The BEN continues its occasional series on SPORTING CHARACTERS OF BOLTON by Dougie Tobutt who talks to Wanderers' fanatic Florence Brandwood

IN 1938, 14-year-old Florence Brandwood was taken to Burnden Park by her brother, Jim. Since then, only the war, illness and the birth of her son, David, have kept her from watching her beloved team both home and away. She is probably Wanderers' number one fan.

But there is more to this remarkable lady from Astley Bridge than just being a spectator. Born in 1924, her early days all revolved around Waterloo Street. She lived there, went to school and church there, and got married there.

She left St James School to start work at Knowles Mill and it was there that she got her first taste of sport. The Mill formed a rounders team and that was the start of a 30-year involvement in rounders. In the winter she played hockey, but what her cabinet is bursting with is darts trophies. She has dozens of them. Florence started playing darts 50 years ago and played for the British Darts Organisation for 15 years, reaching the final of the individuals competition twice, and she still plays competitively to this day.

In summer, Florence is a keen cricket fan. It all started when her son, David, started playing for Astley Bridge Under 18s.

"I was asked if I would score but I didn't understand the signals, so David gave me a quick lesson," she confessed.

She has been scoring ever since, spending 11 years at Astley Bridge and the past 28 years at Heaton Cricket Club. She is a well-known figure at all the Bolton League grounds and has won prizes for having the neatest scorebook.

Florence has been married to Harry for 54 years, a fishmonger at Fleetwood Fish Supply, which used to be on Deansgate. Although he is not as passionate as his wife about sport, he gives her his blessing and he even puts up with her playing the organ, which she has taken up since retiring. Their son, David, does share his mother's passion for Bolton. She took him to his first match when he was six months old. Bill Ridding called him "our youngest fan". He was one of The Wanderers' first mascots. He now owns a toy shop in Horwich and his merchandise includes Bolton Wanderers' memorabilia.

Despite these other interests, Florence's number one passion is football; she could easily write her own book on her experiences.

Going back to the early days, she recalls that, after the war, there was a huge enthusiasm when the game returned. It was relatively cheap entertainment and something to look forward to, but it was also a sad time because some players never returned, having been injured or killed during the war. She would walk the three miles from home to the ground, or get a lift on the back of a neighbour's motorbike in return for 10 cigarettes!

What about the worst and best memories? "The worst," Florence said, "was when I was in hospital having a major operation when Bolton played Blackpool in the 1953 Cup Final. I persuaded the nurses to let me watch the match on TV but I fainted when Nat scored our first goal. When I came round, they had switched the TV off. I pleaded with them to turn it back on, which they did. Blackpool scored, which made it 4-3 in their favour. I was gutted.

"The best moment was in 1958. I sent off for Wembley tickets, but received a letter saying that I had been unsuccessful. I went down to Burnden and demanded to see Bill Ridding. I talked my way into his office, explained the situation, and he said that he remembered seeing me in the paper queuing all night for semi-final tickets, so he gave me three and refused any payment. I was elated. Bolton's win over Manchester United made up for the disappointment in 1953."

There have been a few mishaps for Florence along the way. In 1950, against York City, she ended up in hospital after a rival woman fan hit her with her rattle. In 1991, she had a heart attack while watching the FA Cup game against Southampton, but she refused to go to hospital because she didn't want to miss the replay. In 1998, she was on a coach set for Luton and had a heart attack. The match was called off because of fog, but she was there for the re-arranged game. In 1999, coming out of the West Brom's ground, she saw two young Bolton fans getting beaten up. She approached the thugs and told them to pick on someone their own size and she got her front teeth knocked out.

What are the nicest things about her 63 years' involvement in sport? "It's the people I have met -- some real characters, and other people who have become life-long friends. I once met Sir Matt Busby -- he was something special! I asked him if he could get me George Best's autograph. Not only did he oblige, but he brought George out to meet me."

She once sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson when he was on a scouting mission at Burnden. "We had a chat and I gave him some of my Nuttall's Mintoes," she said. "A week later, I was on my way to Gigg Lane when a car pulled up and a man shouted -- 'you're a keen fan aren't you, have you got any sweets?' -- it was Sir Alex."

She has met all the Bolton managers -- and who is her favourite? "Well, I have a cockatiel named Bruce," she laughed. And her favourite player? "I have a dog named 'Robbie Savage' -- but Phil Brown will always be my No. 1 favourite."

If there was ever a national competition to find out who was the most dedicated and loyal sports fan, I think Florence Brandwood would stand on top of the rostrum.