Meet Carlisle United old boy Jack McDowall. Jack may well be United's most elderly supporter. And he celebrated his 105th birthday yesterday at his beloved Brunton Park.

Jack is one of the few people still alive who attended Carlisle's first home match as a Football League club. That was 90 years ago. He remembers it vividly.

"It was August 1928," declared Jack. "They had played away, to Accrington Stanley. The first game at home was to Bradford City. It was a Thursday night. It was a good game. It was a draw: 2-2. At the end of that season Bradford City won the league."

An internet search will confirm every detail: Bradford did win the league that season. The match was played on a Thursday.

Who is Jack's favourite Carlisle player? He mentioned Cumberland News columnist Hugh McIlmoyle, who was here to greet Jack and present him with a Carlisle United birthday cake. Another centre-forward also lingers in that remarkable memory, even though he last played for Carlisle in 1932.

"Jimmy McConnell. He had great big thighs. If he got within scoring distance he used to belt the ball in."

Present-day Carlisle stars, including last season's player of the year Nicky Adams, listened and smiled in amazement at such recollections.

Can Nicky imagine himself still going strong at 105? "With my stress levels, no chance! It's some age. He looks great."

Jack has witnessed United's rise to the old First Division in 1974 and the fall back down the divisions.

His highlights include a 0-0 draw at Arsenal in the FA Cup in 1951, an FA Cup tie with Birmingham in 1957 when an Alf Ackerman hat-trick secured a 3-3 draw, and goalkeeper Jimmy Glass's goal to keep Carlisle in the Football League in 1999.

Jack last attended a match about seven years ago. These days he listens on BBC Radio Cumbria.

He is a Carlisle lad through and through: born and raised at Bassenthwaite Street, off Wigton Road, and attending nearby Ash Lea Street School.

At 14 Jack became an apprentice joiner. He served in the Royal Engineers during the Second World War and landed at Normandy soon after D-Day in June 1944.

The French government recently sent him the Legion of Honour. In 2014 it announced that this would be awarded to all British veterans who fought for the liberation of France.

After being demobbed in 1946 Jack returned to Carlisle and worked for local joiners, then joined John Laing. He retired at 65 and his hobbies since then have included researching his family tree.

He was married to Ethel and they had a son, Don, who was at Brunton Park yesterday. His father's passion for Carlisle United has rubbed off on Don, who is a season ticket holder.

"I can remember him taking me to my first match when I was about four," said Don. "I sat on his knee in the old stand, the one that burned down [in 1953]."

Jack's brother lived to 101 and his sister is 99. What's the secret of such longevity? "He'll say it's broth," said Don. "Being brought up on broth."

Ethel died in 1999. Jack lives in the west of Carlisle, still managing an impressive degree of independence.

While being presented with his birthday cake yesterday he smiled and said: "It's great to be doing this with everybody. So many friends."

Then he asked Nicky Adams "Are you keeping fit?"

"Not as fit as you!"

"I'll have a game with you after," said Jack.