Flag Flyers of Manawatū: Alan Savell

Alan Savell, aka The Flagpole, with his beloved Chelsea Football Club flag. Photo / Judith Lacy

If you see a determined kiwi holding a taiaha flying from Alan Savell's flagpole you know he's got an important round of golf on.

Alan, who has lived in Palmerston North all his life, has been flying flags for about 15 years from three houses.

He says whenever he is playing a match and is seeking inspiration he flies the fighting kiwi flag.

Alan's flag flying started after a trip to the United States where he saw small flagpoles mounted on houses and decided to get one for his Ihaka St property.

When he moved to Albert St he erected a standalone flagpole and has continued the tradition from where he and wife Clare live now, still in Albert St but closer to the river.

Alan used to own car dealership Sounds Autos and flew flags there, which he says were beaten to death in the westerly wind. Plus, in the Manawatū wind you need to make sure your flagpole is concreted in.

Alan has a range of flags for different occasions, everything from a skull and crossbones for Friday the 13th, the Union Jack for the Queen's birthday, an Anzac Day one and the Scottish one for St Andrew's Day.

He has the Irish flag for St Patrick's Day and the French one for Bastille Day.

"I'm quite traditional when it comes to events and happenings."

He also flies the Australian flag on Australia Day because that's where his son lives. The Australia flag was flown at half-mast on Boxing Day as his brother, Lindsay, who also lived in Australia, died on December 26.

But his most treasured flag is that of his beloved Chelsea Football Club.

He started following the Premier League team when he was about 5 and his mother asked him to put some sugar on the table. Instead of putting the sugar in a bowl and the bowl on the table, Alan plonked down a bag of Chelsea sugar.

"Being a little brat I went and grabbed the big sugar bag. I got my bum kicked for that."

The Savell family were sitting down for a Sunday roast at the time and on the TV Chelsea was playing – Alan was hooked. "I follow Chelsea ever since because of that."

He flies the Chelsea flag whenever the team wins.

"This season it hasn't been up that much because they haven't done that much winning," he says.

"But I've been loyal to them since the day I got my arse kicked."

Passersby will comment that Chelsea's had a lucky win when they see the flag while others didn't want to know the result until they'd watched the match later.

The chequered flag flies for the Superstock Teams Champs and Bathurst 1000.

Alan says his flags are quite a talking point in Hokowhitu because he was the first to fly flags in Albert St.

When Alan lived further up Albert St, two children knocked on his door to say how much they enjoyed his flags. When he moved, he received a note from the kids saying they were sorry the flags were going.

He says the smiley face flag seems to be the most popular as he guesses it makes people happy.

"Lots of people say 'it just makes me feel good to see the flag flying'. If you can make some bugger smile in life it's quite worth it," Alan says.