Boys From The Blast

displaced_seagull · 10-13-2004, 10:02 PM

Authors Notes

This is something I've been thinking about doing again for a while - a short story based on a game I've been playing but not writing about - my last 'version' was based on my Oxford game (It can be found here; http://www.cmstories.net/archives/stories/1101.html ). This game is running on CM01/02 (3.9.68), with England and Wales in the foreground, and Belgium, France, Italy, Holland, Spain, Germany, Scotland & Portugal in the background)

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Glamorgan Gazette - Sport - Tuesday 9th July 2002

A special feature by Owen Jones

"Tomorrow evening, Rhymney Valley side Pontlottyn Blast Furnace play their first ever match in a European club competition. It has been an incredible transformation for the side - promoted to the Welsh Premier Division last summer after Rhyl's shock defection to the English pyramid, Pontlottyn were merely expected to make up the numbers in the top flight. One man, however, ensured that avoiding the wooden spoon would be no problems. Stuart Fairway took over as Pontlottyn's first manager from outside the village - a former professional player in England, Fairway came into the job with enthusiasm - but it was not enough for the existing, locally based squad. In a move that shocked the village, all 16 members of the squad who had won promotion for Pontlottyn refused to play for the club again, angry that the club had accepted promotion and would now be playing on the national stage. Stuart Fairway accepted this - and then went on to build a squad from nothing that would go on to win the league.

Over the next two pages, we interview the man himself, as well as some of those players he brought in - and who will represent the club on the International stage for the first time.

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displaced_seagull · 10-13-2004, 11:02 PM

Darren Poole

Glamorgan Gazette; Darren, you were the only natural right winger for most of last season - did that put any pressure on you to stay fit?

Darren Poole; Well, every player wants to stay fit - we did have other players who could cover my position, but as you say, I was (and still am) the only natural right winger at the club. I'm just pleased that I kept fit and didn't give the boss any headaches!

GG; I imagine you solved a lot of headaches too - with 33 goals you were top goalscorer last season, how did that make you feel?

DP; Well, it's unusual for a winger to be able to claim top goalscorer for his club, let alone be joint top goalscorer in the league as a whole. I just took my chances when they came along really - the other lads deserve a lot of credit for their performances, and as a winger I know that if you don't get the service, you won't score the goals - so a lot of it is down to the other players.

GG; How about the future, how do you see things going for the club?

DP; Well, on a personal basis I'm 24, and I hope to be around the game for a good 10 years yet! - What we achieved last season was amazing, but there was an element of the unknown about us. Now everyone in the league will be out to beat us, and it definatley won't be as easy!

GG; Yes, that's true - just finally Darren, Silema Wanderers of Malta tomorrow - can you make an impact in the Champions League?

DP; We've got to go into it with a positive attitude. If we can win through the first match, then we will be delighted - but if we get through the second game, then we are 180 minutes away from the Group Stages - and that would probably set the club up financially for years to come. As players, we all obviously want to do as well as we can, but we'll have to take it one game at a time.

displaced_seagull · 10-13-2004, 11:43 PM

Curtis Jackson

GG; Curtis, last season you became the youngest ever player to play in the Welsh Premier league at the age of 15 - how did that make you feel?

CJ; Well it was an amazing experience, and still is really - I didn't really expect to be involved much last season, but to have started 27 games at my age was very special.

GG; And of course you were able to score quite a few as well?

CJ; Yeah - I got 13 in the end, 10 of those in the league - which was well over my target, although as I said, I played a lot more than I had been expecting.

GG; Obviously there were - and still are - a lot of young players around the club, but you are by far the youngest. Has it been hard for you to settle in to regular football at a young age?

CJ; The other lads have made it as easy for me as possible - obviously it helps that we've been winning so many of our games, but morale at the club is absolutley sky high, and everyone is competing for a place in the team. Hopefully we'll be able to keep the team together and achieve great things.

GG; Ah yes, the future - how far do you reckon you can go in the game? - Last season there were reports that an English side had sent scouts to look at you?

CJ; I had no contact with Burnley - though I think any club worth their salt should be looking at a side who only lost once in the league last season! Personally I want to go as far in the game as I can, all the way up to International level if possible. I doubt it will happen, but I've just got to keep plugging away. As for the future, I'm under contract here until the summer of 2004, when I'll still only be 18 - I can honestly see myself signing another long-term contract here after that, and from then on, who knows?

GG: Just finally Curtis, the game you won against Aberystwyth on the 2nd of March turned out to be the game in which you won the title - did the players have any idea until you got off the pitch?

