This week Bill Carne popped down to the Conygar Bridge Meadow to talk to Haverfordwest County’s skipper Dale ‘Gonzo’ Griffiths about his wide range of footballing experiences and his enjoyment of being a ‘Bluebird’...

LEADING the Haverfordwest County team on their exciting return to the Dafabet Welsh Premier League is Dale Griffiths, who is in the third season of a second spell at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium and enjoying his football as much as ever.

Known to all his team-mates as Gonzo' (after the 'Muppets' character with a large nose), Dale laughingly says that if they had as many bangs on the nose as he has had, playing at the heart of defences for a variety of clubs, then they might have the same hooter as he has, or won as many medals as he has!

Because Dale would readily admit that he has moved clubs more times than most - but always played his heart out whether it has been at Swansea City, Merthyr Town, Llanelli, West End or Carmarthen, or any other club he's been involved in.

"This is my third season at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium and the longest spell I've had anywhere so perhaps I've found my footballing home at last. I've always thought it was a superb set-up here, with a cracking pitch and changing facilities, a great managerial team in Wayne Jones, Sean Cresser, Micky Ellis and Ryan Evans, and wonderful administrative support from David Hughes, Barry Vaughan, Barry Webb and the rest.

“The supporters are also great and have cheered us through thick and thin and I was so chuffed for them when we scored five goals in our last match last season at Aberdare because those that made the long trip were so thrilled to be back in the Welsh Premier.

"We knew we needed that margin of victory to beat Cardiff Met to the title and we were two goals up in ten minutes before I grabbed the third with a header. We added a fourth goal before half time and scored the all-important fifth goal to get promotion.

"It was the most amazing match I have ever played in and made up for losing on goal difference in another season with the Bluebirds!"

It should come as no surprise that Dale should play football because his father Jeff was a talented winger or striker with West End and then Swansea City for a number of seasons under Harry Griffiths and Alan Curtis before he was the first to be made redundant on the arrival of John Toshack!

Jeff also played for Haverfordwest and Bridgend Town in the old Southern League, whilst Dale's brother Darren is a striker now back home at West End and has had even more clubs than Dale!

The boys were brought up in Mayhill, where the West End pitch is situated, and mum Sue is Manchester United and West End-mad - and Dale laughingly says she should be banned from watching because she is known to get a trifle carried away, especially if her boys take a knock on the pitch!

Dale's wife Tayzaa is not as vociferous as his mother but has also given him 100% support and their son Jayden (9) is already playing for Plough Colts.

"He's a bit like me," admitted Dale with a smile, "because he is good in the air and loves booting the ball up the middle of the field!"

They also have a daughter Ruby (5) and another son in Cole (on the way to being three!)

Dale started out in football at West End, where dad Jeff managed the team alongside another Bluebirds' legend in Don Smitham, and then Griffiths junior spent two seasons as a junior with Swansea City - but missed his pals and returned as a striker to West End, where he scored 30 goals in a season.

Then he switched back to the old Vetch Field as a defender on an apprenticeship scheme at under 19s and in the reserves but when that ended he moved up to Merthyr Town at Penydarren Park, where comedian Owen Money was chairman.

"Owen was great to me and after three preliminary rounds we took on Walsall, who were managed by Paul Merson, in the first round of the FA Cup and it went out live on Sky Sports.

"But we lost 2-1 and Merthyr went into liquidation so I joined Goytre United and helped them win the Welsh League before being signed by Llanelli as a semi-pro under Peter Nicholas and played in Europe against teams from Lithuania and Sweden before losing 1-0 in Odense (Denmark) and getting smashed 5-1 at home at Llanelli.

"My next experience of Welsh Premier League football came at Carmarthen Town and I captained a side coached by Deryn Brace and then Tomi Morgan , who were totally different in their approach - but things changed there and when I spoke to Wayne Jones, who had set out as manager at Haverfordwest, I was happy to join him in Pembrokeshire.

“One of the things which helped me decide was because on a previous occasion I was due to play against them in mid-January and I was carrying an injury so I was quietly glad when it snowed in Swansea but was told I had to travel, just in case - and when I got there the ground staff had cleared the snow and it was like playing on a carpet - amazing!

"That first season at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium we were edged out of promotion and to be honest the travelling got to me a bit and so I went back to West End, where I joined forces at the back with my current central defensive partner Sam Rodent and again I picked up a Welsh League winners' medal with a team I would liken to the 'Crazy Gang' at Wimbledon because everyone hated to come and play us!

“But I knew there was no chance of playing at a higher level with West End so Sam and I went to the Bluebirds and we have had a great time there.

“After the magic of last season it was back to real graft this campaign when we lost our first three league games but then came back with two great wins - and if I am honest I would settle now for consolidating our place in the Premier League at the end of the season, alongside a good run in the Word Cup after beating Aberystwyth 4-1 at home in the previous round.”

Dale was full of praise for the club's management team and it seems the compliment is reciprocated because Wayne Jones told us,

"Dale is one of the best central defenders I have signed, alongside Sam Roden, and he is a natural leader, hence his role as captain. He is a tremendous trainer, strong in the air, both in defence and attack, and more able on the ground than he is given credit for. We are lucky to have him."

We could only agree with Wayne's appraisal and it is easy to see the huge regard the regular Bluebirds' fans have for him - and his affinity with them.

Dale Griffiths told us that his high fitness levels owe much to running around the hilly streets of Swansea in his work as a dustman. He also added that this was the longest spell he had done at a club and we hope that he stays for many more years yet because he really is an asset to Haverfordwest County!