Bristol Rovers Supporters Club would like to congratulate former Rovers defender Anwar U’ddin who has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to football.
The first player of Bangladishi origin to appear in league football, and the first UK Asian to captain a league side, Anwar began his career with West Ham United and he played for the Hammers in the 1999 FA Youth Cup Final when Coventry City were defeated 9-0 on aggregate.
He joined Rovers in July 2002 and made his debut against Torquay United on August 10th when he became the 693rd player to represent the club in league football.
During his two years in BS7 he appeared in 19 league games, scoring his only Rovers goal in a 2-2 draw against York City in October 2022.
He spent time on loan with Hereford United and Telford United before a permanent move to Dagenham & Redbridge in July 2004 when he linked up with former Rovers assistant manager John Still, and he skippered the side for much of his time with the Daggers.
There was a loan spell with Gray’s Athletic in 2009, followed by a stint as caretaker and then assistant manager at Barnet and he has since been associated with Sutton United, Eastbourne Borough, West Ham, as youth coach, Maldon & Tiptree as assistant manager, Sporting Bengal as coach and managerial spells with both Ware and Glebe.
In May 2019 he became assistant manager at Aldershot Town and, as from February this year he combines that role with being manager of the England ‘C’ team.
Anwar is also a sessional worker for Show Racism the Red Card in the East and South East of England and also works for the Football Supporters Federation as Diversity and Campaigns Manager in partnership with Kick it Out.
He has worked with the Bristol Rovers Community Trust in the past and becomes the fourth former Rovers player, after Alan Ball, Gary Mabbutt and Jason Roberts, to be awarded an MBE.
Keith Brookman
(photo courtesy of Alan Marshall)