CJ; Well we obviously noticed that the crowd were very excited, but we weren't sure until the boss told us that Cefn Druids had only drawn - when we found out, there was just the loudest cheers imaginable in the changing rooms! - it was an awesome experience - just like the rest of last season.

displaced_seagull · 10-14-2004, 02:00 PM

Brian Healy

GG; Brian, captain last season - how did it feel to collect the trophy with some seven league games to go?

BH; Oh it was a great experience - we knew we were close to the title, but when we got the result against Aberystwyth to confirm it, the lads were just over the moon. It was one of the best nights of my career.

GG; Talking about your career, it has been long - is there a temptation to call it a day now?

BH; Yes - I'm 40 now, and I don't know how long the legs will keep going. I had a long spell out at the start of last season, and although I've told the boss I'll be able to play for the first qualifying round matches in the Champions League, I expect to hang up my boots by the start of the domestic season.

GG; What about the future, will you be staying in the game?

BH; At the moment I'm just planning to return to England - there wasn't so much money as there is nowadays when I was in the peak of my career, so I certainly will need to go back to work at some stage - I quite fancy going into the pub game though!

GG; And not just for the 'refreshments' afterwards I imagine! - As a player you have been a battling midfielder - do you ever wish that you had played in other positions?

BH; As you say, a lot of the time it's not the most stylish position to play - you don't always get the credit, but the lads here are a great bunch, and we all work hard for each other. In other teams I've played for it was the midfielders doing the work but getting none of the credit, while here everyone is keen to praise everybody else. It gives the club a great atmosphere, and it's a nice place to play.

GG; How about your successor in midfield - any youngsters we should be looking out for?

BH; There's a couple of young lads in the reserve team who were around last season, but didn't really get involved - one of them, Ryan Dorrian , needed Cruciate ligament surgery at just 16, but he's really come on leaps and bounds since returning to fitness. I'll always keep an eye out for Pontlottyn scorelines, and I think he's a name who will certainly be heard a lot more in the future.

GG; Finally Brian, you haven't been the only player to retire at the club over the summer - do you think the team will miss Sergey Gerasimets on the pitch?

BH; Sergey was a great player - you don't get international caps without talent - but as he's a coach now, I think he'll pass on a lot of his tricks to the youngsters here. I know the boss was hoping he'd stay on as a player, but just having him around the club will still be a great asset.

displaced_seagull · 10-14-2004, 02:01 PM

Alex O'Reilly

GG; Alex, as the regular 'keeper, last season must have been a bit strange for you - at times you had very little to do!

AO'R; Yes, that's true! - there were some games where I hardly had anything to do, but to be honest, as a 'keeper, that's what you want - the defence last season was almost watertight, and of course we just couldn't stop scoring. For me it was the ideal season.

GG; Do you think it will be a different story this season?

AO'R; Well, you never can tell - there are some very handy strikers in this league - Mike Davies at Cefn Druids, Steve Carpenter at Port Talbot and Graham Evans at Caersws to name three - but in all honesty, I think the other 'keepers in the division are more worried about our attack than anything else!

GG; yes, 111 goals in the league last season - with some huge wins along the way. As a 'keeper, did you feel left out of that at all?

AO'R; I'm sure some of the other lads have said that at this club, we all share the credit - obviously the strikers get the headlines, though Darren Poole said something for the midfielders last year! - but football has always been like that and you just have to accept it. Personally it's not something I'm hugely worried about.

GG; How about you personally, will we be seeing you at the Furnace stadium in years to come?

AO'R; I'd love to stay here. I started my career at West Ham, and went out on loan a few times, but I've only really got regular football here, and you don't want to waste your opportunity of that. The club and the gaffer have been totally honest with me though, and I know that they don't want me to leave. I was offered the chance, earlier in the summer, to talk to a club in Scotland, but the gaffer didn't want to let me go and I chose to respect that. He and the club gave me a big chance here, and though there's always the possibility of a move in the future, at the moment I am very happy to be playing in Wales.

GG; One more thing Alex - tomorrow you'll be in action in the Champions League - are you looking forward to testing yourself?

AO'R; Hugely. It's every players ambition to play in the Champions League, and hopefully we'll be able to stay in it as long as we can. Nobody expects us to reach the group stage, but it's a funny old game, and you never know - although I think I'd be a lot busier than I'm used to if we did! Really, Silema Wanderers are a good team though, so we just have to take it a game at a time. If we can get a result in the home leg, it will make life a lot easier.

bjorn · 10-14-2004, 04:14 PM

Nice to see you back Stuart, with a fine start as we are used to from you

BobBev · 10-14-2004, 04:57 PM

What Bjorn said :thup:

displaced_seagull · 10-15-2004, 03:01 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bjorn:
Nice to see you back Stuart, with a fine start as we are used to from you

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Nice dig

Cheers Bob :thup:

Phil Carratt

GG; Phil, last season - how was it for you?

