A Workington Reds stalwart has been named Fan of the Year by the Pitching In Northern Premier League.
Gordon McAllister, who will be 88 in August, has followed the Reds since the sport resumed after the Second World War in the 1945/46 season.
He has been virtually ever-present since then, including the 2021/22 a season just ended when Reds missed out on promotion – and yet were only a goal away from winning the League.
Gordon said: “When Marine scored with the last kick of the game to take it to extra time my heart sank. We were that close to going through to the final.”
The veteran supporter had been nominated by the club for the award and was presented with a special trophy at the NPL’s presentation dinner in Birmingham.
Fans from Marine and Whitby had also made the final alongside Gordon from 88 original nominations.
“It was a lovely feeling to receive the award and then be given a standing ovation afterwards. The Reds have been such a big part of my life for all those years,” he said.
Like so many before him, Gordon had been taken to his first Reds game in 1945 by his father who had been a long-time follower.
“There is some footage of the Reds FA Cup game with Preston North End back in the 1930s with lots of people watching from the stand roof. Well my dad was one of them and he lost his hat when Reds scored,” he recalled.
Gordon also played at the Reds, starting with the youth team – which was formed by manager Bill Shankly – and later the A team.
“Bill was something special. He was so enthusiastic about the game. He used to train us on two nights a week and he was such an influence, a really great football man.
“I actually signed at the same time as Noel Hodgson who went on to play 51 Football League games for the club,” he says.
As well as avidly following the fortunes of the Reds as a supporter Gordon has accumulated a treasure trove of memorabilia concerning the club – photographs, programmes as well as old film footage and some priceless interviews which he has done himself.
Gordon lists the visit to Liverpool in 1952; the FA Cup tie at home to Man Utd in 1958 and the 2-2 draw with Chelsea in 1964 as the best games he can recall Reds being involved in.
The family tradition of following the Reds has continued with Gordon’s son Stephen who accompanied him and Workington directors to the function.
“Dad was actually sat next to the lad who won the NPL Player of the Season award and he is a former Reds player Jacob Hazell who was with Whitby Town but I understand has now signed for Darlington.
“He scored 26 goals this season and we told him we could have used some of them, well certainly one at Market Drayton! He said that we had our chance when he was on loan with us,” said Stephen.
Hazell, now 28, played eight games for Reds in 2013 on loan from Chesterfield and scored four goals. He’s since gone on to play for nine different clubs, scoring goals wherever he’s gone.
