Despite being now aged well into their eighties, Sandy McPherson and Bill Harris each exude a clear passion for the World Game.

The friendship between these men has remained solid for sixty three years, with both insisting that not a single word of disagreement has ever been spoken between them.

Their respective paths to a life in Lismore was very different, with Sandy as a 17 year old lad, arriving with his family from Murwillumbah. Bill Harris, on the other hand, traversed the seas from Ireland with his then young bride Helen and settled in Lismore where they established a life together.

The connection between Bill and Sandy was forged initially through their love of soccer, where the talented young lads joined Goonellabah Stars Soccer Club, with Harris the captain/coach. Success at club level followed. They lifted the premiership trophy in 1957, 1958 and 1959, and their relationship was further galvanised when they played representative soccer, contesting the Anthony Cup for five years.

Bill Harris (left) and Sandy McPherson have a lifetime of memories to treasure and a friendship that knows no bounds. Photo: Steve Mackney / Football Far North Coast

Bill Harris would subsequently form Lismore Richmond Rovers in 1961 and McPherson would play with Goonellabah Stars that would evolve in to Italo Stars in 1967. Both are pioneers of the local game and McPherson is described as being an aggressive, no-nonsense central defender, called a stopper back then, and he recounts being sent off on four occasions. The animation in his voice kicks up a gear as he recalls the referee who seemingly had the audacity to give McPherson his marching orders in three separate games. One of the red cards was issued within five minutes of kick-off when the referee summonsed the cantankerous McPherson forward after some innocuous incident and uttered the words, “I’ve had enough of you son, you’re off!”.

This version was validated by the mild-mannered former skipper Harris, who turned to Sandy as if both gents were back on the pitch in 1957 and said, “Off you go Sandy, it’s no use arguing with him?”

Sharing a cuppa with these pioneers of the local game ignites a desire to listen intently to their insights about the game and also their wonderful stories of players, characters and games from the past. Age may have slowed their physical capacity, but they each still possess a sharpness of mind that inspires an eager willingness on my behalf to listen as they recount story after story with an innate attention to detail.

My question posed innocently to whether they ever run out of things to talk about, receives a quick rebuke of “Never, we can talk for hours”.

A chat between these men in some form every few weeks, by phone or the occasional cuppa, always finds soccer at the centre of such conversations. I naively asked Sandy why is he wearing a Rovers Club Cap, to which he replied, “Because of this man. I respect Bill completely and I wear this cap to show my respect for what he has done for me.”

The ever modest Bill Harris just said, “Sandy, you are a great friend.”

Nothing can enhance the obvious synergy between two mates who have a bond that has stayed the course over time and it was a privilege to spend some time sharing such a moment.

STEVE MACKNEY