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Library era memories - Dave Baston

Library era memories - Dave Baston

Robyn Cooke4 Jun 2020 - 19:00

Our longest serving player started his Tigers career as a junior. Has won several trophies and finished as club topscorer in 2017/18

How did you end up signing for Menai Bridge being a Llandegfan lad, and what was your first game at the library like?

I played for Menai Bridge Tigers under 15s and 17s so I knew what the pitch was like, but I think I signed for the men’s when I was about 20, after speaking to Sean Brett in the Bulkeley.

You’ve been involved in plenty of memorable games down at the library, what are some of your favourite moments there?

My favourite memory is when we lifted the Anglesey League trophy along with the other 2 cups we had won that year, because it was tough playing Saturday, Monday & Wednesday every week for the last 8 weeks of the season.

What are some of your worst moments playing at the library?

When I first signed, Sean played me at left-back against Llangefni. I ended up scoring 2 own goals and breaking my ankle so that was a bad day!
A few years ago we played a semi-final against Llandegfan and it went into extra time. In the last minute of extra time, a Llandegfan player handballed on the line then we missed the penalty and ended up losing the penalty shootout, so that was a big disappointment.
Getting hammered by Bodedern a few years back, we actually thought we were going to win the game but ended up getting hammered!

As a striker you'll have scored countless goals down at the library, can you give me the top 3 goals you've scored there?
I’ve not always been a striker for Menai Bridge, Sean Brett must have been nailing the beers in 2012ish because he started playing me left and right back! I'm probably the best wing back Menai Bridge have ever had!

Whenever I think of my favourite goals, they have all been away, so these are the ones I can think of at the library.
My favourite goal scored at the library wasn’t really a good goal but it was an important one, we were playing Holy Isle in the Anglesey League and we needed to win to have a chance of winning the league. Somehow I scored a header in the 90th minute for us to win 1-0!

Another goal was a few seasons back against Bontnewydd when I chipped the keeper from the corner of the box, I’d been trying it for years so it had to happen one day ?
And another it was against Waunfawr a few years ago, I was on the swampy side of the pitch and I nut-mugged 3 players and drilled it in the bottom corner. Shon Evans still goes on about it now!

What has been your favourite goal scored by another Tigers player?
Andy Barker scored a great volley against Pentraeth, Dyl Robs scored a few screamers and Alex Davies scored a great goal aswell. Beno also scored a left footed volley into the top corner which was also one of my favourites, but I'll go with Lance, cruyff turn nutmeg on the half way line and then chipped the keeper from 40 yards!

And on the flip side to that question, what has been the best away goal scored at the library?
Some guy from Nefyn scored a good goal against us this season, he skinned 2 players and curled it in the top corner with his left foot. The best goal I’ve seen is some guy that played for Felinheli I think, he scored a free kick from miles out and it hit the crossbar and went in!

Over the course of your time at the library what has been some of the best victories you have been a part of?
I think it was a Wednesday evening and we were playing in the Anglesey League against Pentraeth who had played 19 and won 19 at the time. The warm-up was a shambles because players had just finished work and we were messing about in the warm up. Sean and Spon were fuming because we weren’t taking it seriously, we ended up winning 5-0 I think!
Another win was against Gwalchmai last season, we were going into the game 4 points ahead of them with two games to go and we ended up beating them 4-0 to win the Gwynedd League title.

In your opinion what has been the best away team performance at King George’s Field?
Bodedern a few years back when they won the Gwynedd League on our pitch.

It's no secret that away teams hated coming to the library pitch to play. Give us a little insight into what it was like to play here over the years and what the team's style of play was like?

I love that other teams hated it, it was either too wet or too dry! Uur style of play was to basically try and keep it on the good side of the pitch, when I played as a winger I’d always be on the swampy side. Some players would moan about playing on that side, so Sean would make the wingers switch sides at half time so I’d have 90 minutes in the swamp...

To finish, what are your feelings on moving to Treborth next season?

I’m looking forward to playing on a decent surface every week and not having to rely on the weather for our games to be definitely on every week. Another bonus is that we won’t have to put the goals up and down every week!

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