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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 and by February 2009 had passed 250 League appearances since moving across the border. |
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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 then made 40 starts for Torquay United from March 2007 and August 2008, 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
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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 25 starts before moving to Chesterfield in August 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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 Chris joined Accrington from TNS in August 2008 and quickly established himself as first choice leftback with the Lancashire club. By February 2009 he had 27 League appearances to his name. Chris is the son of former Tranmere and Bangor City iron man Alan King. |
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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 February 2009 a succession of managers had come and gone, Dean Saunders opted to release the big defender after 75 League starts for the club, and he rejoined TNS. |
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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 after 37 appearances for County attracted a £150 000 move to Brighton in February 2009. |
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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 substitute. |
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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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 Tommy Mutton was a Burnley apprentice who drifted from Rhyl to
Denbigh when released by The Turfmoor club. He attracted the
attention of Bangor City immediately upon the appointment of Lee
Williams. His remarkable pace and competent finishing pulled in
League scouts, in particular Glan Letheran, and Swansea
City paid
around £25000 for his signature in September 1999. He immediately made his League and Worthington Cup debut, the latter at Derby County but was released after only seven league appearances for The Swans in February 2001. Back in the WP Tommy has played for Connahs Quay and Rhyl but in June 2006 moved on once more to Hednesford Town, by March 2008 Tommy was playing for Newtown. |
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Dave O'Gorman joined Wrexham from school and made 17 League appearances before drifting into non league. He came to prominence with Connahs Quay in the LoW before joining Barry Town. He moved to Swansea City along with Tony Bird, made around 40 first team appearances, then moved to South African side Hellenic. | ||||||||||||||
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 Bangor born Paul
Roberts came to prominence with Porthmadog as something of a teenage
progidy, scoring goals at will. A £15000 move to Wrexham followed but despite first team
experience he never established a first team place at The
Racecourse. He moved to Bangor City on his release, after achieving International recognition at Under 21 Level for Wales. Since when Roberts has established himself as one of the best strikers in the WP and represented Wales in the (semi pro) Four Nations tournament. By March 2008 Paul had rejoined his former club Porthmadog. |
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 Bangor born Eifion Williams was a Wolves apprentice who returned to his Anglesey home and LoW football with Caernarfon Town. After his prolific goalscoring drew attention he shattered the league transfer record with a £25000 move to Barry Town. After more goals and immense success, Eifion moved to Torquay for £70000, this time a record for a LoW player. Joined Hartlepool in March 2002 and has more than 175 League appearances - and 50 goals - to his name prior before a June 2007 move to Wrexham saw Eifion add one goal in seven games by March 2008. A Wales Under 21 International. |
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 Marc Lloyd Williams was
the provider of many of Dave Taylor's goals as he won the Golden Boot
with Porthmadog in 1993. This attracted the attention of Bangor
City for
whom he turned prolific scorer and won himself a move to Stockport County. After 18 appearances
for County he made his way back to Farrar Road, did it all again, and
moved on to Halifax (24 apps) and the York City towards the end of the
1998/99 season.After further spells with Bangor and Aberystwyth he then spent two seasons with TNS where he won WP Championship medals in 2005 and 2006. Better known as Jiws and heralded as a "legend" amongst Bangor City supporters. |
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 Adebayo Akinfenwa
was the outstanding player in the Barry Town side in an era dominated
by events off the field. However the pacey Londoner was a
difficult opponent for Welsh Premiership sides and always seemed
destined for a tilt at the English system.Since joining Boston in October 2003 he has enjoyed brief spell at Leyton Orient, Rushden, Doncaster and then Torquay, before a controversial move to Swansea City in Juy 2005 which resulted in £100 000 compensation being awarded. In November he moved to Millwall and after one start was allowed to join Northampton where, by March 2008, he had added four more goals in two starts. |
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In February 2001 Lee Trundle finally made it into league football in
February 2001 when he joined Wrexham from
Rhyl. But his earlier career had taken in a number of clubs
including Stalybridge and Southport to little effect. In just
eighteen WP matches for Rhyl he netted fifteen goals including some
spectacular strikes.Liverpool born Trundle became a popular figure with Wrexham fans with his trickery and powerful shooting but left The Racecourse for Swansea City during the summer of 2003. After 78 goals from 138 starts he moved to Bristol City in August 2007 and by March 2008 had added 3 goals in 18 starts. |
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Powerful striker born in Bangor but who hails from Holyhead,
Mark began his career as a Shrewsbury Town apprentice who signed for
Bangor in 1993 but found his feet with Newtown under the watchful eye
of Jake King and Brian Coyne. After several successful seasons with The
Robins the burly striker followed King to Shrewsbury
Town and then onto Telford United before his return to Latham
Park for the 2000-01 season. Mark made four League appearances
for the Gay Meadow club.After a couple of profitable seasons with Newtown he moved to Porthmadog where three seasons followed before a move closer to his Shrewsbury home with Caersws for the 2005-06 season. In total Mark made over 300 WP appearances and scored 87 goals. |
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Left winger Gary Roberts came into Welsh football with Denbigh Town and first played WP football with Bangor City. He drifted to Rhyl and then onto Welshpool Town where his displays caught the eye of Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman who signed him for the Conference club. Roberts' ball control and eye for a goal made him a firm favourite with Stanley supporters who saw him score 18 goals in his first 56 appearances for the club. He also caught the eye of football league clubs but was able to join them without moving as Stanley won the Conference and a return to the coveted position they lost many years earlier. During his first season in League football Gary was transferred to Ispwich Town where he scored four goals from 39 starts before moving to Crewe on loan in January 2008. |
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