They haven't seen a day like it in Tow Law since Queen Victoria opened the Ironworks Association tennis courts more than 120 years ago.

Shuffling, shambling on to the Ironworks Road pitch with his hands pulled up his sleeves like a reluctant schoolboy on a cold cross country run, was Chris Waddle, a footballer who, in his heyday, was the world's third most expensive player. Only Maradona and Ruud Guillit cost more than the £4.25m that Marseilles paid for Waddle in July 1989.

And it had all started here at the Ironworks ground a decade earlier.

Someone knew someone who knew the Tow Law manager, and so the 18-year-old Waddle sloped up for training.

"I wanted to try a higher level than junior football," he says, standing shivering over the railings, a couple inches of sopping snow at his feet.

He scored 23 goals in his season at Tow Law. "Ay, 19 were in the league," he says. "I needed one more to finish third highest scorer in the league and for that you would get a cheque for £100. It would have gone in the players' kitty, so, in the last match of the season, at Evenwood, the lads were setting me up.

"I had ten chances and missed them all."

The Lawyers' faithful were impressed.

"Right from the start you knew he was going to go into higher football," says Bernard Fairbairn, secretary for 38 years after his father, who was secretary in the 1940s, and his grandfather, secretary in the 1920s.

"He scored some hellish goals. I remember one, at Crook, when he was playing inside left, but came inside and let go from about 20 yards with his right."

Waddle had a fortnight's trial with Sunderland while at Tow Law.

"They said they had some better young 'uns coming through and it wasn't worth their while signing us," he says.

Then, in July 1980, Newcastle came in for him and he left the seasoning factory in Felling where he worked and turned pro.

"I never made sausages at all," protests the man who became known as the most famous sausage seasoner of all time.

"But it has been a good line for the papers. It was part of a meat importers business. I went back a few years ago and it's still there. It still stinks."

Tow Law profited from his move to Newcastle. "We got three lots of £500 for him at different stages," says Bernard.

After 191 appearances at Newcastle alongside Kevin Keegan and Peter Beardsley he moved to Spurs where he played 173 games before moving to Marseilles.

Last night was his first time back in Tow Law for 20 years.

"I couldn't believe it when they rang up today and said it was still on," he says, as the groundsman clangs an echoing shovel into the frozen goalmouth.

The game, which also includes former Newcastle player Alan Shoulder and former Darlington striker John Borthwick, is a testimonial for long-term Lawyer Mickey Bailey, who is retiring after 12 years at the club. It was due to be played at the end of the season, but was brought forward when Mickey's dad, Ken, a stalwart supporter, was diagnosed with cancer.

"They told him he had six months on November 21 and he died six days later," says Mickey. A minute's silence in memory of Ken is observed before kick off.

Mickey's claim to fame is his penalty taking.

"I turn my back at the edge of the penalty area, the whistle goes and I turn round and put the ball in the same place every time," he says. "I've only missed one in 12 years and then I put the rebound away so it doesn't count."

Mickey joined the club in 1989 - which, sadly, was nine years after Chris Waddle had left. Sadly, because Mickey's skill might have changed footballing history if he had been able to pass it on to Waddle. Because of all the moments in his 62 games for England, Waddle is remembered by most for the woeful penalty he blasted over the bar in a shoot-out against West Germany in the 1990 World Cup