Evergreen Tony still going strong

WHILE most 40-year-olds would be looking to step down from island representative sport, Tony Veillard is going from strength to strength.

The Yobbos defender celebrated his 40th last month and he can also celebrate the fact that he has played every minute of Guernsey's campaign in the HA Trophy.

He has not been substituted once in four matches in helping the greens reach the quarter-finals of the national competition.

'I'm loving it - it's still great to be playing,' he said.

Veillard comes from a well-known local sporting family.

His older brother Richard played for Guernsey at both hockey and cricket and his younger brother, Mike, is accomplished in both sports.

The middle Veillard has enjoyed more than 20 years in the senior island hockey side.

He said he made his inter-insular debut in 1988 on the shale of the old Osmond Priaulx pitch.

The same year, he was instrumental in Guernsey winning the Hampshire Division Two title.

Nowadays, he regularly turns out for Cenkos Yobbos and helped them claim the Investec Division One title for the first time in nine years this season.

And not only does he play a competitive league match every weekend, he also undergoes two gruelling island training sessions each week.