EFL 2018: Colin Haslam keeps Norwood Football Club’s home ground tip-top
FOR the past 10 years, Colin Haslam has been cleaning up after Norwood footballers and their fans. And now, the EFL club has saved him — and his wife — in their hour of need.
Outer East
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THEY say what goes around comes around.
And for Ringwood’s Colin Haslam, years of selflessly cleaning up after Norwood footballers and their fans has paid off in more ways than he could ever have imagined.
Mr Haslam, 83, lives behind the EFL club’s home ground at Mullum Reserve.
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For the past 10 years, he’s been out several days a week, cleaning up empty beer cans, pie wrappers and other litter scattered in the reserve’s surrounds.
When he’s done that, he makes sure the cable ties on the banners around the ground are secure, and sweeps away any broken glass so players don’t step on it.
“I live next door, and if I don’t come out here and get all this windblown junk, it blows over my fence, I’ve got to pick it up anyway,” he said.
“It’s not a job … the environment is important, and this is all original bushland.”
But while maintaining his cleaning crusade, he’s had another thing on his mind this year.
Nancy, his wife of 58 years, was diagnosed with a rare progressive muscle disease, inclusion body myosotis.
She couldn’t use the shower properly and specialists believed their bathroom was not up to disability standards.
“Nancy is so weakened and her balance is gone,” Mr Haslem said.
“She was at risk of falling and the occupational therapists said straight out, ‘if that’s not fixed, you’ll have to go into care’.”
Hearing of their selfless cleaner’s plight, Norwood’s coteries group hatched a plan.
They gifted the Haslams a bathroom makeover, made by head trainer Evan Biewer, who happens to be a bathroom renovator by day.
They also replaced Mr Haslam’s makeshift ramp at their front steps with a smooth new access ramp for Mrs Haslam to use.
“It didn’t take long to put your hand up and say we can help him out,” Mr Biewer said.
“He’s always been around helping out and cleaning up, it is the least we could do, he’s an absolute gem of a bloke.”
Mr Haslem said the club’s generosity had helped his wife stay at home.
“It’s unbelievable, they are just such caring people to do this, I’m just one of the guys helping out at the club,” he said.
“It means she has a more relaxed and enjoyable time living here than if she was locked up in care.
“We are so grateful and she still hasn’t got over it yet that someone would do that for her.”
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