Vince bowled over by birthday surprise (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Vince bowled over by birthday surprise

2:53pm Thursday 19th August 2010 in

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HE’S drunk more than 3,900 pints over the 50 years he has gone to the same pub at the same time, to drink the same beer, and eat the same cheese from his personalised board.

But his routine changed just for one day last Sunday when Vince Broderick turned up at the Wykeham Arms in Winchester.

He was greeted by dozens of pub staff, locals, friends and family, who turned up to celebrate his 90th birthday.

Mr Broderick, a former professional cricketer, started drinking in the pub when he coached youngsters in the sport at Winchester College.

Now the great-grandfather-of-four, from Colden Common, is so well loved that he gets a free cheeseboard and a free pint-anda- half of shandy every Sunday when he arrives at 12.30pm.

Mr Broderick played for Northamptonshire and the MCC between 1939 and 1957.

He said: “I was totally surprised when I walked in.

“I have always come to the pub because it is such a friendly place.

“I hope to be coming here for years to come. I can’t see what will stop me — well maybe if they stop buying me drinks!”