page revision date :
Lee loves playing at the Bridge Meadow
Lee Hudgell is one of the best-known local players at Haverfordwest County AFC with his pace down the flanks, willingness to take on the opposition and ability to score spectacular goals.
Over the last few years ‘Hudgie’ has become a very popular player with the fans at the Bridge Meadow Stadium and, at 26 years of age, still has a lot of football in him at this high level, despite the fact that he is a self-confessed disliker of heavy training. He did spend one season away from the Bluebirds, playing for former Haverfordwest County manager Deryn Brace at Carmarthen but has resettled at the Bridge Meadow and has been eagerly anticipating the challenges of a new season in the Welsh Premier League where the number of clubs has been drastically reduced to just a dozen teams.
“We know it’s going to be tough but ‘The Gaffer’ (Derek Brazil) has built up what I think is the strongest squad I have played with here,” says Lee, “and although we were very disappointed to lose at home to Newtown in our first match we can really improve on that performance.
“We also went down 1-0 at Prestatyn and lost at home to Neath. But we beat Neath in the League Cup and won at Bala in the league so I really believe we have the team to do well once we have settled into a rhythm.”
Senior football and an early
switch to the Bridge Meadow
Lee was an accomplished athlete who represented Wales as a teenager but more of that later, because football was always his first love after starting out at Haverfordwest at under 12 level but then moving to play for Jeff Gilderdale and Jackie Owen at Camrose, where players of the calibre of Guy White and Simon Gilderdale were also involved. He moved on to play senior football with Camrose, making his debut as a 15 year old against Milford Athletic at Pill Lane, but soon moved to the Bridge Meadow after being spotted by manager Jason Jones and making his debut in a 3-3 draw against Rhayader Town, with Neil Frederickson in goal and with Dean Busby as the only other local player in the side.
Silverware and good goals
Lee also signed for Merlins Bridge for a while and appeared in one Senior Cup Final where he helped the Wizards beat Monkton Swifts 2-0 as Nico Algieri bagged both goals. But gradually he began to command a place in the squad managed by Deryn Brace and the undoubted highlight was the 2004/5 season where the Bluebirds achieved a place in the EUFA Cup and took on an Icelandic team who beat them 3-1 away, with Tim Hicks grabbing their goal, and then 1-0 in the return leg, which was played at Ninian Park in Cardiff.
The 2006/7 season was another good one for Lee because he won the goal of the season award for a special he netted against Airbus, was voted ‘Player of the Month’ by the Bluebirds’ fans, and was chosen by the other managers in the Premier League as part of their dream team at the end of the campaign, alongside goalkeeper Lee Kendall as the only other Haverfordwest County player.
So close to Europe and Welsh Cup Finals
There was further success for Lee during a year-long stint at Carmarthen Town with Deryn Brace because he started out in 22 games and helped them to fourth place in the table, just missing out on a place in Europe as well as losing in the semi-final of the Welsh Cup. They played Aberystwyth at the Bridge Meadow and came back from a 2-0 deficit, only to lose 3-2 in extra time. He had also lost 1-0 with Haverfordwest County at the same stage of the competition against Carmarthen Town – and is hoping that it might be third time lucky in the near future!
No mean sprinter
During his younger days, Lee was a very good sprinter and long jumper with Pembrokeshire Harriers who achieved success at Pembrokeshire, Dyfed and Welsh levels before he was selected to represent Wales in the British Championships in Blackpool, coming fifth against some very good sprinters. That was ten years ago but Lee is still rightly proud of his Welsh athletics vest!
Characters galore
Back on the football front, Lee had a short break where he played Pembrokeshire League again with Merlins Bridge but after talks with chairman Rob Summons and manager Derek Brazil agreed to re-join the Bluebirds – and hasn’t regretted his decision for a moment.
“Mr Brazil is a very good manager and I like him because he is always straight with me,” said Lee. “Mark Evans is a good coach and we all enjoy a bit of banter whilst Micky Ellis has always been there for me. The back-room boys are great, especially Mr Summons, who is the top man at the club. I also enjoy the rapport with our supporters because they are great – and are always ready to chat to us.
“On the playing front, I would list my old pal Chris O’Sullivan as a character and it is nice to see locals like Jack Christopher, Ricky Watts, Steffan Williams, Jack Jones and Kieran Griffiths involved in the first team set-up alongside experienced players like Mark Dodds, Lee Jarman, Terry Evans and Lee Idzi.
“We have a nice balance now and I really hope we can do well because everyone at the Bridge Meadow Stadium deserves a bit of success – and I would be delighted to play my part in it!”
| 
