I have been asked by our Chairman Martin Tong, due to retiring from the game to pick out a best 11 team plus 5 subs and some of my most memerable matches in the Hay St Marys shirt. Before I list these , I would like to thank everyone who has been part of the football club since I started playing under 12 football at the age of 10 and progressing into the 1st team at 15. I would like to thank the players who I have played with throughout my time at the club and managers for picking me in the side where we enjoyed the seasons year after year no matter what the result of the match or how successful we were in winning any trophies. This thanks also goes to everyone who works in the background from committe members to the people who washed the kit week after week, put nets up, marking the pitch etc, without them the club would not be able to continue.
I would like to thank everyone who attended this years awards night for the ovation I got when collecting my award for long service and apologise for not saying a few words as I would of been in tears.
Here are 4 memorable matches I have chosen for one reason or another from various league/cup games:
Bucknell 2 Hay 4 Mid Wales League South 1991/92
1st appearence for the 1st team scoring 2 goals playing as a left winger
Aberaron 0 Hay 5 Emrys Morgan Cup
Not sure what season this was, but they were cup holders.
Hay 7 Gwernyfed 1 Mid Wales League South 2008/09
Battle of the top 2 in league at the time, we came out on top scoring 6 second half goals after they had missed a penalty at 1-1. (Scored twice).
Tywyn/Bryncrug 1 Hay 5 Spar League Division 1. 2009/10
Played about last 10 games of season in Spar League after Hereford League finished mid March. A superb performance by the team in this game and personally scoring twice and setting up the other three (point proved to manager during these few games)
There are many many other games I could of chosen from Emrys Morgan Cup Final to other cup games/finals to many many league games.
Now for the best 11, what a task! I probably had at least 3 different teams wrote down on paper after swaping and changing different players from the past 20 years even as I write this I’m still thinking about changing players (hardest part choosing a keeper – easiest choice players 7 & 10)
1. NIGEL FIELD.
2. STEPHEN JENKINS.
3. BEN CHILDS.
4. CHRIS PREECE.
5. DEREK KEEBLE.
6. WAYNE EVANS.
7. MIKE HAVARD. (couldn’t leave myself out)
8. ROB SNEDDEN.
9. KEVIN JONES.
10. FRED PRENDERGAST.
11. GAVIN WILLIAMS.
Subs.
12. PHIL DAVIES.
13. ANNO FINN.
14. JAY PROBERT.
15. JOSH WISNIEWSKI.
16. CHRIS MILLS.
Best player you ever played with – FRED PRENDERGAST. (Complete player and goal machine).
Hardest ever opponent – PAUL (Murphy) JONES – Vale Of Arrow. (Wouldn’t give me an inch).
So there you have my selection, let the debate begin.
Now its time for the frustrating part of having to watch matches from the sidelines so once again a big THANK YOU to everyone invoved with the club from my time in the juniors to this past season and wish the club all the best in the future.
Havo