Alan Edwards - Liverpudlian

Some of you may remember Alan from the story below which ran in the Echo a couple of years ago.

Sadly, ill health has caught up with Alan, now 82, and he has been forced to give up his beloved job at Anfield. I would love to pay a special tribute to Alan by hanging a banner for him in the Upper Main Stand where he brought so much joy to match-going Reds in recent years. I have drawn up a design and I will make it come what may (if you are not familiar with my banner-making, have a glance at my website handmadebanners.co.uk), however...
 
I would really appreciate a little help with the costs.
 
I will do all the hard work and foot the cost of materials myself (which is about £40), but my sewing costs on a complex design like this will be around £100, so I am setting up a GoFundMe. I will post the design later on today for you to see, and details of the GoFundMe page will also follow shortly. The remaining money above and beyond the banner costs will be given to Alan as a retirement gift from all the Main Stand fans who love him so much. After displaying the banner at every game this season, it will then also be gifted to Alan and his family.
 
Thanks for taking the time to read.

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-matchday-steward-lifts-lid-16298223

Meet Alan - the 80-year-old Liverpool FC steward - who has gone from hitch hiking to matches to a club legend.

 

Alan Edwards is a devoted Red and first started going to matches with his dad, when he was 12 years old.

 

However in his 50s, Alan was forced to give up his beloved season ticket after his building contractor business hit some financial difficulties.

 

A few months later, having got back on track, he went to renew his ticket but was told there was an eight-year waiting list.

 

So, instead, Alan decided to get a job working on the turnstiles at his much-loved club and the rest they say is history.

 

Alan, from Broadgreen , told the ECHO : "As long as I am able to, I will keep working here.

 

"I don't want to give it up.

 

"It is just brilliant.

 

"I have met so many people and made so many friends, that is my favourite part - the meeting people.

 

"The atmosphere in the ground is just amazing, we are all part of the family.

 

"It is a privilege to work here."

 

 

Alan became a steward for LFC around six years ago, but before that worked on the turnstiles (Image: Alan Edwards)

As a lifelong fan - who has missed only 10 home matches, in the last 50 years - Alan used to follow the Reds when the club was in the second division and would hitch hike to matches.

 

But through the 80s he would use his building transit van to drive himself, his family and friends, all over the country to follow the games.

 

Son Keith said: "The van would be full of building stuff and sometimes there would be 10 of us sitting in the back of it, to get to the games.

 

 

"He used to have his lunch with Bill Shankly in a cafe in West Derby when he was builder."

 

At 12 years of age, Alan said he would watch the match from the "boys' pen" on the Kemlyn Road stand - which is now known as the Sir Kenny Dalglish stand.

 

The dad-of-four said: "When I first started going to the match my dad would take me to the game and he used to put me in the boys' pen, it was called and he would go and get a pint and watch the match from the stand and come and check on me.

 

"I remember in 1959 I went to watch us play Worcester City and they were a non-league team.

 

"And we travelled down there on the Saturday and when we got there the match had been cancelled.

 

"So we went back on the Thursday and then got beaten in the FA cup.

 

"So the least I deserve is this cup."

 

During his time working on the turnstiles and then as a steward, Alan has more than a few stories to tell his four grandchildren.

 

One memory in particular he said was around six years ago, on his first day working as a steward, when Liverpool played Manchester United.

 

 

Alan Edwards, with his four grandsons who are all Liverpool FC supporters

He said: "I was working on the Manchester side of the fence.

 

"And I said to some of the lads, 'I used to serve with one of yours, Bobby Charlton, when I was in the National Service. He was in the same camp as me.'

 

"Next thing I knew I had five or six lads gathered around me asking me 'go on then what was he like as a person?'

 

And I said basically - he was 'under the arm' [not a nice fella] and they said 'why' and I said 'because he was from bloody Manchester'

 

"But it broke the ice and we had a laugh about it."

 

Another memory Alan recalled was the brass band that would play before every match and how the 'gate crashers' were dealt with.

 

He added: "You used to get the lads who would try and jump over the turnstiles to get in.

 

"I used to have to shout over to the stewards 'jumper, jumper' and then they would throw them back out."

 

 

Alan, who still plays golf and played football up until his late 50s, was recently awarded by Liverpool FC for the great job he does as a steward, which the dad said is all down to his "life experience."

 

He said: "When I first got interviewed for the job the lady asked me why was I applying for it because of my age.

 

"And I said because people will respect my age.

 

"If I go up to someone and say stop causing trouble they will see my age and respect my life experience and they respond to that.

 

"If you do it with the right attitude you get the right response."

 

 

Video footage of Alan in action at a home game was shared on social media by his son Keith - who said even though his dad has Parkinsons disease, he doesn't let it stop him.

 

In the video streams of fans can be seen greeting Alan who said he often receives, hugs, kisses and handshakes by supporters.

 

 

Alan with his grandson Tommy (Image: Geoff Davies)

Overwhelmed to be recognised by the club and Reds fans, he added: "At the staff awards on Friday - much to my surprise - I got an award and got a hotel night in the Hilton for me and my wife and a bottle of Liverpool champagne.

 

"I am going to open it when we win the Champions League .

 

"When I went up on stage I said to the woman - 'you could have given me a ticket to the cup final' and she laughed."

 

Alan said although his sons and grandsons have tried to convince him to go with them to Madrid, he will be watching the final against Tottenham Hotspurs in his home.

 

He said: "I think we will win - it will be a travesty if they don't win with the way they have played this season.

 

"Taking all that into consideration we should win."

 

 

 

Sadly, ill health has caught up with Alan, and he has been forced to give up his beloved job at Anfield. I would love to pay a special tribute to Alan by hanging a banner for him in the Upper Main Stand where he brought so much joy to match-going Reds in recent years. I have drawn up a design and I will make it come what may (if you are not familiar with my banner-making, have a glance at my website handmadebanners.co.uk), however...

 

I would really appreciate a little help with the costs.

 

I will do all the hard work and foot the cost of materials myself (which is about £40), but my sewing costs on a complex design like this will be around £100, so I am setting up a GoFundMe. I will post the design later on today for you to see, and details of the GoFundMe page will also follow shortly. Any money raised above and beyond the banner costs will be given to Alan as a retirement gift from all the fans who love him so much. Alan has indicated that he would like to donate this money to Parkinson's Liverpool.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read.