Last updated 13:10, Friday, 28 November 2008

Two of Steve Durham’s most cherished football memories concern Manchester United legends George Best and Bobby Charlton turning out for Workington in fund-raisers.

Steve Durham

But in 45 years of unswerving support, he has only ever had eyes for one club in red. And they play at Borough Park.

Perhaps if Workington Reds had lost on the wide-eyed nine-year-old’s introduction to the club in October 1963, things would have turned out differently, and he would eventually have followed the herd to Old Trafford or Anfield. But Reds beat Torquay United 2-1.

“I was hooked,” he declared. “I was taken by a friend who has long-since packed in. But I’ve battled on through thick and thin.”

Reds earned promotion to the old Third Division of the Football League that season. It was a golden age for Reds, with home games attracting four to five thousand and traditional festive derbies against Carlisle United pulling in a staggering 18,000.

More often than not, it has been a case of famine over feast since Workington lost their Football League status in 1977. But that has made the good times even more enjoyable for this remarkable fan.

Over the last 35 years, Steve, from Whitehaven, reckons he has missed only around 15 Workington games, taking in over 2,000 across the length and breadth of England.

Invitations to weddings and christenings cause particular dilemmas around matchdays.

“I turned up for one match in my wedding outfit,” he said. “I’d left the reception half-way through. That sort of thing doesn’t go down too well.

“I picked up at the wedding again after the game. Weddings are the biggest issue as they are often on a Saturday.”

He faced a unique predicament last year when wife Barbara won a dream holiday for two to New York City – on the eve of Reds’ FA Cup tie against Boston. Victory would guarantee a rare place in the First Round-proper, yet Steve was 3,000 miles away.

“It was the first FA Cup tie I had missed since I started going to games,” added Steve, who, naturally, is prone to squeezing in family breaks in late May or June, outside the football season. “We had no choice over when we could go on this holiday.

“But it was fabulous, and when I found out that we’d won 1-0, it was great feeling.”

Steve started doing odd jobs around Borough Park in 1968. He would paint the dressing rooms and weed the terracing over the summer, just to be close to his idols – the likes of John Burridge, Bobby Brown, Mike Rogan, Jimmy Goodfellow and Dave Butler – as they returned for pre-season training. Other tasks in the early days included spongeman/physio and coach driver. All free of charge, of course. He even washed the dirty kits – at home.

“That went down well with the missus,” he quipped, noting his debt of gratitude owed to Barbara and son Jonathan for their patience over the years.

Later he graduated to chairman of the supporters’ association, was a club director and edited the matchday programme for 35 years. He would even pen a match report for this newspaper when called upon. He is still club secretary of the Conference North outfit and juggles the requirements with a full-time post at Printexpress in Whitehaven.

“It’s a seven days a week job at the club, and it’s a bit difficult doing it part-time,” he added.

“It’s quite involved and you have to be available at the drop of a hat. It’s a full-time job for a lot of people at other clubs. It shows how hard-up we are, I suppose.”

His post is unpaid. But he’s been rewarded in kind many times over the decades with fond reflections of heroic Reds’ performances.

He recalls with pride a spirited fight-back from 2-0 down to draw with local rivals Carlisle in front of an enthusiastic five-figure Christmas crowd at Borough Park in 1963. Another highlight came with a 2-2 draw in the League Cup against high-flying visitors Chelsea.

But for every high there has been a low – and then some.

“There were many dreadful times during the late eighties/early nineties, when less than a handful of people were giving their all to keep the club going,” he said.

“Losing 8-1 at Goole Town and 9-0 at Chorley in successive matches was very painful, as was an 8-0 home defeat to Rhyl.”

Later, taking the North West Counties League title, albeit at the lowest level at which Reds have featured, was another high point.

This season has been as eventful as most at Borough Park, with falling gates – the home average is around 400 – prompting across-the-board wage cuts. The team under young manager Darren Edmondson are trying to avoid being dragged in to a relegation battle, while the debate rages on over whether Reds should abandon their old home and join Workington Town Rugby League club in a new multi-purpose facility.

In common with most Reds fans, Steve wants to stay loyal to Borough Park but recognises it is in severe need of a facelift. Yet the club cannot secure major grant funding to redevelop the stadium until sure their future lies there. “We need to get something sorted with the ground, because we don’t meet the criteria to stay where we are,” he said.

“And we don’t generate enough income to pay for what we believe will be increased costs in a new stadium. Something has to happen or there might not be a club.

“In playing terms, the last few years have been brilliant, and it’s only this year that things seem to have gone wrong.

“What could have gone wrong, has gone wrong. Let’s just get through the season and take stock.

“Darren’s had his hands tied for most of the season. He has the makings of a good manager, and if he comes through this, he could go on to better things.”

At 53, Steve still harbours lofty ambitions for his club. He would dearly love to see Workington play in an FA Trophy Final at Wembley, and face a Premiership giant in the FA Cup Third Round.

His Trophy dream remains alive this season, after Saturday’s battling 1-0 third qualifying round win at Tamworth, who went in to the tie on the back of a 15-match unbeaten run in the league. But even if Reds had lost, it would have made no difference to Steve.

“I watch a lot of football, three or four games most weeks, from Sunday League to the Premiership and internationals. But I’ve never thought about changing allegiances.

“I probably need to be certified. Sometimes I wish I could escape and be hassle-free but I’ll carry on. It’s in the blood, I suppose.”