FOOTBALL paid a final farewell on Tuesday to Eddie Hopkinson, the former Bolton Wanderers and England goalkeeper, who died last week.

Football stars from an era spanning 50 years gathered to pay tribute to "Hoppy" at his funeral service in his home town of Royton.

Reunited were players who won the 1958 FA Cup for Bolton Wanderers in the 2-0 win over Manchester United, as well as former England colleagues, who played alongside Eddie in his 14 international appearances.

Nat Lofthouse, captain of the 1958 side, was with former team mates Bryan Edwards, Tommy Banks, Dennis Stevens and Ralph Gubbins, while former England players Ronnie Clayton and Bryan Douglas, from Blackburn Rovers, and Blackpool's Jimmy Armfield mingled with two other former Wanderers internationals, 1966 World Cup hero Roger Hunt, and Peter Reid, who played in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

The current Wanderers were represented by manager Sam Allardyce and his assistant, Phil Brown, along with club directors and staff, while a floral tribute of the club's logo was placed alongside the coffin during the service at Trinity Methodist Church, Royton, before cremation at Oldham Crematorium.

The minister, Rev Bob Gollins told the packed church that he had been lucky enough to see Eddie Hopkinson at his peak. "I was only young, but after my first visit to Burnden Park, I became a Wanderers fan. And I am still one today."

After the service, players from the early 1960s reminisced about the keeper, who became a Wanderers legend.

Strikers Wyn Davies and John Byrom, and winger Brian Pilkington swapped stories with some of the stars of the 1970s, including John Thomas and Peter Nicholson and former manager Ian Greaves. But it was with the 1958 FA Cup winning side that Eddie Hopkinson had his proudest moments in football.

"He was one of the best, I have no doubt about that," said Tommy Banks. "In one-to-one situations, few strikers got the better of him. He was brilliant."

One man who remembered Eddie Hopkinson as well as anyone was another Wanderers goalkeeper Joe Dean. "I think I made my first team debut before Eddie, but got injured and that let Eddie into the side," he recalled. "After that, I don't think I played for the first team again, because Eddie was so good. But more importantly, he was a lovely man. We'll all miss him."