Ryan is a big help with the Bluebirds

HAVERFORDWEST County’s latest acquisition in their push for promotion to the Welsh Premier League isn’t a player but someone whose wide range of experience on the pitch as a former player, current physio and former manager can only help Wayne Jones, Sean Cresser and their squad.

Ryan Evans is only 28 years of age but his own playing career was blighted by injury and since then he has worked with Messrs Jones and Cresser at Newcastle Emlyn, successfully managed Johnstown in the Carmarthenshire League and helped coach the under 10 players in the Swansea City Academy.

He took Johnstown into the top echelon of Carmarthenshire Football and still wants to see them do well, especially with the talented young players about to come off their club conveyor belt.

He also completed a couple of courses, organised and accredited by the Football Association of Wales, called ‘The Match Day Crisis Course’ and the ‘FASE Level Two’ in looking after players in matches and during training up to Welsh Premier League standard.

“And there is no truth in the rumour that our players get up from injury as soon as they see me run on with my cold sponge,” chuckled Ryan, with a typical good humour.

Ryan achieved his coaching ‘C’ Licence in 2012 after ten months of hard work in which his work as a teacher was undoubtedly a help – and it won’t be long before he sets off in pursuit of his ‘B’ Licence – and another rung up football’s qualifications ladder.

He started his own football as a nipper in Johnstown (Carmarthen) Junior Section and the Carmarthen Town Academy as his performances caught their eye – and he played for Johnstown right through to under 16 level.

With all the travel that needed, especially with the academy, Ryan was lucky that his parents Rob and Pat were willing chauffeurs to him and his elder brother Ross, who is now a police chief inspector and enjoys squash and running to keep himself fit. Rob was a very good squash player who represented Wales and four years ago played for the Welsh over 50s, as well as being a good coach in the game.

Also part of the family now, and giving him every encouragement is his fiancée, Sian Harries, who hails from Goodwick and whose father Peter played football at Phoenix Park.

Ryan also played squash in the Carmarthenshire League and once reached the county junior finals – and was a more than useful golfer at Bancyfelin Golf Club as he played off a handicap of 17.

But then he suffered a prolapsed disc playing football in a pre-season friendly against Tenby and was advised not to play anymore, which was when he started to get involved more in football coaching and administration.

Again in his younger days, Ryan played rugby for Queen Elizabeth School in Carmarthenshire as an outside centre and was lucky to go on a tour to Canada, where he was chosen as captain of a very useful team.

“It was a trip I will never forget,” admitted Ryan, “because we not only played some good rugby against experienced players but had a great time since we all got on so well together, alongside good teachers.”

But ask Ryan about other achievements outside football and he would unhesitatingly nominate a challenge he undertook whilst training as a teacher at Trinity St Davids College, joining Pembrokeshire friends Adam Raymond (now playing Welsh League football up the line) and Rhodri Benbow in walking the entire Pembrokeshire Coastal path from Amroth up to St Dogmaels, all 186 miles of it, for charity.

“It took us about 12 days and it was far tougher than I expected before we set out,” admitted Ryan, “perhaps because on the first day we pushed too hard and walked from Amroth right around to Freshwater East.”

“As a result I had really bad blisters which were very painful but I must admit that I didn’t feel them much on that first night as we slept in separate small tents in the beer garden of a local pub which had looked after us really well!”

“The weather was good to us and we had terrific support from family and friends, and when we finished in the north of the county it was a brilliant feeling, especially since we had raised plenty of cash for a good cause!”

Ryan is ready for another tester in the near future because he has set his sights on running the Swansea Half Marathon in June and then the full Cardiff Marathon in October.

“I just want to get back to being really fit and also helping a worthwhile charity like the Paul Sartori Foundation, so I’ve started steadily and am already fairly comfortably running about seven and a half miles so I’m on the way.

“I’m hoping for good support from staff and pupils in my school and from the Bluebirds’ players – and the supporters are brilliant so I know they will help as well.”

Going back to football, once Ryan knew that his playing days were over he decided that management was the next best thing in staying in the game and he loves his involvement at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium.

“It is a real family club and on match days I’m a jack of all trades as I help put out the training equipment, give the goalkeepers practice in dealing with shots and crosses before the game and then look after the players’ welfare once the games get under way.

“I don’t mind all the travel,” Ryan told us, “and there will be even more if we get into the Welsh Premier League at the end of this season.

“There are hiccups, like when we travelled to Aberdare for a recent match and arrived after over two hours in the minibus to see the referee just coming off the pitch to tell us he had decided to call the game off because the pitch was unfit for play!

“But the team’s camaraderie pulls us through that and with Wayne and Sean also involved I could not be in a better place.

“It seems the admiration is mutual because both of them say that Ryan Evans has proved already to be a big asset and has taken jobs off them which mean they can focus more on the matches.

It seems that Ryan is here to stay with Haverfordwest County for some time and we wish this modest, pleasant and unassuming young feller every success!