Lam’s birthday surprise
It’s not every day the Head Coach of Wigan Warriors rings you up to wish you a Happy Birthday, but this is what 90-year-old fan Stan Melling was treated to by Adrian Lam last week.
Last Tuesday, Wigan fan Stan was celebrating his 90th birthday when he received a ‘surprising’ phone call from Lam, who congratulated the Warriors Lottery agent of 68 years.
Stan said: “He congratulated me on reaching 90. He wished me Happy Birthday and we had a bit of a chat. It surprised me a lot and I was really pleased with it! It was very nice of him to ring and it’s very much appreciated. I also received a birthday card from the Lottery Development Association which was nice!”
On making the call, boss Lam said: “I was really pleased to do it. When there is someone who has been supporting the Club for a long time it’s always an honour to contact them and show our appreciation.
“We do have a pretty strong elderly group of supporters which we’re very thankful for. Supporters like Stan would have seen me play here and he said that to me. He said, ‘I’ve watched you as a player and now I’m watching you as a coach’. We love all of our fans but the ones who have been there for over 50 years is amazing and that’s why the Club has been so successful since it formed. We love and appreciate that support from people like Stan.
“When he first answered I think he was thinking ‘is this really the coach or is it someone playing a joke’, so I had to try and convince him early on!”
Former South Stand Season Ticket Holder Stan, who lives in Standish, has been an agent with the Wigan Lotto since 1952 and in 2018 he won the Agent of the Year award.
Vicky Cowpland, Lottery Supervisor, said: “He’s amazing! He’s the sort of bloke who would talk rugby to you all day! I love him to bits. When I first started there he made me feel so welcome and every week he used to bring me in liquorish and black-current toffees!
“He’s one of the nicest people you can meet – he’s lovely! What Lammy (Lam) did was brilliant. It would have meant the world to him.”
Lam added: “As a club we love our loyal fans and appreciate and respect them all. We know they’re the bloodline of the Club – the heartbeat – the fabric – and the reason why it has been so successful over history and over time.”
Speaking on a more general issue about the current coronavirus pandemic, Lam stressed the importance of sharing love and togetherness between the Club and the town.
“Everyone is playing their part through this virus and it seems like it’s pulling the country together, but we too can pull together as a town. With Wigan having two big sporting teams, we can play our part by keeping the elderly community supported and happy.
“Whatever we can do spread our love and appreciate their support can only lift the spirits of the Club. It will bring the town together and our rugby league team closer to our supporters and vise versa. It’s going to be tough times ahead but we’re all together.”
