Goalscorer Grimmy is a Mossie Park legend: Charnock Richard striker Carl Grimshaw notched his 500th goal for the club

Modern-day greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored around 800 goals each during their incredible career while Pele is believed to have broken the four-figure mark over the course of his time as a player.

Charnock Richard star Grimshaw is the club’s very own goal machine. Over the past 13 years Grimmy’s name has been a constant name on the scoresheet.

And last Wednesday night he notched his 500th goal for the club in the 3-2 defeat at Squires Gate in the North West Counties League Premier Division.

He went on to notch both of the Villagers’ goals that evening meaning he heads into this afternoon’s fixture against Burscough at Mossie Park with 501 goals to his name.

Club secretary Dave Rowland said: “It is indeed a remarkable story. At the start of the 2009-10 campaign Carl was recruited from West Lancashire League side Eagley where he had been a regular goalscorer for several seasons.

"Carl scored on his Charnock Richard debut at Mossie Park in the Goldline Trophy on July 21, 2009 against Manchester League side Hindsford.

“Little did anyone realise at the time that this would be the start of a goalscoring journey that would see the Chorley-born player go on to knock in a further 500 goals for his beloved Charnock Richard.”

Along the way, Grimshaw has collected no less than four West Lancashire League Premier Division championship winners’ medals with as well as two runners-up medals.

He also collected three Richardson Cup winners’ medals, a North West Counties League Division One runners-up medal, a NWC League Cup winners’ medal, two Lancashire FA Amateur Shield winners’ medals and a finalist medal, also he won an Association of Northern Counties Senior Cup winners’ medal.

He has won the golden boot award in Charnock Richard’s last season in the West Lancashire League, scoring 42 times and followed this up with the North West Counties League Division One award in 2016-17 with 45 goals.

The season after, he went one better winning the Premier Division’s leading marksman award with 51 goals; a remarkable 96 goals in his first two seasons in Step five and six of the football pyramid.

Rowland added: “Thornton Cleveleys can bear testament to the goalscoring prowess of Charnock’s powerful striker.

"On February 7 2015 he netted five goals against them in the first Round of the West Lancashire League Richardson Cup and a fortnight later ran in seven more against the beleaguered Fylde side in the Premier Division – both games at Mossie Park.

“I have been in football as a player and club administrator for the past 53 years and I have never come across a more potent striker than Carl.

"It has been, and will continue to be, a privilege to have been associated with such a wonderful character over these past few seasons.

“The way that he has represented Charnock Richard on and off the field of play is a testament to his integrity. The phrase 'club legend' is often bandied about these days by the media, but in his case, the saying is resoundingly apt.

"He was often the target of clubs higher up the pecking order in the National League System but always remained a true ‘Villager’.

When the book is eventually written about the history of Charnock Richard Football Club, Carl’s achievements will stand out like a beacon.

“To have scored 501 goals in competitive games for the club is a remarkable achievement by any standards.

"A striker is always at the blunt end of things, in the thick of battle and despite many a physical encounter with some of the hardiest central defenders, Carl has hardly missed a game through injury during his time at Mossie Park.

"Often described as an ‘old fashioned centre forward’, there is more to Carl than that.

“Indeed, Carl’s value to the Charnock cause goes a good deal further than his goal scoring prowess and he will often be seen clearing his lines at the heart of the ‘Villager’s defence.

"He is a natural leader, a skipper that leads by example. His determination, passion and enthusiasm, as much as his panache in front of goal, marks him out as an extraordinary footballer.”