Today marks the official start of middle age for former first team right back and occasional striker Rupert Hoffen.

'The Hoff' began playing for the Club in the mid-1990's and formed part of the 'Golden Generation' of players coming through at that time who went on to earn the OHAFC some of the finest moments in the Club's history.

Ru, along with his brother Harry, formed the side's strike partnership for well over a decade, terrorising defences with their telepathetic link-up play and appalling jokes.

As well as being a key member of the sides that won Division One in 2000 and the Premier Division in 2004, Ru took on a vital second role - smarming up to the referees in order to curry favour with them during games. Many was the occasion when Rupert would bound up to a startled official prior to kick-off, earnestly enquiring how their holiday to Malta was and how the wife's foot op went; ten minutes later and Ru would have his game face on, furiously demanding to know why the referee had failed to spot a slight nick off an Aldenham boot on the halfway line and given the throw to the opponents.

Ru is also credited with one of the most famous tantrums in OHAFC 1st XI history. During one of the 'friendly' fixtures versus the School 1st XI at the Bank of England Ground in Roehampton, the striker was unhappy at the apparent lack of cohesion in the old boys' play late on in the first half.

Dozens of Harrow parents were left stunned on the touchline as the forward screamed at the top of his voice: "Come on Harrow - we're going through our usual s**te period!"

Perhaps Ru's finest moment on the pitch came in 2007 when he came off the bench to score the crucial equaliser in the Dunn Cup semi-final at Salopians. Trailing 2-1 with minutes remaining, Ru made an immediate impact, converting Lederman's cross with a close-range header to send the tie into extra-time. The OHAFC went on to win 3-2 thanks to Piers Bourke's excellent goal and a few weeks later collected the trophy for the first and, to date, only time in their history with a 1-0 win over Bradfield.

In the last few years Ru has slowly toned down his OHAFC appearances but he still turns out for the Veterans side on regular occasions and will have the delight of re-kindling the strike partnership with his brother in this year's Cup competition - defences will no doubt groan in anticipation of initially being given the runaround on the pitch, then having to put up with lengthy inane chat off it.

Assuming, that is, that Harrow are not going through one of their 'usual s**te periods'.

Happy birthday Ru!