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David Hughes – a man of many parts
David Hughes spends many hours in working tirelessly on behalf of Haverfordwest County as Commercial Director charged with the role of bringing much-needed sponsorship and support to make sure that the Bluebirds fly high in the Welsh Premier League. But he is a man of many parts because in his younger days he played football and rugby, is a very keen golfer and has a passion for National Hunt Racing, where he is a part-owner of some successful horses.
David works closely at the Bridge Meadow Stadium with club chairman Rob Summons, who asked him to return to the Bluebirds when he took over the reins in January 2006. David had previously been commercial manager and chairman in another era but readily agreed because he had watched Haverfordwest County as a boy when his father took him along and always followed their progress with interest when he was teaching at Dulwich College Preparatory School (1969 to 1985) and then Bedford School until 1997, when he returned to Pembrokeshire and renewed his acquaintance with Haverfordwest County.
Eddie May was the manager then and Eddie actually stayed with David out at Keeston and is still busy in Scottish Football – and he was followed by Mike Ellery and then Jason Jones, whom David rated very highly as a manager.
Since his return to the club’s board of directors one of his undoubted achievements at the new stadium is the large number of advertising boards placed there by local businesses because there are now around 100 such boards which are testament to both David’s drive and support from the local business community. It is a non-stop job, however, and David would love to see a national company join in sponsoring the club as a real boost.
“We have to live within a tight budget,” admits David, “because we have seen the way that clubs like Barry Town, Cwmbran, Bangor City and Rhyl have come close to closing and we are determined that will not happen here.”
He also helps with the programme advertising and match ball sponsors – and organises the booking of the two hospitality suites for the home matches, with the aim of people wanting to come back again and again.
Ask him about this hard work, however, and he is quick to praise the efforts of others:
“We are lucky to have Rob (Summons) as a brilliant chairman and superb groundsman and the bunch of lads who work tirelessly at all the other jobs needed around the ground are immense,” he says. “It is good fun to attend the Bridge Meadow throughout the week because there is always something going on there, with some humour thrown in for good measure.”
Early football days
David’s involvement with football goes a long way back because as a lad, when he was at Haverfordwest Grammar School, he played at the heart of the defence for the Merlins Bridge youth team that came runners-up to Solva in the Wiltshire Cup of 1963, playing alongside characters like Paul Bowen, the late Peter Thomas, Lawrence Kelly, Tony Phillips, Leighton Warrad and Hughie Edwards. He played in the first league game that the Bridge ever had – and then went to Barry Teachers’ Training College and as well as playing for the college team had trials for Welsh Colleges alongside Dai Davies, who went on to play in goal for Wales, and Peter Suddaby, who played for Blackpool.
When he moved to Bedford he played for Bedford Athletic in the Bedfordshire and District Sunday League, which was a good standard, and he played his last match at 48 years of age.
Rugby representative and self-confessed ‘hacker’
On Saturdays he turned out as blind side flanker for Bedford Athletic in rugby and David represented Bedfordshire in the Counties’ Junior Union KO Championship but gradually had to curtail his own playing because his duties as a master at a private school meant that he was more and more involved in coaching with under 13s and under 16s at school and county level. During his time he coached the likes of Tom May, Andrew Sheridan and Nick Easter, who all went on to play for England, plus a superb No 10 called Simon Smith and a cracking hooker named Donovan Hudson. He also coached Bedford Athletic for a spell and they reached the final of the East Midlands Cup.
Golf is also a sporting love of David’s and he is a regular at Haverfordwest Golf Club, where he says he is ‘a bit of a hacker’. He has organised an annual golf day for Haverfordwest County and again it has been a financial success as part of David’s role, as well as being a great day out for participants at Haverfordwest Golf Club.
Love of racing
Not content with that little lot, David is an avid racing fan after attending meetings at Towcester, Warwick and Leicester when he was teaching in Bedford. He started out as an owner with Keith Goldsworthy, who is an excellent trainer with stables at Yerbeston, near Cresselly, taking a share in a four year old filly called ‘Cool Connie’. Also involved is Mike Evans, now a county councillor and well-known Tenby rugby player and entrepreneur.
“We certainly couldn’t claim it as an instant success because it only ran once,” says David with a chuckle, “because she only ran once, had a wind problem and was unfit to race again. It was just the luck of the draw and we sold her on to become an excellent brood mare.”
His next horse was called ‘Crackow’, after the Polish town, and had run in the 2000 Derby – but after coming second in his first race for David and Keith proved to be more and more temperamental and also departed.
It proved to be third time lucky, however, because they acquired a horse at the Doncaster sales called ‘Hills of Arran’, an Irish horse out of Sadler’s Wells at Aidan O’Brien’s stables. As a two year old it had run second behind ‘Motivator’, who went on to win the Derby, but for the next two years was used as a pace-maker at Ballydoyle.
“In its first six races it didn’t pass another horse but with Keith’s expertise took to hurdling like a duck to water,” says a delighted David, “and to date has won six races, including a good novice hurdle race at Cheltenham on New Years’ Day 2008. We also have ‘Hold Em’, which won three ‘Bumpers’ races, which are National Hunt flat races, and has come third in the Feltham Novice Chase at Kempton Park, ridden by top jockey Tony McCoy. So far they have won us in the region of £180,000 and we also have ‘Bolton Hall’ and ‘Rapparee Drive’ as other horses that have potential.”
Fresh challenges
Back at the Bridge Meadow Stadium, David sees further challenges ahead, both on and off the field.
“We came seventh last campaign and have to set our sights high again so we qualify for next season’s new Elite Welsh Premier League. We have a new stand which qualifies to play in Europe and still have to develop our clubhouse so that it becomes the local focus of the whole community.”
“We have an excellent manager in Derek Brazil, who has been successful in building a team which has local players and some from ‘up the line’ – and we would love to see loads of people from all over the county flock to our games, which are excellent value for money. Historically we haven’t had the best relationship with other local clubs and the league but happily that is slowly changing because we host as many finals as we can for Brian Hawkins and the Pembrokeshire League, and want clubs to link with us in any way they want.”
Final word
Ask David about future plans and he just says he just wants to help Haverfordwest County continue to develop on and off the field. He is eager to play down his role but there is no doubt that that he has a key part to play.
We let club chairman Rob Summons have the final word as he told us,
“David Hughes does a great job for us and long may he continue to do that – it would not be the same place without him!”
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