Interview with a legend- Neil Edwards Wednesday, 23rd Apr 2008 06:08
Again with kind permission of the Voice of Spotland, we re-produce the Neil Edwards interview which appeared in the Dale v Stockport programme earlier in the season as part of our build up to the forthcoming Legends evening.
It isn’t often a player can be described as a true legend by two separate
sets of supporters. When the fixture list pitted Stockport County as our
visitors this evening, the recipient of a phone call for this particular
interview was an easy choice. With a combined total of over 400 appearances
between the two clubs he is certainly a former player that fits into the
description of a legend with both Dale and County fans; step forward Neil
Edwards.
It may have been six years apart, but the thought processes of Rochdale and
Stockport fans when they first clamped eyes on new goalkeeper Neil Edwards must
have been identical. Both sets of supporters had been used to commanding and
physically imposing Number Ones in the shape of Lance Key and David Redfern
prior to Edwards’ arrival, so imagine their surprise when the Football League’s
smallest goalkeeper at 5’8” trotted out to take his position between the sticks.
“I knew I would have to prove myself quickly at both clubs,” said Neil when we
spoke to him last week. “I suppose this is the case with all goalkeepers in a
way, but I knew I needed to start off on the right foot and I think I was lucky
in that I did that at both Stockport and Rochdale. It does make things so much
easier when you know the manager and the fans have faith and confidence in you
and like I say, at both clubs I felt very comfortable very quickly.”
This was obviously something that boded well for the Welshman. In the case of
our visitors he would go on to chalk up 215 appearances in all competitions and
was an integral part of the side that reached Wembley on four occasions in the
early 1990s. History also tells you that he is the goalkeeper that made the most
appearances for Rochdale to boot, not bad considering the reservations in both
camps upon first impressions.
“I had been devastated to leave Leeds in 1991 in all honesty before signing for
Stockport. However, these thoughts soon vanished when it became clear I’d
obviously signed for a good club and at the right time; within eight months I’d
played at Wembley twice.
“There was a real family feel to the place and with results going so well it
meant I soon struck up a good relationship with the fans. We enjoyed some
tremendous times in the six years I was there and even though I think a total of
12 goalkeepers were brought in to replace me, it wasn’t until the 13th arrived
in the shape of Paul Jones that I really knew my days were numbered.
“That said, I’d enjoyed every minute of my time at Edgeley Park, but the time
was right to move on and when Graham Barrow enquired about me I agreed to sign
straight away.”
It was now a case of proving himself all over again at his new club. A clean
sheet on his debut at home to Lincoln City ten years ago this week helped him in
the right direction, but a truly memorable performance at Hartlepool United a
fortnight later meant Dale fans quickly established they had a new hero.
“I remember that game very clearly, mainly because I remember walking off
thinking ‘What Have I Let Myself In For?’ We got absolutely battered that night
and I soon realised I might be kept slightly busier than I’d envisaged prior to
signing. Fans mistakenly think keepers would prefer to be kept busy, but give me
a comfortable victory any day over flinging myself here, there and everywhere
trying to keep the score respectable.”
Edwards remained the number one choice as keeper as new manager Steve Parkin
replaced the ousted Barrow. A new long-term contract soon followed as Edwards
built up his own fan club at Spotland. Fans’ adoration for him even stretched to
copying his bizarre haircuts, something the man himself couldn’t help but
notice.
“The night before the opening game at Oxford in August 2001, I just disappeared
upstairs at home and decided to shave all my hair off with the exception of the
tuft at the front. I came downstairs and my wife Cheryl just burst out laughing
and said I looked ridiculous. Well that just made me want to keep it all the
more and I vowed not to shave the rest.
“The following day all the lads and the gaffer just fell about laughing when I
walked into the dressing room but you know me, I like to be different.
“The following week I started to notice a few fans had copied it, but when I saw
them close-up I knew I’d made a mistake. I admit it did look a little odd, so
off it came to be replaced by something completely different.”
Edwards’ reassured performances on the pitch brought about an upturn in results.
The 2000/01 season brought a narrow flirtation with the play-offs and the
agonising final day draw at Plymouth Argyle was undoubtedly the low point of his
Rochdale career.
“It felt even worse that day because I honesty felt we’d make the play-offs that
year. The squad the gaffer had assembled was good enough to go up and after we’d
drawn at Plymouth and been pipped by Blackpool, the dressing room was a sombre
place to say the least.
“It’s difficult to describe really unless you’ve been there, but the eyes were
welling up in a few of us and the gaffer struggled to get what few words he
could muster out properly. It certainly wasn’t a nice feeling and although we
made it 12 months later, I felt the side that day was better equipped.”
A succession of injuries from the beginning of the 2004/05 season eventually
began to take a stranglehold on Edwards’ career. The emergence of his protégé
Matthew Gilks meant Edwards had groomed a rightful successor to his crown, but
in the summer of 2005 he surprisingly joined local rivals Bury.
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that! The problem was that I wanted to play first-team
football and Graham Barrow offered me that at Bury. I now admit it was a bad
choice and despite originally enjoying it, things did turn sour, so the least we
talk about those few months of my life the better I think.”
Edwards moved into coaching after calling time on his playing career. He started
as Goalkeeping Coach at Carlisle United before progressing closer to home by
moving to Bolton Wanderers recently. At the Reebok Stadium he is responsible for
coaching the reserve and youth team goalkeepers and despite a worrying blackout
recently, he has now been given the all-clear.
“The doctors put it down to the fitness tablets I’d been taking. They aren’t
illegal or anything and I’ve taken them my entire career, but I think I had a
few too many and at the wrong time and I just blanked out. I did myself a bit of
damage in the process, but I’ve heeded the advice of when to take them and to
consume ample water in the process and it shouldn’t happen again.”
Photo: Action Images
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qahysynol added 07:40 - Aug 26
Neil Adward was a legend of the time this article has its interview that was among some private channels. I need to have the all videos of this that was at https://topamericanwriters.com/grademiners-com-review/ this was belong to him it has all videos along with his biography on it that was good to read. | | |
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