Long-serving Andrew Fiderkiewicz has become the latest member of our volunteer team to have been awarded the Vanarama National League Volunteer of the Month.
Every month three winners are chosen from each of the three National League divisions to highlight the outstanding contribution made by volunteers across the three divisions that make up the National League, with TUAFC delighted that another member of our much-valued volunteer staff has again received national recognition in this manner.
Having worked on the turnstiles as a matchday volunteer since 1966, Andrew is not only the longest-serving, but also one of the most reliable members of the TUAFC matchday volunteer team. Despite Covid sending football behind closed doors during 2020/21, Andrew continued to offer his support to the Club, by serving as a ball retriever during these fixtures, and he was clearly very proud to receive the award for August 2022.
“I’m stunned! It’s carrying on a tradition. My maternal grandfather played for Torquay United before the First World War – he played as a forward for a version of Torquay United. It’s not anything like as sorted out as this Club is now! He then became a fan, and started taking me up to Plainmoor back in the 1950s.
“I started working on the gates by chance, through someone who was organising the gates at the time. I was asked to do it a few times, initially just clipping old-fashioned season tickets in the Grandstand, and I’ve just carried on.
“I do it for two reasons – one is the love of the Club, and the other is the banter and the feedback from the fans. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t for those reasons, but I love doing it, and I’ll keep carrying on until whenever!”
Anybody who shares Andrew’s – and our own – passion for pushing our Club onto greater heights, and would like to join our team of volunteers either throughout the week or also on matchdays, are invited to contact us via [email protected], detailing which areas of the Club is of particular interest to them.
Congratulations, Andrew!