Peter Flynn might consider himself fortunate to be one of a few lucky souls who realised their childhood ambition.

Yet there can't be too many out there who grew up dreaming of playing for St Roch's.

And few can argue this remarkable one-club man - who recently celebrated his 80th birthday - made his mark considering he went on to serve the Garngad outfit in various committee member roles inclusive of a stint as team manager when his playing days were abruptly ended by injury.

This selfless devotion to all things Candy Rock received long overdue recognition only six weeks ago when current club president Jim Friel announced Flynn had become an honorary member.

"I can now walk in the gate instead of skipping-in like I used to," joked the octogenarian who nowadays resides less than a 10-minute walk from the Junior ground he fondly refers to as the "San Siro".

As a child he played schools football with both St Philo-mena's Primary and St Roch's Secondary, whose star turn was Jim Anderson, later to sign for Celtic.

Most of Flynn's school mates were avid Hoops fans, but there were precious few opportunities for him to acquire Parkhead allegiances because his father - also Peter - was a devout Junior supporter who followed the Candy Rock home and away.

Among his many early recollections is a cup game away to Annbank United where a crowd break-in led to the game being abandoned yet dad and his two boys were in attendance again the following week when the game was replayed at neutral Saltcoats.

Upon leaving school, Flynn opted to play right-back for St Roch's at Secondary Juvenile level, leading to him fall out with neighbourhood team boss Mick White, who wanted him for Germiston Star.

However this decision proved inspired when his displays attracted the attention of his local Junior gaffer Peter Madden.

He recalls: "One summer night I was met at the door by my very proud dad clutching a parcel containing my football boots and saying I had to get down to Hope Street where a car would take me to Maryhill to play a trial for St Roch's.

"We won the game 3-1 but afterwards nothing was said to me and I made my way home. However, later that same week, Peter Madden got back in touch to ask me down to Provanmill Park on Sunday.

"I thought it was another trial game and took along my boots only to find him sitting at a table with a professional form which he wanted me to sign. I duly put pen to paper.

"I told Peter that pulling on a St Roch's jersey was the only reward I needed, but he still gave me a £10 signing-on fee which I gave to my mother on going home."

THE 21-year-old Flynn joined an illustrious Candy Rock side whose players he had avidly cheered from the terracings and he held them in awe to the extent that even to this day he can unhesitatingly rhyme off their names and career achievements.

He said: "Willie Breckenbridge was in goal and my full-back partner was Willie Dolan who signed for Aberdeen.

"The mainstay of our back line was team captain and centre-half John McCormick, a truly smashing player who not surprisingly went on to forge a career for himself playing with Third Lanark, Aberdeen and Crystal Palace.

"Our forward line had my younger brother, Tommy, on the right wing prior to him joining St Mirren, from where he was transferred to Northampton Town.

"The gifted Jimmy Sinclair played inside man to our Tommy, while Tommy Heenan, reinstated from Leeds United, was inside- left to the fabulous centre-forward Hugh McCabe, who was top goalscorer in every season I spent there.

"I never played in a better team and my biggest regret is winning nothing other than the old Central League B Division.

"That said, top Junior teams and players were plentiful around that time as shown by the Kilsyth Rangers side we faced in the Evening Times Cup final at the end of our title-winning season, dishing out a 3-0 beating."

FLYNN was to establish himself in that Candy Rock side for the next six seasons until a torn cruciate ligament injury in a 1961 away game against Forth ended his playing career despite the best efforts of feted St Roch's trainer Bob Rooney prior to him moving on to Cambuslang Rangers and then Celtic.

He said: "If I couldn't kick a ball for the Candy then my next best option was to help keep the wheels turning at the club so I joined the committee and became manager for two years.

"It proved to be no fairytale as the team struggled, but we did memorably knock Irvine Meadow out of the Scottish Cup with a 2-1 victory."

Flynn did not hesitate in hailing Candy Rock duo Dolan and Heenan among the best team-mates he played with and he was similarly single minded in picking out legendary Benburb winger Tommy Douglas as his most difficult opponent. "He was a cut above the rest and regularly gave me a roasting," he laughed.

Though getting on in years, Flynn continues to support St Roch's to this day and says he hopes to be on the James McGrory Stadium terracings when the season gets underway with new manager Andy Cameron.