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Max Vernet has been playing soccer his whole life. Now 77, he shows no sign he’ll be hanging up his cleats anytime soon. In fact, Dr. Vernet, Professor Emeritus in the Department of French Studies, still gets together with Queen’s University faculty, staff and students as many as five days a week to play lunch-hour games.

“This is my daily routine for exercise,” says Dr. Vernet. “It’s great for me, great for my health.”

Dr. Vernet is a “nooner” – and it’s a title he has worn with pride for more than 35 years. He is one of a rotating cast of hundreds of players who have worn the same moniker since soccer enthusiasts on campus first began organizing lunchtime pick-up games in the early 1970s.

Members of the departments of computer science and math, who were fielding a soccer team together in what was then known as the “grad league,” first spearheaded the initiative. Recognizing that they needed more practice, the players began meeting at lunch on the Cricket Field in front of the county court house, not far from campus, to kick the ball around. In time, many retired from the league, but continued to meet for their lunchtime soccer sessions.

Mike Smith, a project manager in the ITS Project Portfolio Office, has been playing with the Nooners since he was a student in 1978. Mr. Smith, organizes the daily games (he is affectionately referred to as “The Commish” by the other players), says Queen’s has always gone the extra mile to support the lunchtime athletes.

“I remember when the university-issued athletic wear was white rather than grey – and there were signs about not playing outside in whites … but the equipment staff would turn a blind eye even though we would be handing in clothing that was grass-stained and muddy,” he recalls, explaining that the players eventually started swapping their standard-issue white socks for grey ones, which they bought and kept at the equipment desk.

In the mid-1980s, the team added indoor play to their repertoire during the winter months. A decade later, they abandoned the cricket field in favour of playing on-campus at Tindall Field, which had then been made newly available for recreational use. It was a move that made the Nooners, who play with rules to discourage aggression and prevent injuries, even more accessible to the rest of the campus community.

“Suddenly we had a lot more students asking if they could join us, and of course the answer is always yes!” says Mr. Smith. “We suddenly had undergraduates in big numbers.”

Jenny Corlett, Associate Director of International Initiatives with the Faculty of Arts and Science, has been playing on and off with the Nooners for more than five years. She admits that while she was initially a little intimidated to play, her hesitation was soon put to rest when she found the group to be welcoming and encouraging. 

“I love the diversity. We may be faculty, staff, students and community members, but when you get on the field, that all falls away,” she says. “It really doesn’t matter who you are. It’s about loving the game.”

While both Ms. Corlett and Mr. Smith say they would like to see more women playing, they value the opportunity to meet players from around the world when they step out onto the pitch.

Dr. Vernet agrees. “I think we have integrated hundreds of foreign students over the years,” he says. “They may not speak English when they arrive at Queen’s, but they do speak soccer! Many people say playing with the Nooners is their best Queen’s experience.”

For more information about the Nooners, contact Mike Smith at smithm@queensu.ca, or visit Tindall Field weekdays between noon and 1:30pm.