There was a picture perfect moment for three cup-winning Eden football players as they recreated a photograph taken of their jubilant dads on the same pitch almost 40 years ago.
During the 1980s, brothers Frank and Willy Jackson, along with Alan Johnston, who also farms in Reagill, tasted many successes with Saturday league side Shap, having all started their senior careers at Lunesdale United, near Tebay.
In 1985, the two Jackson siblings and Alan were pictured together on the playing surface at Kendal’s Parkside Road after Shap had memorably lifted the Westmorland FA Senior Challenge Cup.
Willy and Alan were the scorers in a 2-1 victory over Windermere SC with the Senior Cup being one of three pieces of silverware won by Shap that season.
And history repeated itself at the same Kendal stadium on Friday when the men’s sons — who all work together as stone wallers — helped recently-reformed Lunesdale United win the Westmorland FA Junior Cup.
Ben Jackson, 34, Ollie Jackson, 31, and Pete Johnston, 33, are the sons of Frank, Willy and Alan, respectively, and were members of the Lunesdale team which defeated Milnthorpe Corinthians Reserves on Friday to lift a Junior Cup the club had last won in 2000.
“That (1985) photo has always been in the box in our house. It’s always been knocking about,” said Ollie. “When we realised we had the chance of winning a cup at Parkside Road we decided to get the same picture taken. And our dads were all there watching.
“It was unreal! I think they were buzzing just as much as us. Alan said it reminded him of the good old days!”
It was during COVID, with all team sports mothballed, that Ollie said they began to miss playing football and so Lunesdale were restarted under the joint management of Pete and another Jackson cousin, Luke.
“For the past three years, the team has grown and it’s really close knit,” said Ollie. “A lot of local lads and friends have joined. Playing together again and the success we’ve had has given everybody a boost.
“We knew we had a good team but we didn’t expect to be doing this well. We’ve got a really good group of lads, everybody gets on really well.”
Friday’s win was “all we talked about” when they returned to walling work together this week, he said, adding: “Ben’s had stints at Penrith and Appleby and played in a few finals but for me and Pete it was a bit like a dream.
“We had a good turnout, a lot of people came to watch, a lot of family members, and when you hear them you get that extra lift.”
Lunesdale also had two sets of brothers — Sid and Roy Emerson and Jimmy and Chris Mandle — in their cup final winning side.
They are currently unbeaten in the Westmorland League Division III, need three points to score the title and this week also qualified for the Peter Daws Memorial Shield final against Alston Moor FC.
All of which gives Ben, Ollie and Pete a chance to emulate their dads’ 1985 treble triumph. Ollie added: “Hopefully there’s more to come but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves!”
