THE widow of a former Saints player celebrated reaching her latest milestone after enjoying her 100th birthday.

Dorothy ‘Dolly’ Butler, who was married to ex-Saint Albert, who made 235 appearances from 1933-1947, reached the milestone on Monday, May 9.

Dolly, the only surviving sibling out of nine, was born in Eldon Street, near Prescot Road on May 9, 1916.

Working at Pimbletts for more than 30 years, she moved with Albert to Billinge in 1968, before he passed away in 1983, aged 67.

Dolly, whose support for Saints has remained as strong as ever, now resides at Greenfields Care Home, Dentons Green Lane and she still enjoys cheering them on TV and is an avid Liverpool FC fan also.

Dolly’s other hobbies included gardening and even in her 90s she would regularly take an early train to Liverpool’s Great Homer Street market, returning on a late train laden with plants.

Her other great love was dancing, which she did until she was 95 and was part of the St Helens sequence dance team, travelling regularly to Blackpool to take part in competition.

“She’s such a character and a lovely lady,” said niece Elaine Twist, 61.

“There’s still nothing wrong with her physically and of course she did her own gardening and everything.”

Elaine added: “She loves children, especially boys and she was the only girl that has survived so she was spoiled with all the lads.

“She had a good social life with Saints and when Albert died she made a new life for herself and was out three or four days a week dancing.

“She’s been looking forward to that message off the Queen.”