John 'Jobby' Crossan closes the door on Derry's 'Last of the Summer Whine club' after 50 years

​It was his 86th birthday and the former Man City captain marked the occasion by convening the last ever meeting of the infamous 'Last of the Summer Whine' club.

It signalled the end of an era for a Derry sporting institution which has supplied almost every sporting club and organisation in the city with trophies, medals and plaques since it first opened its doors in the late 1970s.

The shop is woven into the town's sporting history just like its proprietor who has shared a football pitch with the game's greatest - the likes of Pelé, Eusébio, Best, Di Stéfano, Puskás and Gento.

However, the shop, rich in character has also been the location for a unique 'social club' where life-long friendships and connections were formed.

For almost 50 years Jobby has opened the doors of his iconic trophy shop and rearranged the chairs at the back of the premises to prepare for the visit of his many friends who would call to shoot the breeze.

Labelled the 'Last of the Summer Whine' club after the world's longest running comedy sitcom - perhaps due to the advancing years of many of its members - it's a place where plenty of sporting tales were told as Jobby and his many friends and acquaintances would gather in a circle to revel and reminisce and put the world to rights.

It was a meeting point for old friends and a magnet for football enthusiasts who would come to greet the man who played in the European Cup semi-final against Real Madrid for Standard Liege at the Bernabeu in front of 120,000 and captained Man City almost 100 times - a chance to chat to one of Derry's most famous sporting sons!

Entering the shop to greet Jobby on Saturday afternoon in the final hours of his final working day before retirement, the meeting was in full swing. Four members of the club congregating around a gas heater, quickly swivelled their heads to see who was the latest to come to the party.

It wasn't Compo, Clegg and Foggy and there was no harmonica playing out when I entered but the four elderly gentlemen sitting on chairs arranged strategically on the shop floor warmly welcomed me into their circle.

I quickly understood why this club had its enduring appeal, not just to be in the presence of a local footballing legend but for the warm nostalgia, the swapping of stories, slagging and a debrief on the current local sporting gossip.

Purchased from his old friend Raymond Daly all those years ago, Jobby's shop which sells sporting merchandise and memorabilia amongst lots of other treasures on the Racecourse Road has a charming appeal.

And while the mood was upbeat on the day it would close its doors for the final time, those gathered agreed it was a 'sad' day for the parish.

The ever modest Jobby isn't one for getting emotional but regards himself as 'lucky' to have made some fantastic memories, friendships and connections over the years when he left the bar game to move into the trade of sporting goods which he had an obvious natural affinity with.

"When I came home initially I bought a bar," he recalled. A friend of mine was in this place and was struggling a bit financially. I was going well with the bar and decided to buy the shop.

"It started off as a wee place and I got things done to it. With the contacts I had I was able to grow it and there weren't too many sports shops about in those days. I got a few bob together. I was lucky."

Two of those who assembled on Saturday were long-time visitors and friends, Donal Ferry and John O'Kane - both of whom first walked through the doors of the shops to purchase trophies for their respective sporting associations several decades ago.

Joe Doherty, former President of Cricket Ireland - is another who joined the farewell party. He originally travelled down from Strabane to chat with Jobby about all things cricket and football related and for business related matters for the North West Cricket Union at the time.

"The social club is closing down," lamented John when asked about what he would miss about the regular meetings. "That's what it is, it's a social club. We can take the hand out of each other and slag one another.

"I've been coming for many years. I found this place through a friend of mine. I had reason to come here to get cups and medals for sailing. I was caught in the fervour of the place. It was as mad as could be," he smiled.

As Joe goes to take his seat, Jobby urges him to sing an initiation song but he refuses to oblige.

Donal - one the self-professed younger members of the group - is 68 years-old and has been coming to visit Jobby's Sports Centre since he was 36 when he came to buy trophies and medals for the Saturday Morning League as a committee member.

"We're homeless now," he said mournfully. "I'm down here five and six days a week. I've been coming down here getting trophies since I was 36. He did all our medals for the Saturday Morning League to be fair to him.

"I started coming down for Saturday Morning League business and they were all sitting here. They sort of draw you in to sit down. You can't get out until you spend money," he laughed.

So what will become of their club now Jobby has sold on his premises?

"Jobby's now living in a place on the Culmore Road and it has a big communal hall so we'll go over there for a chat sometimes. We'll definitely go out for lunch on Thursday," said Donal - a promise which pricked the ears of Jobby.

"If I see them coming I'll be shouting; 'I'm not in!" he quipped.

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of another familiar face, Liam Gallagher - not the famous City fan and Oasis star - who takes the opportunity to give Jobby stick about his former club's current 'crisis' under Pep Guardiola.

"You talk about Man City. . . " he began. "When Jobby closes this down he'll be going back over to play for them by the looks of things," as a familiar chorus of laughter broke out.

Jobby returns to chat about his playing days and casually drops a few famous names into conversation including his good friend and ex-Man City teammate Mike Summerbee who he remains in contact with.

"Mike and George [Best] never left my house. The only problem I had with that was I had a Miss World in on a Wednesday night and a Miss California on a Thursday night. And then me and Barbara came in," he laughed.

"For the record it wasn't him, it was George Best - interrupts Donal who always has Jobby's back."

Several regular members of Jobby's club had come to visit throughout the day including former Derry City keeper Eddie Mahon. Felix Healy, Hugh ‘Badger’ McDaid, Harry Nelis, Noel Crampsie, Bobby Ross, Herbie Wade, Joe Ledgew, Rodger O’Doherty, Gerry Doc and Joe Doherty were among the many returning visitors through the revolving door of the little shop at the bottom of the Racecourse Road over the years.

Liam took the opportunity to remind Jobby about one of their friends who recently passed, the late Brian Kelly.

"The priest at his funeral mass at Carnhill said Brian was a member of the Last of the Summer Wine club down in Jobby's'.

When asked what he would miss most about the closure of the shop, Liam, who would help Jobby deliver the money from ticket sales to Derry City added; "It's just a sad day. We've been calling into Jobby's forever. Everybody knows Jobby's."

A reminder of how much Jobby’s special place has had on so many, a lady named Priscilla often calls in and brings lots of her home-baked treats for the lads to sample. And on Jobby’s birthday, Priscilla made the trip from Newtoncunningham with traybakes to mark the occasion.

For Jobby, it's a well earned retirement but he can be proud of what he's achieved both on and off the pitch.

"I am not 17 or 18 anymore, I'm 86 and I think the time is right now to have a wee bit of a rest."

Those sentiments were certainly echoed by his daughter Annie who walked past his shop on Saturday morning on her way to work to catch a glimpse of her father doing what he loved for the past 40 odd years. And she's proud to know that almost every house in Derry has a little piece of Jobby in it.

"On my way to work I looked into the window to see him in his element. It's his 86th birthday and his final day in the shop. Happy birthday daddy! Today the doors open for the last time. As a wise and beautiful friend told me - there will always be a piece of Jobby in nearly everyone in Derry's home; be it football, sports day, prizegiving, cricket, snooker, Foyle Cup, Irish dancing, swimming trophies/medals and plaques etc.

"You are a force and I’m incredibly proud of you on so many levels. Happy birthday and happy retirement. You deserve a break and a rest. You are so loved."