More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A football booted into the sea at Herne Bay six years ago has been found in a museum in Holland.
It was discovered among an eclectic collection of beach combing finds by a visitor who is originally from east Kent.
But its links to Herne Bay are obvious as it is signed and also bears the name of the town.
The signatures belong to a group of local players who now recall launching it into the waves on the West beach while celebrating their success at winning a tournament in 2013.
The team was made up of Matty Hewett, Callum Pugh, Kieran Compton, Jamie Spicer and Tyler Williams who all signed the ball and even included a postcode, in the hope it might one day be returned.
They saw it after pictures of the ball were posted on the Bay Promo Facebook page.
Matty responded: "That's us. I believe we won a 5-a-side league in 2013 and I think to 'celebrate', we had a kick about down the beach, signed the ball and booted it into the sea.
"I can't believe it. It's crazy."
Team mate Freddie Birchard added: "I can't get over the fact that it got to Holland."
The football has been in a display for the past two years at the Strandvondsten Museum in Castricum on the coast.
It was spotted by 82-year-old Barry Harvey, who visited the attraction while on a classic car run in his 1963 Vauxhall Cresta in Holland.
His attention was drawn to the words "Herne Bay" written on the ball because he used to live in the town and he took photographs of it.
He sent them to his nephew Russ Mount in Herne Bay who posted them on the Bay Promo page with the story which sparked the response.
Now the team mates are discussing whether to try and get the ball back or leave it where it is.
