He started crying on the doorstep.

And I'm thinking, oh dear.

And when we went in, there was about 12 blocks there.

He said, oh, he said to all these guys.

Hey, look, Alan and Kathy, they've just given the lives to Christ.

Well, these 12 blocks start crying.

And I'm like, you know, what on earth's going on?

You know, because footballers, you know, you don't cry.

You know, wherever the ball hits you, whether you break your leg, you don't cry.

And he said, Alan, we've just been meeting for a prayer meeting.

We've met as men to pray for you and for Kathy for two years every Tuesday, you know.

Welcome. and for Kathy for two years every Tuesday. Wow. Welcome, everybody.

This is Simon Gilbo with Inspired.

Oh, it's so good to be back for another fantastic week of stories, of life story.

If you're new to Inspired, it's all about meeting different friends and connections of mind

from all across the sort of range and spectrum of life experience.

And, you know, we're relentlessly bombarded by negativity in the press and endless bad news and stuff that makes you cynical or fearful or induces fear.

And the whole point of this podcast, and I think why's so fruitful, is that we need dollops and blasts

of good news, of encouragement. And I've got no doubt this week, you're going to be massively

encouraged and stirred because we've got with us the wonderful Alan West. Welcome, Alan.

Thank you very much. Good to be with you, Simon. Fantastic. So Alan, he sort of oozes sport and football. He represented England. He was captain of Luton. Luton in the old days, what is now the premiership. Luton came, I think, at the peak of your career. It was in 1977, eight season. It came sixth, played for a number of teams. We're going to get into that and then had a massive life-shaping experience in New Zealand, played across in America, played with the likes of Pele. I'm looking forward to hearing some of those stories. But enough from me, Alan, basically. Let's get into it. I think I'm guessing you are sort of kicking a football in your nappies, were you?

Well, pretty much, yeah. Yeah, I think I really started playing properly, regular, when I was maybe six or seven with the local Cubs team. That's where it all started. I'd always been kicking a football around, as you say, from as small as I can remember. But when I got into the Cubs, we played for the Cubs team, it was there that it was recognised that this kid can play, you know, I got the ball, you know, beat everybody and scored. And I thought, well, that's what you're supposed to do, isn't it? That's the name of the game. So really, from a very young age, it was obviously that I had, you know, some sort of natural ability. And that's where it all started, Simon, really,

...