various former members attended, with about 300 people there during the day.

Rajesh Patel, cricket secretary, said: “It was a really enjoyable event.

“It gives us so much pride to be able to celebrate 50 years as a club.

“We’ve massively expanded over the past few years and we hope that will continue.

“It’s hugely important for us to continue engaging with the community.”

Bolton Indian Sports Club was established in 1964 by a group of Indian and African men and was originally called Azad Cricket Club.

The men worked on farmland in Darcy Lever where farmers would allow them to play cricket.

Today, the club has about 500 members.