Eagle Star footballers from days gone by will be rolling back the years when they meet for a big reunion next month.

For some the hair will be a bit thinner and the waistline a little wider since their playing days but the fun and the banter is sure to be just the same.

The reunion will take place at Eagle Star’s old clubhouse in Quat Goose Lane – now called Seasons – on Friday 20th October starting at 7.30pm, and anyone who played for the club before 1990 is invited.

Terry Poulson, who is helping to organise the event, said: “We’re inviting all former players and their partners. We’re hoping we’ll get about 100 people turn up.”

Eagle Star first started fielding football teams in 1965/66 and at their strongest had three Saturday teams and one Sunday side. And it wasn’t just quantity, there was quality as well, as the senior team won promotion from the Cheltenham League into the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League in 1995.

So what prompted the reunion plans after a gap of around 25 years?

“It was a call from an ex-player, Mike Murley,” said Terry. “He worked for Eagle Star in Cheltenham for many, many years before moving with the company to the Isle of Man where he still lives.”

“Out of the blue he got in touch with another ex-player Darrell Dymond and said let’s have a reunion and it’s gone from there.”

“Darrell got in touch with me – we’ve all known each other for years – and we asked around and there did seem to be some interest.”

In the 1990s, Eagle Star was merged with Zurich Insurance and the Eagle Star Sports and Social Club was leased to the Union of Finance Staff, who started to run it as Seasons Business and Conference Centre.

The football club at the end of the 2003-2004 season was obliged to find themselves somewhere else to play after 34 years at Quat Goose Lane. With all ties to their origins now being severed, the club dropped the ‘Eagle’ from their name and became Star FC, setting up home at the brand new sports grounds in Bishop’s Cleeve.

In 2015 they merged with Southside and the club are now known as Southside Star, playing their home games at Swindon Village playing fields, just a long goal kick from their old home in Quat Goose Lane.

Terry, now 57, has many happy memories of his time at Eagle Star as a player, manager, treasurer and chairman of the club.

“We played at a reasonable standard,” he said. “We won the Junior Charities Cup in 1981, gained promotion to Cheltenham League Division One in 1985, and won Cheltenham League Division One in 1995 which resulted in admittance into the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League achieving promotion from Division Two at the first attempt.

“In the early days you had to work for the company to play for a team. The only exception was the goalkeeper because that was a specialist position.”

Terry, a defender, started playing for the club in 1978 and continued to play on Saturdays and Sundays until retiring from playing at the end of the 1980s.

So who were the standout players that Terry remembers?

“Bob Styman,” he said. “He was a centre-forward and left the club to play for Bishop’s Cleeve in the Hellenic League in the 80s. And Graham Spurway had played football professionally up north before he came to us.

“He played at centre-half for the club but could play anywhere. The club were as much about the social side as the football.”

Terry hasn’t been involved with football for around 25 years.

So what does he do on Saturday afternoons?

“I play golf at Lilley Brook,” he said, “and I like my horseracing. I’ve also started playing bowls at Bishop’s Cleeve.”

He may not be involved in the beautiful game these days but he’s certainly looking forward to his football trip down memory lane next month.

Anyone who played for Eagle Star up to 1990 and who would like to attend the reunion should email Terry at terrypoulson@yahoo.com. Admission is by ticket only, £10, and must be purchased before the evening. All profits from the evening will go to Sue Ryder.

The players featured in the photos are as follows:

1st XI in 1968/69
Back row: K. Bush, R.E. Parker, R. Gwilliam, K. Freeman, N.B. Dodds, R. Dangerfield, M.D. Bailey. Front row: J.B. Marland, J. Woodley, R.J. Salisbury, C.J. Ralph, R.R. Freeman, J. Vickers.

1st team squad 1885/86
Back row: Paul Higgs, Graham Spurway, Mike Lytheer, Mike Webb, Darren Ayres, Ian Russell, Dave Edwards, Paul Davies, Dave Powell. Front row: Dave Tinkler, Kevin Allen, Paul Hynes, Steve Lockett, Terry Poulson, Simon Griffin, Mike Eyre, Paul Szperling.

Sunday team early 1980s
Back row: Terry Poulson, Steve Lockett, Colin Sewter, Ian Russell, Bill Jamieson, Mike Webb, Pete Negus. Front row: Ian Neville, Dave Edwards, Paul Hynes, Mike Murley, Paul Davies.

Sunday team mid-1980s
Back row: Colin Sewter, Paul Hynes, Dave Edwards, Darrell Dymond, Mike Webb, Bill Jamieson, Ian Orchard, Jon Manton. Front row: Richard Price, Derrick Summerbell, Alun Griffiths, Terry Poulson, Paul Davies, Nigel Hopkins.