One man who has embodied the heart and soul of the group is Steve Maynard, affectionately known as ‘West Ham Steve’. A founding member, Steve recalled the humble beginnings of Any Old Irons. He said: “I went to the very first meeting with the late, great David Gold, Don Adams, the Any Old Irons Chairman, and Eileen Wade. At the end of the six weeks, we thought it was a shame for it to stop, so we kept it going. We started at Nathan’s pie and mash shop in Green Street with about ten of us, and it’s just grown from there.”
For Steve, the group is deeply personal. “I’d be lost without Any Old Irons,” he continued. “One of the main reasons I do it is because I feel like I’m helping other people by giving them somewhere to go.”
Steve also shared a moment that captures the essence of the group’s impact. He said: “There was a man who brought his dad, who had dementia. The son wasn’t into football, but I sat with his dad and did a West Ham quiz. As soon as we started talking about Bobby Moore and the old players, he just came to life. That’s what Any Old Irons is about.”