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

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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