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From LoW/WP To ENGLISH Football League & BEYOND |
| ANYONE CONCERNED THAT AN IMAGE HAS BEEN USED
WITHOUT PERMISSION PLEASE CONTACT ME: mikesmithbcfc@yahoo.com |
| GOALKEEPERS |
GOALKEEPERS
GOALKEEPERS GOALKEEPERS |
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Mark Ovendale joined Barry Town from Northampton after making just six Football
League appearances. The backbone of Barry's Championship
successes, he was offered the chance to move to Bournemouth for whom he made 46 league appearances
in the 1998/99 season. In August 2000 moved to Luton Town for £425,000 before joining
York City in August 2003. On
31st May 2004 he was free transferred by York despite making league
41 appearances that season. Last heard of (April 2006)
playing with Tiverton Town in the Souther League.Joined Northampton from English Non League Wisbech but during the summer of 2006 joined ambitious Carmarthen Town as a replacment for the departed Tony Pennock. |
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Glynn Garner was a vocal organiser of the Llanelli
defence under manager Leighton James. He took the eye with
a series of commanding displays. During the close season
of 2000 he joined Bury for an undiscloed
fee and by the end of July 2005 he had made over 124 footbal league
appearances of the Gigg Lane side and moved to Leyton Orient during that summer. On Saturday 27th May 2006 Glyn won his first full Welsh International cap as a substitute in the 2-1 win against Trinidad & Tobago. In June 2007 Glynn joined Shrewsbury Town and by March 2008 he had made 33 league appearances for The Shrews. |
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A towering goalkeeper who - at times - seemed unbeatable in the WP for Barry Town and then Port Talbot making a total of 46 league appearances. Canadian born Simon Rayner enjoyed a four match spell with Lincoln City in Autumn 2004 before embarking on a loan spell with Alfreton Town. He had previously played at youth team level for Bournemouth and represented Canada at Under 23 level when he kept a clean sheet against chief rivals USA in December 2002. |
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| DEFENDERS |
DEFENDERS
DEFENDERS
DEFENDERS
DEFENDERS |
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Peter Wilding had played for junior clubs in Shrewsbury before being spotted by Newtown manager Brian Coyne. He became a reliable if unspectacular part of the improving Robins side until Assistant Manager Jake King was appointed manager of Telford United and then Shrewsbury, Wilding moving with him in both instances. By the end of the 1998/99 season he had made 76 league appearances, Peter was released by The Shrews in May 2003 after more than 200 first team appearances for the club. |
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A talented teenage defender with Carmarthen Town, Gethin Jones signed professional terms for Cardiff City in August 2000. However things did not work out for the young defender who was released by The Bluebirds following a loan spell at Weymouth. More recently involved with Merthyr Tydfil - where he spent two seasons - and Bath City. |
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Andrew Mumford was an outstanding teenage
talent in the Llanelli side under manager Leighton James in
the 1999-2000 season. He was comfortable in centre midfield
or defence. Scouts had watched the youngster on numerous
occasions; at the end of that season Swansea
City were the club who took a chance. However, after 62 League appearances, Swans manager Brian Flynn released Mumford in June 2003 and he spent brief periods with Aldershot and Newport County before returning to the WP with Aberystwyth Town and Port Talbot in the 2004-05 season. By March 2008 Andrew was back in full time football with Llanelli. |
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Gareth Hamner had been a Shrewsbury Town apprentice who was recruited to Newtown by Brian Coyne. A skilful attacking left footed player, the diminutive Hamner was often unplayable at LoW level. He moved to West Bromich Albion but after failing to make a league appearance joined Shrewsbury under Jake King. By the end of the 1998/99 season he had made 85 league appearances. |
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Mark Delaney was establishing himself in the first team at Carmarthen Town when Cardiff City moved in for him. Just 28 league games later and he completed a big money move to Premiership club Aston Villa. He has now established himself in the Full Wales International squad, the first LoW "graduate" to achieve Premiership and International status. By April 2006 he had amassed over 150 Premiership appearances for Villa and 33 International caps for Wales, by the end of the 2006-07 season Mark had totalled 172 league starts and 35 Welsh Caps. |
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Alan Goodall joined Bangor City from local football on the Wirral although he had been involved with Tranmere Rovers as a youngster. He impressed as a hard working, honest player whose cultured left foot was equally effective in attack and defence. In times of injury Alan could play in central defence or midfield; he was always prepared to lead by example and give of his best. During the summer of 2004 he spent a trial period at Wrexham which came to nothing but Rochdale boss Steve Parkin took the chance and Goodall made his League debut for 'Dale in August 2004. In June 2007 after 110 league starts for 'dale the left footer moved to Luton Town where he had reached 24 starts by March 2008. |
