He supports two teams

no.13 John Edwards

Red Passion says a big ‘Hello’ to the editor of the new Druid fanzine, The Ancient Druid

Background: A new League of Wales club.a new magazine produced by football fans.cue the extremely friendly editor of The Ancient Druid, John Edwards.Setting: He's everywhere, that Mr Edwards. At Plaskynaston, at the Racecourse.this summer he even nipped over to the Low Countries to watch some high-octane Euro 2000 encounters.

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Tell us a little about your background.

"I'm 41, married with three children and like football! I work at Air Products in Acrefair as a production co-ordinator."

How long have you followed Druids?

"My Cefn football allegiance actually started with Cefn Albion back in the '60's when my Dad turned out for them in their early days. I played a few games in goal for their Reserves in the early '70's but was bitten by the Wrexham bug at the age of 10, so I never really supported Druids. I do recall going there in 1969 for an Investiture match when an all-star team played. I remember Harry Gregg played in goal and I had his autograph on my arm - promising not to ever wash it off!! (Sorry Harry!) I also remember Eddie May and Arfon Griffiths watching but our request for an autograph was not met very kindly!"

Favourite moments watching Druids?

"Last season at Bangor and TNS. Best match watching Albion was again at Bangor for a Welsh Cup game - a 6-0 beating, but a hell of a day out!"

Worst moments watching Druids?

"Last season at home against Haverfordwest and Rhayader."

Favourite Druids players?

"Aled Rowlands - a tremendous reader of the game and puts in some sterling performances.Paul Morris is a tremendous prospect and another 100%er."

Could you briefly tell us about the history of Druids?

"Briefly - NO. They go back too far! See the 'Early Doors' feature in AD Nos.1-6 The recent history starts with the amalgamation of Druids United and Cefn Albion in 1992. Since then the club has gone from strength to strength on and off the pitch - the promotion to the League of Wales being the icing on the cake."

How long have you followed Wrexham?

"I saw my first game in 1968 against Blackpool in the League Cup, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Your favourite Wrexham memories?

"Loads of them: promotion-winning games against Oldham, Rotherham and Northampton; European games against Anderlecht, Hadjuk Split, Magdeburg, Roma etc; away cup ties against Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, West Ham, Birmingham, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Burnley; home cup games against Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool, Bristol City, Ipswich, West Ham, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The list really is endless - doesn't it make you glad you're a Wrexham fan? I guess my personal favourite moment was seeing my five-year- old son, Tomos, leading out the Reds at Chesterfield on the Easter Monday of our promotion season."

Favourite Wrexham players?

"Kinsey, Ingle, Gaskell, May, Gareth Davies, Russell, Connolly, McNeil, Arfon Griffiths, Brian Lloyd, Dixie Whittle, Joey Jones, Mickey Thomas .again I could go on and on."

If Druids played Wrexham who would you support?

"Always go for the underdog - so Wrexham! Seriously, I would certainly have divided loyalties and I guess the context of the game would come into it. I'd love to see Wrexham and Druids in the same FAW Premier Cup group, for financial as well as football reasons."

When was The Ancient Druid born?

"November last year."

Why did you set it up?

"Basically to raise money, but also to raise the profile and awareness of the club."

What's your role at the club?

"Committee member, club shop salesman."

What are the aims of the AD?

"Our stated aims in the fanzine are to: 1) Raise the profile of the club; 2) Give Druids supporters a mouthpiece; 3) Raise money to help keep the village of Cefn Mawr in the top flight of Welsh football."

Who helps you with the fanzine?

"Fellow committee man Graham Wiblin supplies most of the Druids-related stuff due to his greater knowledge of the club and players. I tend to do the historical and anorak-type articles - 'cos I'm a football anorak. Our main scoop was signing up a German 'anorak' to supply us features on the Bundesliga and German football - the poor lad only contacted Druids to buy a scarf and badge but has since become a good pen-pal! I think this type of article broadens the appeal of the fanzine as it's not just aimed at Druids- related stuff. I've used a couple of RP sales executives to sell the fanzine when they've been at Plaskynaston - thanks boys."

What do Druids fans say about it?

