Caring for the community

When I was manager, even at Doncaster and Grimsby, I made sure that the players went out and mixed and mingled at the factories and the fish docks so they could see how hard supporters had to work Monday to Friday to be able to afford to come on the Saturday to watch them.

I carried this on at Southampton and can remember superstars such as Ball, Channon, Keegan, Osgood and Shilton diving around in the mud after training when I had groups of children, sometimes disabled, come to meet them and kick a ball with them.

Having been in this area for so long I am naturally involved with lots of charities and get many requests to turn up at various events.

In the last couple of weeks I have seen the extremes of age, having been to three schools and one AGM in Winchester Great Hall for Age Concern.

The first event held in Test Valley School, Stockbridge, was to present Duke of Edinburgh awards to many of the schools in that area.

More than 200 children over the age of 14 turned up to receive bronze, silver and gold awards. The scheme gives opportunities for personal achievement, adventure, community and social involvement and a widening of interests.

My next visit to a school was to the Hampshire Collegiate for what the headteacher calls a Nightingale Lecture because the building of the old school was originally the home of Florence Nightingale’s family.

My third outing was to, would you believe, an all-girls school in Surrey for their annual prizegiving.

I have been fortunate in my career not only to walk out at Wembley and many of the other big stadia in the world but visit places like number 10, Buckingham Palace and all and meet many of the great and good.

But I have to say I have never been filled with as much trepidation as walking into a hall full of young ladies aged 8-16.

Why did I do it?

Simply because the headmistress is an avid Southampton supporter.

She found out that one of her pupil’s parents went to the same school as my daughter and, between the three of them, my arm was twisted so far up my back I had to say ‘yes’.

The common denominator with these three visits was I was able to meet first hand hundreds of youngsters receiving excellent educations.

The fourth occasion was of the opposite end of the age scale with this year’s topic for Age Concern being pensions.

This government, or any future one, needs to have a close look at the situation of our older generation.

It’s a well known fact people are living longer and last year’s topic at the same conference was talking about how people needing work over 50 are finding employers don’t always want to know and certainly after the age of 65, yet we hear pension ages are being lifted.

I was surprised to hear that England is actually 27th in the world league when it comes to people eligible for better pensions.

The line is drawn at what is called the poverty line which is judged on the European Income Scale.

Generally around Europe and the USA the line is at 70 per cent and in Greece 95 per cent, but in England it is drawn at 60 per cent.

There are many older people finding it more and more difficult to pay their bills and, whilst we all wait for the government to improve the situation, I would encourage anyone in doubt to contact Age Concern Hampshire who will give details of some of the benefits available.

Some people are too proud to ask or find filling in forms difficult.

Just make the call and help will be at hand and all those youngsters and teenagers remember there are plenty of areas where they could volunteer whilst they have got the energy shown to me in my visits recently.