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Kevin Lloyd was a skilful attacking leftback with Caersws who caught the eye of several Football League clubs. Hereford were the club who signed him to eventually make 51 league appearances before a move to Cardiff City which yielded another 33 matches. Kevin returned to Caersws, but moved on to Bath City of the Dr Martens League before serious injury ended his career. |
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Steve Evans joined West Bromwich Albion and then Crewe Alexandra as a youngster without gaining any first team experience and drifted into the Welsh Premiership. After an unpromising start he established himself as the lynchpin centre half in the TNS side which won back to back championships and gained Welsh Semi Professional honours. His brother Ricky Evans has played for Bangor City, TNS and Rhyl. In June 2006 Steve signed for his home town side Wrexham FC who were rebuilding under the experienced Denis Smith - a former Stoke City centrehalf of an earlier era. By March 2008 Smith had gone, so too Brian Carey, but Evans had totted up 57 league starts for the club. |
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Phil Baker was a Tranmere Rovers
apprentice who was released before he broke into the first team, and snapped
up by Bangor boss Peter Davenport.He quickly established himself as an outstanding centreback and helped push City into the 2002-03 title race before a surprise move to doomed Exeter City who were fighting a losing battle at the foot of the football league. Baker made six league appearances for The Grecians after signing in March 2003. He was released and returned to The Wirral and initially signed for Aberystwyth Town, then on to Droylsden before re-signing for Bangor. Phil moved to TNS in June 2005 and was still an integral part of the full time set up during the spring of 2008. |
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A Wrexham apprentice who never broke into the first team Jim McNulty was released by The Robins and moved into Welsh Premiership football with Bangor City. After half a dozen first team appearances he moved along the coast to Caernarfon Town where played more than 60 WP matches before leaving The Oval in July 2006. During this time Jim played as a leftback, centre back and occasionally sweeper. At the end of July 2006 he impressed on trial with Macclesfield Town and signed a twelve month deal with The Silkmen under the management of Brian Horton. In January 2008, after 28 starts for Maccs he moved to Stockport and added six more starts by March of that year. |
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A skilful left sided defender Martin Giles spent four years at Cardiff City but made only one league start before initially joining Morecambe. He then made a total of 66 Welsh Premier appearances for Barry Town, Port Talbot and Carmarthen. In July 2006 he joined Hereford United. "He trained with us for a couple of days last week on a trial basis," says Bulls' manager Graham Turner. "I just think he's got a fair amount of ability and needs the chance at a decent level again." |
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| MIDFIELDERS |
MIDFIELDERS
MIDFIELDERS MIDFIELDERS |
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Neil Fisher joined Bangor under manager John
King having made over 130 Football League appearances for Bolton and Chester.
After turning out for Bangor in the WP (10 appearances) and Europe,
and coast rivals Connahs Quay (7), Neil went back to Chester under
the management of Kevin Ratcliffe for whom he made a further 191 League
appearances plus 33 cup matches. More recently Neil played for
Leigh RMI.A quiet, determined character Neil went about his business in a unfussy but effective manner. |
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Combatative midfielder Gary Jones was one of many Birkenhead
based players with Caernarfon Town before catching the eye of
Swansea City for whom he was to make
8 Football League appearances. He then moved on to his current club
Rochdale and then a £200,000 move
to Barnsley in November 2001. Two years
and 56 League appearances later he returned to Rochdale where by March 2008 he had totalled more
than 150 more league starts to bring his career stats to 343 league starts. |
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John Leah was a Llansantffraid Reserve and First Team squad member who was never allowed a first team run with The Saints. He moved to Newtown and quickly on to Darlington for whom he had made seven Football League appearances at the end of last season. John was appointed Captain of Darlington reserves at the start of the 1999/2000 season. Returned to Newtown and then to full timers TNS where he won WP Championship medals as he trained to become a physioptherapist. | ||||||||||||||
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A tall, hard working midfielder Owain
will be remembered by Bangor fans for his wholehearted and composed
displays in more than a hundred first team appearances for the Farrar
Road club.He made his first team debut as a gangly sixteen year old but under the watchful eye of manager Peter Davenport blossomed into a commanding central midfielder who earned a trial with Premiership giants Chelsea. In July 2005 he spent a few weeks on trial with Swansea City which generated a twelve month contract, making his League and first team debut against Tranmere on the opening day of the 2005-06 season. Lofty was quickly promoted to the Wales Under 21s and by May 2006 had made the National squad, but his progress since has been hampered by knee injuries. |
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Hugh McAuley joined Conwy United under Wirral
based manager John Hulse and established as a pacey wide midfielder.
