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Aaron says ‘Hello’ from Manitoba
Hello everyone back in Pembrokeshire from the wide open spaces of Manitoba, where Bill Carne somehow contacted me and asked me to pen a few words about my life now and recollections of home – so here goes.
I now live in Manitoba, the central province in Canada where it is very cold in the winter (-56 was the coldest day last winter) and quite warm in the summer (+40`s) – two extremes!
Still going strong in soccer
I am delighted to say that I`m still playing (well trying to, and loving it!) and since moving here have won the "Golden Boot" four times for my club. They are called Hanover Kickers, and so far I have now scored 142 goals in 126 games for the club.
I also had three seasons in an over 35`s league with an Italian team called A.C.Italia (scoring a total of 52 goals in 48 games), during which time we won the league and cup double every season and also went to the national finals where we took a silver, a bronze and another silver – we are still waiting for the gold!
This year I have returned to the Kickers as a player/coach and have scored 12 goals in 16 games and we sit second with a couple of games to go. I also coach locally as well, including a boys’ under 14 team with a guy from Scotland that we took to the Manitoba Games and took gold – brilliant!
Other sports
There are plenty of sports in our area and I love to have a round of golf (people ask me what’s my handicap and I say my inability to play!) I also play tennis, some American Football, as well as playing darts and pool in my basement. (I have my own 9 foot table in the basement so I play 8 and 9 ball). I am a Liverpool fanatic and watch all their games LIVE on Setanta over here, I usually get up Saturday morning at 6.30am. to watch the early game then another at 9.am, then 11.30am, then there are others shown pre-recorded most of the afternoon, as well as watching both the Sunday games. They are live as well so my wife Sam really loves me at the weekend!
I have tried ice-skating but unfortunately I look a bit like Bambi on cocaine when I`m on the rink. I have also been known to take a ‘dive’ in the snow that is regularly here in Winter. Like one night I was out on the deck, slightly missed my footing and fell off, it landing in a large snow bank. I must have looked like a real plonker, with the wife and kids both stood by the door laughing and pointing at me!
Early success
For those who are too young to remember anything about me when I was in Pembrokeshire I moved to Haverfordwest in 1977, going to Mary Immaculate school where, under the coaching of Mike Atherton, we got to the Welsh 5-a-side finals and also lost in the semi-finals in Aberystwyth. At youth level I played in a very good Scarrowscant team under Wyndham Owens, playing with Rodney Owens, Richard Frank, Stephen ‘Pele’ Price and Alastair Hayes to name a few. I also played for the newly formed Crundale team, with Adrian "Titch" Davies, Gareth ‘Taffy’ Williams and Stephen Fisher.
Robbed by ‘Turkey’ and Wizard silverware
Senior-wise I started with Haverfordwest before joining "The Bridge" where I first played in the second team with Tally John, Willy Williams, Mackie Bowen and a certain Peter ‘Turkey’ Jones, I finished the season as the team’s second top goal scorer behind Turkey, who I thought I was bound to beat until he scored six goals in the last game to overtake me! The following season I broke into the firsts under the leadership of Dave Edwards, going on to win quite a few trophies with the Wizards.
The best moments include winning the Pembrokeshire League down in Kilgetty, having trailed 20 points behind at one time what would go on to be a great Hakin team. I think I scored two goals in that last game and Bernie Armstrong got a hat-trick...and we`d been 2-0 down as well! Another big plus for me would be the honour of being named the Bridge first team’s ‘player of the year’ in the 1999-2000 season.
My biggest disappointments would be any of the three or four senior cup finals that I played in and lost. I was only on a winning side once, at the Bridge Meadow against Johnston with Micky Ellis (3) and Bernie Armstrong getting the goals.
Fantastic players
I was very lucky to have had some great team mates: obviously Turkey, Mickey Ellis (fantastic player), Tony Jones (excellent centre half),Nigel Smith, Glyn Ruloff, Adi Haworth, Dickie Thomas, Paul Thomas, Bernie Armstrong and the Ralph brothers... I could go on and on and on! As for opponents, I always enjoyed playing against the likes of Mark Ashman (Pennar Robins), Steve James (Johnston), Duggie Bowen (Goodwick), Gerald Hicks, Mark Delaney, Sean Mills, Gary Dawes, and Paul ‘Jonah’ Jones - once again I could fill a page so
quickly.
Home in 2010 and life in Canada
I have been back to Wales three times since moving and hope to be home in 2010 again (hopefully for the Tommy Peter Jones charity match in August) and will always know that Wales is my home, with all my family still there and my mum Angie as the owner of the Railway Inn in Johnston (where there is always a warm welcome and a great pint!). She runs it with her partner Peter. who is known as ‘Flynno, and who I desperately want to beat in darts one day! I have been married to Sam for 15 years now (and I remembered the date!) and I will be 40 on September 26th – where does the time fly? My elder son Thomas has just turned 16 and younger son Michael is almost 15. Thomas is a runner (I don’t know where he get`s that from!) and Michael loves to play football, or ‘soccer’ as it`s called out here.
In Manitoba I work as a semi driver, a 22 wheeler, the truck is a 2008 Kenworth t800 long nose with a 53` tri-axle trailer in tow (big, big, big!) I haul livestock around the province.
We moved here in September 2000 and we love the changes in the weather and the feeling of space. Would I ever move back home? ...Hmmmm. Never say never, is what I say!
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