Sean's helping to guide the Bluebirds

Sean's helping to guide the Bluebirds

Haverfordwest County's management team has been completed for the season in Welsh League Division One by the arrival of Sean Cresser, who hopes to use his wealth of footballing experience as the 'third eye' alongside managers Mickie Ellis and Wayne Jones – and double up as physio as a bonus.

Sean had 12 years at Carmarthen Town after setting out there as a ten year old and followed this with playing spells at Milford Haven, Ammanford and Newcastle Emlyn, where he stepped into management, and at 35 years of age is aiming to use that experience at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium.

Licence ambitions

He gained his coaching 'C' Licence at Carmerthen Town in the last campaign, working as assistant coach to Mark Aizelwood with their academy team, taking on various duties like arranging fixtures, checking player availability and completing audits to meet the needs of the Football Association of Wales. Sean had to attend coaching sessions for his licence once a month and was required to show his ability, under the watchful eye of FAW Coaching Development Officer Colin Staples, to teach skills like dribbling, tackling  or closing down the opposition. Having succeeded in obtaining his 'C' Licence, Sean's next aim is to move on to the 'B' Licence, probably at a full week's course in the future, and hopefully achieving 'A' Licence status sometime in the future!

Other sporting involvement

Outside of his football, Sean has enjoyed racquet sports like squash and badminton, and has been a useful runner in his younger days,

“I took part in the New York marathon and enjoyed that,” he told us, “and ran up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Cancer Research (Wales).  I thought it would be a challenge but didn't realise just how tough it was going to be as we completed it in six days – and I will never forget the experience, or how tired I felt on the last day. It was the toughest thing I have ever done in my life!”

First sporting love – and a fair bit of travel

But football has always been Sean's first sporting love.

“My early teens were spent as a full back with a very strong Carmarthen Town junior team which won almost everything on offer in our area,” Sean told us.

“They had no youth team at the club in those days and so from there it was straight into the second team run by Ieuan John, with a handful of first team matches as a bonus.”

“From there I went to Milford United and had four very happy years playing alongside the likes of Mike Lewis, Phil Cattlin, Robat Jones, Ritchie Adams, and Ricky Morgan.

“We only just escaped relegation in the first season when a last-gasp goal by Simon Rock against Pontardawe kept us up and then we had two very good seasons in the top half of the table. During that time we won the Welsh League Cup at Port Talbot and an extra time goal by Ritchie Adams saw the team and some great supporters celebrating in style.”
But then the Robins got relegated and soon dropped out of the Welsh League.

“It was one of my worst moments in football because it was great playing at Marble Hall.”
After two years at Ammanford Town, Sean got involved at Newcastle Emlyn, starting out as a player and then switching to management as assistant to Matthew Price and then Wayne Jones, both of whom he rated and then had a season as the boss.

“I learned a lot in that time,” says Sean with a chuckle!

And finally . . .

And that brings us nicely to this campaign, when he was more than happy to join the Bluebirds as a physio and do anything else needed at the club with regard to the playing side.

“As well as generally helping out with the pre-match stuff, which includes massages to players with stiff legs or backs,” said Sean, “I help with injuries during the game and then post-match I treat minor aches and pains.

“It's the same with training and the players have made me feel very welcome, as have Micky (Ellis) and Wayne (Jones), plus chairman Rob Summons, commercial director David Hughes – and the supporters, who are great.”

It all adds up to another piece which clearly helps in the jigsaw being assembled at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium and we at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk wish Sean Cresser every success because as well as being a pleasant feller he is also a good man to have in the coaching set-up of Haverfordwest County AFC!

PHOTOS:
Sean Cresser
Sean with fellow physio Steve Batty
Sean with the Haverfordwest County team for 2012/13