Alan Brindley – played for New Hedges, Saundersfoot, Carew, Kilgetty – And Wolverhampton Wanderers!

 
For Alan Brindley, football has been his first sporting love since he was a nipper and in his early days played for Kilgetty at youth level and was a founder member of Saundersfoot United who also had short spells with Carew and Kilgetty when they enjoyed lots of success - and even today can still be found at his real footballing home; Saundersfoot Football Club.
 
His first taste of success came with Kilgetty as they won the Youth Cup Final with players of the calibre of Graham Jenkins, Richard Evans, Mackie Brace and Jeff Mansell.
 

Enjoyed his short stay with The Wolves

 
He also had a stint at Molyneaux with Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he played centre forward for the third team because Derek Dougan played up front for the first team and Alan Evans occupied the No 9 shirt for the seconds, even though he was the first player to have a transfer tag of £100,000!
 
“But I was released when the manager changed and I stayed in the area for a time and played for Compton FC in what was a very good standard of local football,” Alan told us, “but then I worked in Holland for the first half of the next season.
 
"But I returned for the second half of the campaign with a brief spell at Carew as we reached the Senior Cup Final, but lost to Fishguard.”
 

Back with the re-formed Saundersfoot team – and then with Kilgetty

 
And then in 1972, New Hedges started a team and he was persuaded to join them - and he started the season in style with three goals in a 9-2 win in the lower divisions.
“Alan Eagles was an outstanding manager who took us through the league sections but then moved to manage Pembroke Borough in the Welsh League - and at 25 I found myself as player/manager, as well as playing for the county team, so it was a very busy time.
 
“But then Sean Brace took over the reins and was another who did an excellent job - but then I enjoyed a spell with Kilgetty and played in two losing Senior Cup Finals against a very good Merlins Bridge side.
 

New Hedges and Saundersfoot join forces

 
“Eventually, New Hedges joined forces with Saundersfoot and I felt it was the right time to go back and we started to do so well that we won the Pembrokeshire League in 1984 and 1986 and beat an equally strong Johnston outfit around that time in the Senior Cup Final.
 
“We had a terrific team spirit under John Stenson, who brought discipline and team work, with Adge John in goal and others outfield including Neil ‘Spider’ Webb, my brother Mark, Dai Cope, Russell Knox, Phil Nichols, Gary McNeilly and Richard Eastlake, to name just some of them that spring to mind
 
“It was a great time at the club and in 1990, when I was 40, I took over as second team manager and then as boss of the first team, with my long-suffering wife Jo as Hon Secretary and my old pal Adge John as a great assistant manager.
 
“We won three senior Cup Finals as we beat Milford United, St Ishmaels (after a replay) and Carew, which was a great time for the club.





 

Family matters . . .

 
By this time I was doing a lot of travelling, taking my son Max to play at Cardiff City, which certainly raised my mileage, and then when he returned to play for Carew I followed him everywhere, and the same in his rugby playing at Tenby United. Whilst he was playing for Carew I was actually made club chairman for two seasons - which was nice of them.
 
“Our daughter Ella enjoyed sport in school and my wife Jo has been very supportive of all of us - and although I’m not officially involved on the playing side I still give the occasional team talk, when asked, and now I’m Hon Secretary of Saundersfoot AFC for my sins.                                      
 

High praise from keeper and assistant manager Adge

 
Alan still keeps in touch with some of his old playing compatriots and one of them, Adge John, told PembrokeshireSport.co.uk,
“Alan  was a very good player and was one of the best headers of a ball I ever met, with good footwork and an ability to read the game well - and that’s why when he switched from centre forward to being in the back four he and his brother Mark were very hard to get past.
 
“When I was his assistant manager, I used to admire his man-management of players, where he knew which players to cajole and which needed a shoulder to lean on - but everyone in the team knew who the boss was.
 
“It was a pleasure to be involved with him and I still enjoy his company now.”
 
That is a lovely tribute from a top man and we could pay Alan Brindley no higher tribute - but we can add that we totally agree and are still enjoying it when we bump into him on for a chat on the touchline at matches in our county!