A founding member of a Hawke's Bay football club has died.
Alan Walker, who was instrumental in forming the Maycenvale United AFC in April 1975, died on Wednesday after battling illness for several months.
The 80-year-old retired chartered accountant, from Hastings, who worked in the printing industry, in 1973 met about 15other footballers in the humble Harrier clubrooms at Windsor Park to form the club, which in April created history when its flagship men's team played in the premier winter competition, the Central League.
Maycenvale started as a fledgling club for juniors before embracing senior players two years later, although Walker hadn't kicked a ball in the competitive arena in his life.
"I went of my own volition because I had four sons then, and three of them are playing soccer today and their children, my grandsons, are playing at the club, too," said Walker, who ended up becoming the first club treasurer.
One of the members at the first meeting had given some thought to the name Maycenvale, which is a combination of the names of the suburbs of Mayfair, Central and Parkvale.
Walker stepped down as treasurer just four years ago after a 27-year stint with a five-year hiatus in between.
Club board chairman Rob Hay said Walker was a regular figure at games at Akina Park.
"He was a very genuine person and as an accountant he crossed the t's and dotted the i's to make sure everything was in place," Hay said of Walker, who received a Sport Hawke's Bay award for service to sport in 2008.
"We never had worries about the club's finances when Alan was around, because he always had the club's interest at heart."
