A FORMER professional footballer will be retiring from the magistrates' bench on his 70th birthday next week - against his better judgment.

Ex-Claret Brian Pilkington, who lives in Leyland, has had a full and varied working life, with 50 years experience in football and some 35 years sitting as a magistrate, serving at family and crown courts and on the licensing bench.

If that wasn't enough, he completed his National Service with the RAF and established a high street estate agents on Hough Lane, Leyland.

Next Wednesday, Brian will be 70 years old, retirement age for magistrates. He said: "I do feel that with my experience I still have a lot to offer.

"I've been doing this half my life. I wouldn't say that being a magistrate has been enjoyable, like football has, but it has been very interesting and it was a challenge."

The former Wellfield High School, Leyland, pupil first played for Burnley when he was 18 and went on to score 350 league, cup and European games before being transferred to Bolton Wanderers for a fee of £30,000 in 1961.

He has travelled the world with his ball skills, but met the challenge head-on when he was invited to become a magistrate at South Ribble. It was while on holiday in Tenby that he found out he had been successful.

Brian said: "I was reading one of the papers and the headline said something like 'No penalty for ex-Burnley and Bolton player.' I read on and found that I'd been accepted."

The grandfather-of-two added: "Footballers get paid too much these days, I don't think some of them can handle the responsibility.

"When I was at Burnley I was on about £20 a week and they sold me for a real profit, that's good business."

Brian will be keeping busy as director of Chorley Football Club now.