Who is who at Denbigh Town F.C.

I am currently into my third season as the Club Secretary at Denbigh Town FC and am enjoying watching the first team do so well in the league.

I live in Denbigh and am married to Jill. We have actually been together for twenty five years but only got married four years ago. You can only duck and dive for so long. We have one son,Dan,who is 19 yrs old and Jill has also got a daughter, Selina and a son Lee. Sel and Lee have given us four grandchildren,all girls,aged between 18yrs and 1yr and all good fun.

When I left school I worked at a travel agency where I got the bug for travel and have been overseas once or twice a year ever since. I don't go out much, not interested in cars but will spend money on a good holiday or two.

After eight years at the travel agency I found myself out of work and in a bit of a pickle. I thought I might as well get paid for walking the streets and so joined North Wales Police as a not so fresh faced Constable. I worked in Flintshire, Wexham and Denbighshire doing Community work, Response, CID, Custody Sergeant and office jobs. I was a Sergeant in Denbigh at one point. I finished off as a supervisor in the Force Communications Centre [ Control Room ]. That place is incredibly busy. I remember walking in there on my first day thinking 'The Room' looked like the Star Ship Enterprise. It was full of people with headsets sitting in front of computers. I was shown my seat on the dais overlooking the Dispatch area. I had three computer screens in front of me with numerous systems on show and I recall wondering if that was the right time to tell them that I had never even sent a text before.

I retired four years ago after doing over thirty years and am now a taxi driver with Prompt Travel and the bulk of my work involves taking children in a minibus to and from Tir Morfa School in Rhyl with the odd airport job and weekend stuff now and then.

I was into football from a young age but had to quit after injuring my knee. A ligament reconstruction and seven other arthroscopes later I have finally accepted that I won't be making a comeback before my 60th birthday in a week or so.

I got back into football after practising with my lad and managed a team from u11s to u16s with Denbigh Town Juniors. I was so lucky to have the best local players from Denbigh High and Ysgol Glan Clwyd playing for me. They gave me some of my best ever memories and I will always be grateful. I will never forget those years. We won a trophy every season and usually won both the Rhyl and District League title and the League Cup. I then helped with the Youth Team under 18s before deciding I needed a break.

I remember I was on holiday when I received a phone call from a certain Shon Powell asking if I would become the Club Secretary. I told him I was in Tenerife, needed a rest from footy and, anyway, I didn't really fancy it. Shon would not let it go though and being as I needed more sun lotion and my beer was getting warm I told him I would think about it. Four hours later I was sizzling away nicely on the sun bed, turning over at regular intervals, when my mobile rang again. It was Shon - " Well ? Have you thought about it ? When can you start ? " Persuasive or what !

I now confirm the matches with the opposition, communicate with the ref, complete after match forms, do the announcements at the ground on matchday, sign and transfer players, take the match day photos and publish them on the website with other Club News, authorise on line payments initiated by Iwan the Treasurer, attend meetings, help stock the cafe blah blah blah. My mate Roy Gunther is now helping with the photos and I am well chuffed with this as he knows what he is doing. Last season I trained and managed the Third Team but have handed the reigns over to Nick Hailes. I would never tell him but he is doing a better job than me so that was one of my good decisions. I also write the Match Previews and the 'Who is Who at Denbigh Town FC' weekly articles. I can tell by the way my wife narrows her eyes and gives me those sideways glances that she really loves the sound of me pecking away at my laptop every evening whilst she is watching the telly and I am sure she will miss it when Dan and I go off to Canada next week for our skiing adventure.

When not doing football stuff I still enjoy trying to keep fit and will go hill walking and visit the gym whenever I can - although you couldn't tell by looking at me. I run a history, old photos, memories type page on Facebook featuring my home village of Bodfari and I love nature and taking wildlife photos which is an incredibly relaxing hobby.

Anyway, being as I am off skiing, there will be a break in the Who is Who and we start again upon my return in a couple of weeks.

Come on Denbigh !!!

Updated 18:25 - 31 Aug 2019 by Stephen Whitfield