"Most (all?) like it and it's always in demand, with new issues keenly awaited."

How has it been received at the club, in Cefn, and in Wrexham as a whole?

"Again, very positively, but I am desperate for more feedback!

PLEASE - Tell us about the regular features.

"There are several regular features: 1) International Druids - listing Druids capped by Wales; 2) Bundesposte - our German football feature; 3) Young Ones - featuring our youth teams; 4) Top Ten Hits - a fictitious look at the players' favourite records; 5) From the Red Corner - an article supplied by your very own Peter Davies; 6) Letters - PLEASE. There are of course one-off articles and Issue 6 saw the completion of the 'Early Doors - Druids from the Start' feature."

What's your circulation?

"Average circulation is about 150, with a low of 80-odd for Issue 1 and a high of 200-ish for Issue 4. It really depends on how many games we have and how often I can get up to the Racecourse to sell there because of fixture clashes."

How are you using AD profits?

"All money raised goes back into the club via sponsorship. Basically the fanzine costs nothing to produce as I do all the printing - with materials being donated."

Tell us about the first few issues?

"The first issue was somewhat rushed together to get sales at Druids and Wrexham matches in November and was a 16-page affair. Subsequent issues have all been 32 pages and the aim is to keep or increase this number of pages."

What is a typical week in the life of the AD editor?

"Work, football, fanzine and, oh yes, the family!"

Where do you sell it?

"Druids games, Wrexham home games, Waterstones, newsagents in Cefn, work."

Do the players read it?

"They seem to like it!"

What are your ambitions for the AD?

"To be as good as Red Passion and the sadly defunct Sheeping Giant. But we need more feedback please!"

What are your ambitions for Druids?

"Early days yet, but we've got to look to being able to: 1. Qualify for the WPC; 2. Qualify for Europe - via the Welsh Cup or our league placing; 3. Become League of Wales champions. Don't say we haven't got ambitions! Unfortunately there are several other clubs with exactly the same aims. But if you look where the club was 10 years ago we really have done a Welsh Wimbledon - without the long ball game!"

Tell us about the Flexsys involvement?

"In practice without the Flexsys sponsorship of our floodlights, Druids would not be in the League of Wales!"

What are your views about the LoW?

"There's room for improvement on many issues eg. need a sponsor, need more publicity and need to help the clubs to increase both crowds and revenue by better fixture planning, especially when the League of Wales club has a big brother on its doorstep! The big attractions of course are the Premier Cup and European possibilities. It would help the League if the 'Big Three' and the 'English Three' joined in! What are Wrexham fans' views on the mighty Reds joining the League of Wales? All comments to the Ancient Druid please."

Your current views about Druids?

"They have done well considering the step up from the Cymru Alliance but possible additions to the squad would seem essential to push on. That unfortunately incurs higher costs and as Reds supporters know all too well you can't live beyond your means. There are also moves afoot to develop the land adjacent to Plaskynaston with the help of local councils and Sportlot monies which could in the long term have tremendous benefits for the local community and Druids."

Your current views about Wrexham?

"Like Druids, Wrexham have the potential to progress over the next few years. Despite fans' insistence that we should be in a higher league, the fact is that Wrexham have always been in the lower leagues. I don't mean we should not have ambitions to go higher but as with my comments about Druids' ambitions, virtually every club in the league wants to do the same. If they have the greater financial backing, their chances will be better than ours; you only have to look at the promoted teams from our division over the last two years - and Walsall are coming back down! Our Academy status can only be good for the development of the club but I think in the long-term clubs like Wrexham will become feeder-clubs for larger, possibly continental, clubs. I see Rangers have just bought a club in Australia - another indication that the powerful big-city clubs will control football globally in the years to come. See also AD Issue 6 which features an article on the Atlantic League proposals being promoted by the PSV Chairman in Holland, which would have some major implications for football as we know it. And yes, I do think Flynn should stay, and that he, and his team, do a tremendous job for the club. Strange how all the anti-Flynn stuff has dried up after the good end to last season. And the fact that he watches the game from the best vantage point doesn't seem an issue any more! Also food for thought is that three of the four relegated clubs last year changed managers during the season."

Cheers John - thanks a lot!