Rain occasionally spits from the sky as the floodlights beam down on the astroturf. It's cold – coats and hats weather – but they come in their hundreds.

The bleak weather does nothing to dampen their enthusiasm – their calls and conversations carry across the frigid night air. But even with hundreds of people here there is one glaring absentee.

Alex Meek's dad and sister stand on the sidelines watching on as the dozens of school-age footballers run through their drills under the watchful eye of diligent coaches. This, in many ways, is as close as they can get to 28-year-old Alex now – nights like this are part of his rich legacy.

While Heolgerrig Red Lion FC may be thriving – it has more than 400 youngsters involved already despite having only existed since 2011 – there is a gaping hole at the heart of this beloved institution. Tragically Alex, the young man seen by many as the epicentre of the club and the reason why there are so many children there on nights like this, took his own life on November 25, 2023.

The club, and the Merthyr Tydfil community it is a vibrant part of, was left devastated by his loss. More than a year on, as club chairman dad Paul Meek and Alex's sister Gemma look on at the coaches their son and brother helped make the side what it is, his name still looms large at the Red Lion.

Alex’s older sister Gemma said it brings the family comfort to see all the children Alex brought to the club running around and having fun in the face of this loss. She described her brother as a “quiet person” who was resolutely passionate about what he did.

She said: “He was really quiet until he did something he loved and was really passionate about. He just wanted people to love things as much as he did. It’s funny watching the kids run around now – you can see all the stuff he taught them.

“He played football from a very young age all the way up to senior level before he suffered an injury. He coached from that point on. I think the joy football brought him when he was a kid. He wanted other kids to experience that and that’s why he wanted to coach.”

While Alex was exceptionally good at what he did his family and friends said he would always remain quiet about his achievements. He played for Wales at 14 and later went on to be involved in other senior teams at a coaching level but grassroots football was always his passion.

Paul added that his son’s loss had a “profound impact” on everyone Alex knew. “People idolised him,” he said. “He was an absolute brilliant player but he was a magician of a coach. He was so lovely and caring. There wasn’t a nasty bone in his body.”

Just before I spoke to Paul he had come across a card from a pupil at Pen Y Dre school, where Alex worked as a learning coach, thanking Alex for everything he did to help them. After his death dozens of people also came forward to say Alex had been helping them when they had been struggling with their mental health.

One of the players who looked up to Alex at Red Lion was Connor Griffiths, who was one of the players Alex coached in the under-13s team when they won the club’s first and only trophy. Paying tribute to his coach he said: “Alex made me a better person and made me into the player I am today.” Now many of the club's kits pay tribute to Alex with '#Meek6’ being included on the strips.

One of Alex’s close friends, James Walters, who coaches at Red Lion, said he misses Alex every day. He said: “Alex was a quiet person. Even though he was a young man he was so knowledgeable about football and had his coaching badges. The impact he had – I don’t think he ever really realised what he did at Red Lion, especially for girls’ football. A lot of his ideas and processes I still try and keep in today."

He continued: “I personally miss Alex a lot. I miss the reassurance I used to have from him and all the help he used to give about football. It’s vitally important that we don’t lose sight of what he, and Paul, have done for the club in getting things up and running.

“A lot of the people helping out at the club do it because they have children here but Paul and Alex do it because they genuinely love it. For Alex to do it, especially as a young man when there are often other interests in the world, it shows his passion. He was focused on creating a space for young kids to come along and enjoy themselves.”

James knew Alex from when he was about 10 as Alex grew up playing football with his nephew. Paul points out that at every Red Lion training session or match James still wears Alex’s lanyard and whistle around his neck.

While Paul and Gemma saw what Alex did for the club Alex didn’t always recognise the impact he had and never wanted any recognition for it. “He just did it because he loved it,” Gemma said.

Earlier this year Alex’s life was commemorated with the Special Recognition Award at the 2024 FAW McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards recognising his immense contribution to Heolgerrig Red Lion FC. “It was so emotional but he would have been mortified to get the award,” Gemma said, laughing.

One of Alex’s greatest achievements was bringing girls football to the club, which he was fiercely passionate about. Now there are more than 140 young girls playing football each week and, before long, they will be old enough for the club to have a senior team.

“That’s all down to Alex and his passion for giving everyone an opportunity,” said Gemma. For the latest Merthyr Tydfil news sign up to our newsletter here.

Not only is Alex’s legacy living on at Red Lion as the club continues to thrive but it also endures through the initiatives his friends and family have set up since his death. In his name £40,000 has been raised for mental health charity Signposted Cymru, which helped Alex before he died.

Signposted was set up five years ago by Darren Thomas, an ex-soldier from Aberdare who had suffered with his own mental health, to provide immediate support to those who need it. Darren first met Alex two years before he died and Darren then watched Alex’s progress from afar.

Alex threw himself into the gym at Flexi-Fit in Merthyr and Alex had even planned to go to Everest Base Camp with Darren. Then, in November 2023, Paul called him to explain what had happened, which “hit him for six.”

“Immediately, there and then, Paul said that in Alex’s legacy they would like to help us as a charity to help more people,” said Darren. As well as raising money Alex’s family and Red Lion now work with Signposted Cymru to raise awareness about mental health and the importance of accessing support when it is needed.

Since Alex’s death 200 people from Merthyr have accessed support from Signposted. “Those people would not have known about us before,” said Darren.

“It’s a tragic event but the way Gemma and Paul have held their heads up high is commendable. The help her and Paul have given us is amazing. This year we’ve been able to do what we can do because of the Red Lion and because of Alex Meek. It’s such a tragic event but they are creating good out of it and are helping to save lives.”

To raise this money Alex’s teams and loved ones have thrown themselves into huge challenges. Earlier this year 60 of Alex’s loved ones from the club, his gym Flexi-Fit, as well as Man versus Fat took part in the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Signposted. More than 60 members of Flexi-Fit also took part in a challenge which saw people run or walk 100 miles each in October.

Paul said one of the key motivations of Alex’s friends and family is to support Signposted so they can help others and stop families from going through what they have. He said: “We do it to raise money for Darren and Signposted because they’ve got something to offer people so that they don’t end up in the position that me and Gemma are in.”

As well as the comfort helping others in Alex’s memory brings the family they also have the personal motivation of doing things that Alex never got to do. Gemma said: “It’s all been an accident. When Alex died I didn’t think I would be standing here having done everything I have over the last year.

“But, there’s got to be some light at the end of the tunnel for us. We don’t want it to knock us.” Gemma took part in the Three Peaks challenge and hopes to go to Everest Base Camp next year – all inspired by her brother and his love of the outdoors and fitness. She said: “They are things he always wanted to do so now I have to do them for him.”

Earlier this year Heolgerrig Red Lion FC arranged a charity match against Alex’s friends at Man versus Fat to raise money for Signposted Cymru. In his role as club treasurer Alex’s friend Adrian Jones goes above and beyond to collect all the money the club raises for Signposted.

Adrian said: “In something so horrific there’s a shining light of it and it's important that the club’s relationship with Signposted Cymru continues and kids keep coming through the door and people keep helping out. That comes down to what Alex was doing at the beginning."

In the run-up to Christmas Alex’s friends and family are walking, running, or swimming 200km to fundraise for Signposted Cymru. Paul is taking part even though he suffered a heart attack earlier this year. You can donate to the family’s fundraising for Signposted Cymru in Alex’s memory here.

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