Football fan given a special message
ALIFELONG football fan from Runcorn has marked his 90th birthday with a card signed by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Raymond Gandy, who was born in Dukesfield and now lives in Higher Runcorn, was a laboratory chemist by trade and for many years worked for ICI, firstly at Castner Keller and latterly at ICI’s former chemicals headquarters at The Heath, now Heath Business And Technical Park.
Despite retiring from ICI in 1984, he still visits his old workplace to have lunch where he remains popular with the business park’s owner SOG Ltd’s staff and employees of firms based at the site.
Raymond has been going to Anfield to watch Liverpool since he first went with his father in 1943 to watch the Reds play Everton in a war-time Merseyside Derby.
He has been a regular since, and in 2012 was voted ‘fan of the year’ by LFC sponsor Standard Chartered in 2012.
These days he often attends matches with SOG managing director
John Lewis and John’s son Ryan.
For his 90th birthday, SOG threw a surprise birthday for him and presented mementoes including a card from Jurgen Klopp, a card from the business park, and a shirt bearing the name of Liverpool legend Billy Liddell.
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He said: “Billy Liddell was my boyhood idol – the greatest player who ever played for Liverpool and a person who I admired greatly.”
Recalling his first game at Anfield, he said: “Until then the only football games I saw were in Runcorn.
“Liverpool were losing 2-0 with 15 minutes to go and I turned to my dad and said ‘I’m going to be a Liverpool supporter’.
“Fifteen minutes later the game ended and Liverpool had scored five goals, they won the match 5-2 and I was totally hooked.”
Beethoven fan mond loves music.
As well as being an accomplished organ and piano player, he always wanted to play in an orchestra and a few years ago proved that it is never to learn to learn something.
He said: “About four years ago I saw a cello for sale in a shop in Runcorn for £200 and bought it.
“I started cello lessons and now play in the Jan Modelski Community Orchestra based in Chester.
“Jan’s a marvellous charismatic musician, and we practice every Saturday in an orchestra made of up of people of all ages who all simply share a love of music.”
On his regular returns to The Heath, he said: “It’s
Raylovely to come back to the place where I used to work for ICI.
“When ICI closed it was awful for Runcorn, thousands of people worked here in those days.
“Then The Heath emerged and has re-invigorated the place.
“I come here for the food and for the company, and the people are so very kind. John Lewis is a really personable man who is a great believer in community, and The Heath is a real centre for community spirit as well as a centre of business.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for making my birthday so special.”
Raymond’s nephew and extended family threw him another celebration to mark the landmark occasion.