The photo above shows former England international Jeff Astle being marked by a young Aidan Kearns who was making just his seventh Southern League appearance for Banbury United. The game was a Southern League First Division encounter at the Spencer Stadium against Dunstable Town on Saturday 19th April 1975. In front of a crowd of 446, United won 1-0 with the goal coming from Tony Jacques.

The Banbury United side that afternoon was: Stewart Rennie, Dave Matthews, Aidan Kearns, Colin Moulsdale, Godfrey Welch, Jim Cassidy, Alan Pollard, Peter Burgess, Tony Jacques, Alistair Unitt, Richard Jarvis. Sub: Steve Montgomery.

Just five years earlier Jeff Astle had been playing for England in Mexico, being part of Sir Alf Ramsey’s World Cup squad. He joined West Bromwich Albion from Notts County in October 1959 and would achieve legendary status at the club, making 292 league appearances and scoring 137 goals. He also scored the goal in the 1968 FA Cup Final as Albion beat Everton 1-0. After leaving Albion in 1974 he had a short spell in South Africa before returning to the UK and playing for Dunstable Town managed by a then relatively unknown Barry Fry. Jeff died in 2002 at the age of 59, the cause of death was a degenerative brain disease and the coroner found that the repeated minor traumas from heading footballs had been the cause of his death. In 2014, the Justice for Jeff campaign was launched by his family, calling for an independent inquiry into a possible link between degenerative brain disease and heading footballs. In February 2020, following studies, the FA banned children under 12 from heading balls in training, though not in matches.

Aidan Kearns made a few appearances for United in seasons 1973/74, 1974/75 and 1975/76 but it was season 1976/77 that he established himself in the centre of the first team’s defence, playing in 36 of the club’s 38 Southern League games that season. However, in the second league game of season 1977/78 at Stourbridge, he had to leave the field a few minutes into the game due to injury which turned out to be a serious kidney problem and he was hospitalised in Stourbridge for over a month. His season was effectively over and though he returned to full training the following April and played a few games for United over the course of the next two seasons he never regained a permanent place in United’s first team.

Aidan is one of four brothers to have played for Banbury United:

Full back Eamonn Kearns played a few games for United in season 1971/72 before becoming more of a regular in season 1972/73. After time away he would return to the Spencer Stadium and play on a regular basis for the club in seasons 1977/78 and 1978/79.

There follows a team photo from season 1972/73, taken ahead of Banbury United’s FA Cup First Round Proper home game against Barnet. Eamonn is on the extreme left in jacket and tie. The full listing of players is as follows:

Back Row (left to right): Eamonn Kearns, Mick Sherrell, Dave Matthews, Clive Baker, Colin Moulsdale, Pete Svenson, Bob Haynes, Tony Jacques, Syd Hall, Des Anderson (Trainer), Paul Duester.

Front Row (left to right): Tony Foster, Gino Crognale, Stewart Rennie, Ken Butler, Phil Lines.
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Striker Ollie Kearns made his first team debut for Banbury United at the age of just 17 in season 1973/74. However, it wasn’t until two seasons later that he really established himself in the first team finishing up the club’s top goalscorer in 1976/77 even though he left prior to the end of the season in March 1977 to join Football League Third Division side Reading. He would later play for Oxford United, Walsall, Hereford United and Wrexham, making a total of 358 Football League appearances, scoring 127 goals. Ollie then dropped down to non-league, playing for Kettering Town, Rushden Town, Worcester City, Rushden & Diamonds and Racing Club Warwick.

There follows below a team photo from season 1976/77 which not only includes Ollie but also Aidan Kearns. The full listing of players is as follows:

Back Row (left to right): Steve Montgomery, Steve Slaughter, Colin Darvell, Aidan Kearns, Peter Burgess, Ollie Kearns, Peter Svenson, Dave Matthews, Steve Cook, Roger Darvell (Reserve team manager).

Front Row (left to right): Dennis Casey, Terry Callow, Paul Warrington, Mick Worthington, Wally Hastie, Percy Hickman, Godfrey Welch, Mick Crossley, Harry Smilie (Trainer).
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Goalkeeper Mick Kearns started out with Banbury United, playing for the youth and reserve sides, as well as making one first team appearance in a minor cup game at the end of season 1967/68. He would go on to make a total of 356 Football League appearances playing for Oxford United, Plymouth Argyle (loan), Charlton Athletic (loan), Walsall and Wolverhampton Wanderers as well as play international football for the Republic of Ireland. He returned briefly to play for Banbury United in season 1987/88, deputising for regular custodian Keith Baker, making seven appearances for the club that season to add to the one he made 20 years previously.

The photo below includes Mick lining up ahead of a Banbury United XI against a Showbiz XI in October 1966. The full listing of players is as follows, Left to Right: Mick Kearns, Ken Kibble, Alan Jones, Tony Lines, Pete Svenson, Roger Darvell, Keith Bush, Cyril Green, Peter Slade, Mick Kennard, Tony Jacques and Peter Goodway.
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Remarkably this is not the only incidence of four brothers playing for the club. Arthur, Charlie and Joe Houghton made first team appearances for Banbury Spencer in season 1945/46. Charlie and Joe had both played for Spencer during the two “War Time” seasons in which the club competed in the Oxfordshire Senior League but this first post-war season in the Birmingham Combination saw Arthur’s debut. Arthur was known as “Arky” and he went on to make a total of 27 first team appearances, his last being in season 1952/53 but all three brothers were regulars in the reserve side for many seasons after the War. A fourth brother Tom also played for the reserve side in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

There follows an extract from a Banbury Spencer v Lockheed Leamington programme dated Tuesday 6th September 1949:
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