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Huw has fond memories of Haverfordwest
Whenever the names of former Haverfordwest County players of the last two decades are discussed then one who keeps cropping up for style, good passing and a general classy approach to his game then the name of Huw Knight crops up.
Huw was invited to the Bridge Meadow Stadium recently, along with Swansea mates Nigel Stephenson and Mickie George from his era, to be presented to the crowd at half time, and enjoyed a real walk down Memory Lane.
Huw is a little different as a footballer because, he would tell you,
“I loved playing football but I was never really in love with the game in the sense that it was my life, and never had any intentions of taking up coaching or a managerial role. I don’t watch over-much, although my recent trip down to the Bridge Meadow with Speedy and Mickie, where we met up with Paul Phillips, was smashing, especially since we met legends like George Brain, Dai Landry and Cliff Pawlett from even further back than us.”
Keeping fit – and a good walk spoilt!
He does still keep fit, however, by playing five a side football in an indoor league for a team called Glynhir alongside former Bluebirds’ players Mickie George, Chris Lovell and occasionally Paul Burrows. Huw also walks a lot and enjoys a twice-weekly game of squash but refuses to take an interest in golf.
“It is a good walk spoilt, as far as I’m concerned,” says Huw with a chuckle!
Successful decade
Originally from Gorseinon, Huw enjoyed a spell of almost ten years when the Bluebirds were very successful in terms of silverware in the Brains Cup, West Wales Senior Cup and Welsh League – and after a short spell away returned to the Bridge Meadow to finish off a distinguished career at this high level. It is typical of Huw, though, that he still made time for Garden Village, the team he started out with as a boy, as he played a final season for them before finally hanging up his boots.
Although rightly regarded as a cracking full back who loved to make foraging runs forward, he began his playing days at Garden Village as a striker and after progressing through the age groups from under 11 to under 15 he played up front for Swansea Schoolboys alongside Dean Saunders, who went on to play for Wales and is the current manager of Wrexham.
Swans’ signing at 14
Huw signed for Swansea City as a 14 year old at the time when John Toshack took over at the Vetch Field and although he trained twice a week with the Swans he wanted to stay on in school and take his ‘A’ levels so that he could pursue a career in accountancy. By the time that he was playing for the Swansea Schools under 19 team he had switched to the sweeper role but had a year out when he played parks football – and when he was selected to represent Carmarthenshire it was the spark he needed to get back into the game at a higher level.
Wyndham Evans had just left Swansea to manage Llanelli and he roped Huw in to play at Stebonheath for a season before Micky Lennon asked me to play for him at Haverfordwest in 1984, where he managed the team in partnership with Ray Davies. They were good foils for each other and Huw was soon earning the respect of the Bridge Meadow faithful with his classy play at the back.
Best Bluebirds’ side
“We came runners-up the Brains Cup and then won it with the best team I was involved in collectively because they all complemented each other. That team also won the Welsh League and three West Wales Senior Cups – and I played in a fourth just before I finished at Haverfordwest the second time as we beat Swansea City 3-2 after extra time at the Vetch Field.
“The team that won the West Wales Cup hat-trick included Neil Frederickson in goal, Mark Hopkins, Johnny Jones, Chris Lovell and me at the back, Steve Dickerson, Donny Smitham, Chris Roden and Paul Burrows as the mainstays of the midfield, plus Andrew Bennett and a young ex-Luton Town player called John-Paul Kennedy up front.
“The midfield was particularly strong with Donny as the ball player, Steve as the enforcer and ‘Buzzer’ (Burrows) as the runner. We trained together in a school gym in Cockett (Swansea) twice a week, travelled down in a bus and enjoyed the company of the Haverfordwest crowd after matches before travelling back to Swansea. It was my happiest time in football.”
Few regrets
After he left the Bridge Meadow he had two seasons at Carmarthen Town and although they won the league and cup double Huw admits that it wasn’t the same as playing for Haverfordwest County. That’s why he rejoined the Bluebirds and stayed there until he felt it was time to step down with that final season at Garden Village. He enjoyed it but there wasn’t the same buzz any more and so he decided it was time to call it a day - and has few regrets about the decision because he could look back on a successful career which was great fun, as an added bonus.
“I keep in touch with football and I always look first every Saturday to see how Haverfordwest County are getting on. They are clearly in good hands at the moment and I wish them every success because there is a very special atmosphere that is perhaps a little difficult to describe – but even harder to understand unless you have been to other clubs and seen how they work.”
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