The star-studded ancestry show Who Do You Think You Are? returned to TV screens this evening with a heartfelt episode delving into the family history of TV detective Ralf Little. The episode, which spans from the north-west, down to Wales and all the way north into Scottish territory, traced the Little family roots and shared an important victory or two.
Little, who played "our Antony" in the sitcom The Royale Family, once set his ambitions on the back of the net. As a lifelong Manchester United fan, the former Bolton School student embarked on a semi-professional career once, joining the likes of Maidstone United and Edgeware Town. It was as a part of the latter team that Little made his FA Vase debut in 2004.
Imagine his delight when he learned that his great-grandfather also had a passion for the great game. Only instead of a friendly kick-about in the park or a semi-professional game on a weekend, Little's ancestor played for quite a prestigious team and had quite the impact on its legacy.
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Ralph Little's great-grandfather was a professional footballer
During the episode, Little is desperate to know more about the roots of his grandmother, Olive from North Wales. With help from a team of experts, he travels to Chirk, near Wrexham, to see where his grandmother grew up. With rumours of a 'professional footballer' in the family, he wanted to know if there was any truth to the story.
Thanks to a meeting with his mother's cousin, Heather, Little heads to Chirk Football Club where he finally learns about his great-grandfather Albert Lockley, a miner and professional footballer. Though not a large town now, playing for Chirk in the late 1800s was a pretty big deal.
Little was over the moon to learn that his relative played a key role in a cup final. After learning that Albert scored the opener in less than a minute played, Little pumped his fist in the air and cheered: "Get in, Albert!"
However, it wasn't all cheers and happiness after atheist Little learns that his grandfather gave up his passion for the game because of religion. Wrapped up in the 'religious revival', Albert embraced his faith and put aside everything else. Much to Little's chagrin, "this is the saddest thing I've ever read," he said.
"It's a bitter irony," Little confessed. "As an atheist, if I've ever had any devotion to anything it's been football because I've always loved it so much. I have to be understanding of his circumstances, which I can't possibly comprehend, even if I do have quite a lot of sadness about it."
This was the final episode in the latest series of Who Do You Think You Are? Take a look back at past episodes here and on BBC iPlayer.
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