PC; It was amazing. I joined as one of the first players, and I knew that it would definatley be an interesting season when the gaffer told me he had to sign an entire squad. What I didn't expect was how well it went - it was brilliant for all of us.

GG; And especially you no doubt - you really lit up the league with your flair.

PC; Thanks very much - it's something I've always been good at, and last season it all came together for me. I only had a couple of games back home for Stockport, but here the gaffer stuck with me when he had more experienced options available, and I think it worked out.

GG; Yes, Landry Zahana-Oni might have expected to be a regular, but you kept him out of the team for most of the season - did it cause any resentment between the two of you?

PC; Landry is a professional, and he knows that sometimes it doesent all go your own way. When I was injured, he came in and did a very good job, so I was a little suprised to win my place back - but no, there was never any problem between us and I'm sure he'll do very well at his new club.

GG; And how about you? - We're told that you are rated as one of the most valuable players at the club, how does that feel?

PC; Obviously it's an honour - if the chance came to move back to England then I would obviously have to consider myself, but for the moment I'm perfectly happy here. If I keep on plugging away and playing well, then hopefully the club will earn some decent money from me! - I will always hold the club dear to my heart, and even if I do move on, I will always look out for their results. For now though I'm just concentrating on giving all I can for Pontlottyn - I'll let other people talk up my chances of a move elsewhere.

GG; What about Europe - do you feel the Champions League will give the club the chance to showcase themselves?

PC; Definatley - it'll be a huge game tomorrow night, and I hope the stadium will be packed. If we can win, then we'll have a good chance for the second leg in Malta, but whatever the score we'll just give it our best shot. I'm really looking forward to testing myself against players from abroad.

GG; Finally Phil, this season - can the club retain the title?

PC; As players, that is our aim yes - but it will be hard. Clubs will know a lot more about us this season, and I'm not expecting personally to get nearly as much space from defenders as I had at times last year - if they can stop Darren Poole and myself from creating chances for the lads up front, half the battle will be won. It'll certainly be intriguing though to see how teams approach us - we want them to come scared!

displaced_seagull · 10-15-2004, 03:02 PM

Rhodri Jones

GG; Rhodri, the new captain - how does that make you feel?

RJ; To be captaining a side at 20 is simply amazing - and if we get through the first Champions League round, I'll be captaining a side in Europe after Brian (Healy) retires as well. I never thought I'd be doing it!

GG; It must have been a crushing blow to have been released by Manchester United?

RJ; It was a blessing in disguise really - United released me, and I just wanted to get straight back into the game, so when the boss gave me a call I just had to accept.

GG; Last season you were one of only two Welshman who played regularly for the club - did that cause a problem?

RJ; Not at all. The game now is going global, and although I'd have preferred that all of our players had been Welsh - it would be brilliant for the international team if lads like Phil Carratt and Darren Poole are! - but that's just how football is these days. It's not something I get too worked up about.

GG; As a defender, do you worry that you will be under a lot of pressure in the Champions League?

RJ; You are always under pressure to perform, but that's why we play the game - and challenging yourself against the best is one of the best ways to improve, I've found. At Man United I always wanted to be involved in training with the first team - not so much to make a name for myself, but more to test myself against the very best players in the country.

GG; How about your future - can you see yourself ever playing for Manchester United again?

RJ; Well I left on good terms, I just wasn't at the stage that they needed me at. It's a long way back to the top - but I'm happy here at the moment. Of course all players want to do the best they can, but a lot of the lads here have come in, like me, after leaving other, more well-known clubs, and personally I think the gaffer deserves a lot of praise for sticking with us.

GG; Finally Rhodri, what was the best moment of last season for you?

RJ; It's got to be winning the league - It was a great occasion. Other than that, to beat Bangor City, who knocked us out of the Cup, 6-1 in the last couple of weeks of the season was brilliant!

displaced_seagull · 10-15-2004, 03:31 PM

Authors Notes

No longer a short story, I'm going for it properly with this one now - Not going to cover every game, but instead going for a Media-Based style of writing with Monthly updates and 'big' news getting it's own, journalistic style writeup (Sort of like my Motherwell story, should anyone remember it)