He moved to Leek when many United players followed Hulse to Bangor
and began scoring goals. After a successful season he was
signed by Cheltenham
as they prepared for their first season in the Football League in
July 1999. Since then his nomadic career has taken in Kidderminster, Northwich, Forest Green, Aldershot, Forest Green and then Tamworth, totalling in all 162 League appearances. |
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Craig Wilkinson joined Cefn Druids at the beginning
of the 1999/2000 season whilst continuing to play for Ruthin
in the Cyrmu Alliance on the two club rule. As a 16 year old
he quickly caught they eye, spending trial periods at a number
of league clubs before joining Preston
North End in Feburary 2000. Sadly back at Cefn during
the 2001-02 season and more recently playing for Welshpool Town. |
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Midfielder signed by Barry from Newport County in November 2000, noted for his dangerous runs from midfield and ability to finish. Was transferred to Wigan Athletic for around £25000 in June 2002 before moving to Blackpool and then Gillingham before a move to Blackpool in June 2007 to bring his career starts to 115 alongside 44 as a sub. |
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Long striding winger Kevin Ellison caught the eye with
his dashing runs for Conwy United under the managerment of John Hulse
in the 1998-99 season. He moved onto Altrincham where he came
to the attention of football league scouts with Leicester City the club willing to take a chance
and a £50,000 fee. After failing to break into the first team at
Leicester a similar fee saw the winger move to Stockport
County in November 2001.Kevin has since played for Lincoln City on loan and Chester City who in turn sold him to Hull City in January 2005 for £100,000. In June 2006 he moved closer to home with a free transfer to Tranmere Rovers and then on to local rivals Chester a year later. His career total as at March 2008 stood at 183 starts (+38 subs) and 41 goals scored. |
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| STRIKERS |
STRIKERS
STRIKERS
STRIKERS
STRIKERS |
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Tony Bird have several years experience - and
75 League appearances - for Cardiff City
before joining Barry Town in January 1996. He was prominent
in the all conquering Dragons side before joining Swansea City in August 1997. In this second
spell in English football he had made 86 league appearances before his
release by The Swans in June 2000, after a brief loan spell with Merthyr
Tydfil.His nomadic instincts then took Bird to Kidderminster Harriers where he made a further 51 apperances before moving to St Patricks in July 2002. |
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Andy Cooke was a pacey striker and prolific
scorer with Newtown who seemed certain to move into fulltime football.
His chance came when Burnley
played a five figure fee for him, since which Andy has made 124 League
appearances, scoring 43 goals. Moved to Stoke City in for £300 000 December 2000 and most recently linked up with Bradford City in January 2005. Has a career record of 76 goals in 280 League appearances prior to the start of the 2005-06 season. In February 2006 Andy moved to Darlington where he made another dozen or so League appearances before moving closer to home with Shrewsbury Town in July 2006. By March 2008 Andy had added a further 14 goals from 27 starts to his career record which stood at 94 league goals from 274 starts. |
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Dave D'Auria was a Swansea trainee, made 45 League appearances before joining Barry Town in 1991. After three seasons he moved to Scarborough (52 apps) and then Scunthorpe (107) before joining Hull City in 1998. He made 54 League appearances for The Tigers before moving on to Chesterfield in 1999--2000 where in three injury ravaged seasons he made 25 league appearances to accumalate a league total of 249 starts and 34 as a substitute. Dave most recently played for Skewen Athletic during the 2004-05 season before the club merged with Neath. |
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A tall goalscoring forward, Andy Evans had been a
trainee with Cardiff City, won a
Welsh U21 cap, but drifted through Merthyr and Ebbe Vale to Aberystwyth
and a job as a postman. With Aber he started the 1999/2000
season in goalscoring form and immediately attracted the interest
of First Division Barnsley and a
£15000 transfer fee. After just two appearances he was loaned out to Mansfield Town and Chester City before being allowed to join Stalybridge Celtic, then on to Frickley in September 2001, Belper two years later, and Osset Town in August 2004. By March 2008 Andy was again playing for Aberystwyth. |
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Jamie Hughes left Tranmere
under a cloud and drifted into part time football with Connahs
Quay. Under manager Neville Powell he rebuilt his career,
gaining a deserved reputation as a prolific goalscorer. At
the end of the 1998/99 season he moved to Cardiff
City and was a member of their first team squad at the start
of the 1999/2000 season.After a handful of first team appearances - including three in the Football League - Jamie signed for Cwmbran Town in January 2000, played briefly for Bangor City and Connahs Quay and then Northwich in November 2004, before returning to play for Airbus UK and The Nomads once more. Jamie scored 51 goals in just over 100 WP appearances. |
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