Edwards is a lockdown godsend IT IS ALL ADDING UP FOR PRESTON
AS NON-LEAGUE players up and down the country await the outcome of the current campaign, one man at least is helping future generations with some mathematics of his own.
Preston Edwards has juggled goalkeeping with tutoring maths for several years but now, more than ever, his services are coming in useful to children – and parents – up and down the country.
“I tutor from the ages of eight to 17,” the Dulwich Hamlet keeper explains.
“It’s been really successful to be fair. I’ve had plenty of enquiries and I’ve actually had over 15 children I do each week. I’m putting my services to the children and hopefully they can bring on board whatever they’re doing at school.”
Edwards hopes his online sessions can take the burden off parents during lockdown.
“I’m aware that as a parent myself, it’s quite difficult to home tutor your child,” said the former Ebbsfleet and Grays stopper. “Listening to your parents is hard enough as it is, but to actually learn from them is more difficult.
“I wouldn’t like to think that I’m a usual tutor, with the way I speak. Normally they imagine a tutor and they’ve got an older person in front of them and not someone who’s young and vibrant, and trying to be one like them – and probably a bit more childish than them sometimes.”
Having been the number one at Dulwich for five seasons now, Edwards has also taken on a coaching role this year where he helps the other keepers at the club.
During the summer, young Australian goalie Ashley Maynard-Brewer arrived at Champion Hill on loan from Charlton Athletic and made a big impression on him.
Humble
“Ashley was incredible,” Edwards continued. “He’s one of the best young keepers I’ve ever worked with.
“His attitude was spot on, he works really hard, he’s humble and I do believe he will play for Charlton’s first team – not just play once, but over 100 times.”
Since then, former Leyton Orient keeper Charlie Grainger has played most games and Edwards enjoys a positive relationship with a player he sees having a bright future. “I get on really well with Charlie and I think he’s had a great first season,” he added. “Hopefully he can build on it. He’s one of my good friends and we travel in together.”
At just 30, it seems strange to think of Edwards as an elder statesman, but he speaks with the authority and experience of a man who has made over 400 senior appearances.
He’s now able to reflect on the highlights from a glittering career – not least a trip to Bermuda with England C in 2013 where the young Lions ran out 6-1 winners.
“When they mentioned Bermuda I was licking my lips,” Edwards recalled. “We were there for eight days. We flew out on a Friday, played on the Tuesday and were flying back on the Saturday.
We had five days to ourselves with no football. It was just Bermuda. It was beautiful.”
While the location was obviously a bonus, the team itself was one of England
C’s strongest. Of the 16-man squad, 12 went on to play in the Football League, with Andre Gray and Sam Clucas reaching the Premier League.
“It was probably the best team I played in,” Edwards went on. “They’ve done really well. It’s just unfortunate that the captain at the time – which was myself – didn’t do anything!”
Routine
To say Edwards didn’t do anything afterwards obviously does him a huge disservice. He played over 200 times at Ebbsfleet and could be on course to do the same at Dulwich, where he currently has 179 appearances, with 44 clean sheets.
He is a much-loved figure at the club and Edwards recognises the close bond he has with the fanbase.
“If you play over 150 games for a club, you’d say that you’ve done consistently quite well so I’m proud of that fact really. It’s a great club. It’s probably the best Non-League club in the country.”
Shortly before football was suspended, he took a short loan spell at Cheshunt in order to keep his eye in.
“I grew up in Cheshunt, round the corner from my house and I just needed to play some games. I know Craig Edwards, the manager, quite well. I played two games. We lost against Carshalton but beat Kingstonian.”
In the Carshalton game, he conceded against a familiar face in Lewis White, who is also on loan from Dulwich. However, Edwards won’t hold it against him.
“He’s scored a goal, you know. He’s put through oneon-one, that’s what he’s there to do. You’ve got to score from there. If he didn’t score, then there’s big problems!”
The loan turned out to be even shorter than planned and with no football, Edwards is just making the most of life’s simple pleasures.
“I’ve just been spending time with my family and the most important thing is keeping a routine. I’ve got two young children I’ve got to look after and they need as much routine as possible.”