PHOTO:
Sam Rodon scores with his head for Haverfordwest County

As Haverfordwest County continue to battle to climb back into the Welsh Premier League one of their stand-out players has been central defender Sam Rodon, who is in his first season at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium and looking for his second Welsh League champions’ medal.
 
Sam joined the Bluebirds from West End after winning his first Welsh League winners’ medal with the Swansea-based club at the end of the last campaign, which is good going because he was only 19 at the time.

Bluebirds are ‘brilliant’

 
But that team broke up and Sam talked to the Haverfordwest County management of Wayne Jones and Sean Cresser - and decided to join the Bluebirds alongside his West End defensive partner Dale Griffiths, who had previously played in Haverfordwest and also undertook the move back into Pembrokeshire as club captain.
 
“Wayne and Sean have been brilliant,” said Sam, “and the rest of the squad have gelled well so that we have managed to stay in the promotion race from the start of the season, and the highlight was that fantastic run of 15 matches we had unbeaten.
 
“There are no easy matches in Division One and we have had our share of ups and downs ever since – but every one of the players and the management are really keen to gain promotion and try our luck at the highest level of Welsh Football. We know it means a huge amount of travel to North Wales but we are all up for that if we come in the top two.”
 

Following in family’s footsteps

 
It comes as no surprise that Sam is such a very good footballer because his pedigree is excellent because his grandfather, Peter Rodon, was a professional footballer with Swansea Town in the 1960’s before going on to play for Bradford City, where an injury forced his premature retirement but not before he had been capped by Wales at under 16 and under 19 levels.
 
Sam’s uncle, Chris Rodon, left Pontardawe for Brighton & Hove Albion in the early 1980s and  went on to play for Cardiff City, Llanelli Town and Haverfordwest County, where he was a prolific striker, and very popular player, for the strong Bluebirds team of that era.
 

Total support for Sam and Joe

 
Then there’s Sam’s 16 year old brother, Joe, who played against him earlier this season when the Bluebirds entertained Swansea City Youth Team. Joe goes full time and starts his scholarship with Swansea City on July 1st. Joe recently gained his first cap for Wales under 17s against the Czech Republic and he is currently playing for Welsh Schools under 18s, alongside Haverfordwest County youth player, Laurie Haworth.  
 
Throw in mum Tania Denby-Roden, who goes to all his matches and isn’t afraid to tell him when he’s had an off-day on the pitch, and grandmother Margaret, who is his greatest fan, and it is easy to see how important football is in the Rodon family!
 

Early start and great success

 
Sam started training for football at Llangyfelach AFC from the age of four and enjoyed every moment of it under the watchful eye of Keith Prosser.
“He really looked after us and I learned so much from him,” admitted Sam, “until I joined Swansea City Academy (Excellence) in 2000 at the age of seven and remained there until under 14, as we played against the likes of Swindon, Cheltenham Town, Plymouth, both Bristol teams and Exeter.
 
Sam captained Swansea City under 11s at an international tournament in Spain and at under 12, playing out in Italy, he won the ‘Meglio Stopper’ (Defender of the Tournament), playing against Juventus, Parma and other Serie ‘A’ clubs. It is regarded as a great honour and Joe Allen (Liverpool) is the only other Swansea City player ever to win an award at that tournament.
 

Silverware galore for Sam

 
“We trained twice a week at ‘The Elba’ and usually had our matches there or at Ashley Road on Sundays, but there was a huge amount of travel for away games and after a long time of being involved I had enough of it and told them I was leaving.
 
“Half the team left at the same time and after stopping to think things over for a while I started playing for Treboeth Youth, where we won our share of silverware.
 
Sam was then the captain of Gower College first team for three years during which time they won the Welsh five a side tournament, the British Colleges’ Cup and the Welsh Schools’ cup.
He was capped at under 18 level four times and was captain of Welsh Colleges under19s, after playing for them first as a 17 year old at 17 years old against England.  He was also offered a full football scholarship by Siena College, New York
.
Sam had been invited to join West End by managers Anthony Wright and Chris Llewellyn and as captain of West End Youth, the team under Sam won the McWhirter Youth League Cup (against Haverfordwest), and lost out to Swansea City in the final of the Welsh Youth Cup.
 

West End winners

 
He made his senior debut at 17 for West End in the Welsh League and scored on debut. It was the start of a very successful time as he played at the heart of the defence alongside Dale Griffiths, flanked by Josh Medwin and Daniel Kavanagh. Whilst at West End Sam was sent on trail at Newcastle United, Bristol City and Newport County and as a 20 year old could still catch the eye of a top club with his aerial skills, good distribution and ability to go forward at set-pieces.
 

High praise from ‘Wolvesey’

 
Wayne ‘Wolvesey’ Jones, manager at Haverfordwest County, told us,
“Sam is the pick of the bunch in terms of our signings and is a shining example to everyone else in the squad. Although he travels from Swansea he hasn’t missed a single training session and has a 100% record in games – and it is vital we get promoted so we can try and keep quality players like Sam.”
 
We could pay Sam Rodon no higher praise and we wish him continued success at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium and for his eventual future in football!