One of the great things about the Cheltenham Festival – apart from the cricket obviously – is that you get the chance to catch up with people you don’t see week in, week out.

One such person is Andy Brassington, the one-time Gloucestershire wicketkeeper who is one of life’s good guys, someone who has a ready smile and someone who is always fun to talk to.

The now 67-year-old has retained close ties with both Gloucestershire and the game in general since hanging up his gloves in 1988, and he will be at Cheltenham again this summer for what is always one of the sporting highlights of the county summer.

And he’ll be working too because he is the driving force behind the always popular Professional Cricketers’ Association day, a day that has become an annual event at the Cheltenham Festival.

“This year’s PCA day will be on the third day of the county championship game against Hampshire,” Brassington told The Local Answer. “We held one last year as well despite Covid, they are always special days.”

They certainly are with former players across all generations invited to spend a day at one of the most beautiful grounds in the country and talk about old times.

And while that is always fun, there is a serious side to the day too because the PCA raise money for the Benevolent Fund, which provides funds for cricketers or ex-cricketers who have fallen on hard times

The third day of the Hampshire game is Thursday 21^st July and in the recent past ex-players such as Mike Procter, John Snow, Vanburn Holder, Chris Cowdrey and David Steele to name just a few have been spotted inside the marquee by  hopeful autograph-hunters.

Northamptonshire will also be at Cheltenham College for a four-day game this summer – that game starts on Monday 25^th July – as Gloucestershire look to make a big impression in the top flight of red ball cricket.

There are also a couple of one-day games during the Cheltenham Festival – a National County Match against Wiltshire on Sunday 31st July and a Royal London Cup game against Warwickshire on Tuesday 2^nd August.

There aren’t any T20 games this year – the tournament concludes before the start of the Festival – but Brassington, like so many others, remains a huge fan of the Festival.

“It’s still so special,” he said. “When you look at the fixture schedule, we’re very lucky just to have a Festival at all. Everyone is still looking forward to the Festival, I know all the players are.”