“What I say to my grandkids is that it is nice to be nice”
16:56, 20 Oct 2025Updated 17:01, 20 Oct 2025
A South Bristol sports stalwart received a British Empire Medal in front of family and friends at a special ceremony in Knowle West on Monday, after dedicating his life to serving the young people in his community. The Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Peaches Golding, presented Mike Alden with the BEM medal at The Park centre in Knowle West, where he is chairman of a football club in the heart of the community.
Mr Alden was named in the King’s New Year’s Honours List back in January, with the award given for providing opportunities for adults, juniors and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties to play football in Knowle West. He told Bristol Live he was ‘highly honoured’ to receive the accolade.
He and his wife Linda attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace as part of the award, but Mr Alden said he wanted to receive the honour in Knowle West, because his achievement in setting up and running Park Knowle FC was just as much down to his family and volunteers as it was his work.
“I’m really honoured, highly honoured,” he said. “Because you don’t start out to do this, all you want to do in the beginning – which was 30 years ago now – is just get kids off the streets. So, 30 years on to receive this, it just blew my mind. I’m so proud,” he added.
Mr Alden was invited to take on the job of setting up a community football club at The Park in Knowle West, and has grown it to include six junior teams for both boys and girls, and five teams for people with disabilities, that play at the pitches at the former secondary school site, and at Redcatch Park – where the club has revamped the pavilion to provide changing facilities.
Mike Alden chairman of Park Knowle FC in Bristol, , receives his British Empire Medal, Monday 20 October 2025, from the kings Lieutenant Governor Peaches Golding. (Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
“This is the second club I’ve got up and running, so I’ve been here for 15 years now, with the club I’ve got. I could have had this anywhere, but here is where this club was born, so it was just right to do it here,” he said, adding that there was ‘no way’, that being awarded the British Empire Medal would change him.
“At the end of the day, I grew up around Knowle West, you could take me to the other side of the world, I’ll still have Knowle West in me,” he joked.
Mike Alden chairman of Park Knowle FC in Bristol, , receives his British Empire Medal, Monday 20 October 2025, from the kings Lieutenant Governor Peaches Golding. (Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
Lord Lieutenant, Peaches Golding, said it was important to recognise the work of people like Mike Alden. “Recipients like Mike do such excellent work for our communities – four football teams for boys, two for girls, five for people with disabilities – that’s incredible, that’s really significant.
“To bring that to life in a way, that the community is here, that all of the young people that grew up under Mike’s tutelage now become volunteers, or their grandchildren are giving back to the community, it’s absolutely fantastic,” she added.
READ MORE: Memorial trophy to honour stabbed teen football captain Max DixonREAD MORE: SPOTY 2022: Bristol sport fans ‘proud’ as Mike Alden wins Unsung Hero Award
Mike’s family are all called on to help out with Park Knowle, and have all been filled with Mike’s passion for serving the community and volunteering. “I’ve got grandchildren that are actually coaching at the club now, so that says a lot really.
“To be honest, I think it just teaches them to be better in life. What I say to my grandkids is that it is nice to be nice. I hope that sticks with them forever, because it’s always been my philosophy,” he added.
Mike was awarded the Unsung Hero at the 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year for his work starting up teams for people with disabilities or learning difficulties, and more recently has been heavily involved in helping to create a legacy for one of the players at the club.
Max Dixon, who was captain of the under 16s team, was murdered alongside his best friend Mason Rist in January 2024. Mike and his family inaugurated the Max Dixon Trophy to award to the young player at Park Knowle that each year best embodies Max’s spirit of supporting his team-mates.