Focus On…..Kevin Willetts

Continuing the series on players who have spent some of their careers as a player or manager in the Southern League.

Kevin Willetts was one of the best left-backs in non-League football during the early 1990s – both in the Conference and the Southern League.

He enjoyed many years with Cheltenham Town before joining his local club, Gloucester City.

He made a surprise return to the Conference in October 1995 at the age of 32 when re-uniting with his former boss Graham Allner at Kidderminster Harriers, but he enjoyed a new lease of life at Aggborough, often being used in midfield rather than his more normal left-back role.

He represented the FA XI and the Middlesex Wanderers and was called up for the England semi-professional squad for the game against Italy at Kettering Town but was an unused substitute on the night.

He helped out former team-mate Brian Hughes as a player and assistant at Witney Town in the Southern Division One East at the age of 38 in 2000.

Clubs Played for:

Sharpness, Worrall Hill, Cheltenham Town, Sharpness, Cheltenham Town, Forest Green Rovers, Gloucester City, Weston Super Mare, Kidderminster Harriers, Worcester City, Witney Town

Best Game Played In?

St Albans City v Cheltenham Town FA Cup First Round for a whole load of reasons. We won the game 2-1.

Best 11 Played With?

Martin Thomas (Cheltenham)

Mark Buckland (Cheltenham)

Steve Prindiville (Kidderminster)

Martin Weir (Kidderminster)

Chris Brindley (Kidderminster)

Peter Shearer (Cheltenham)

Lee Howells (Cheltenham)

Paul Webb (Kidderminster)

Mark Boyland (Cheltenham)

Kim Casey (Cheltenham & Kidderminster)

Lee Hughes (Kidderminster) pictured

Subs

Marcus Bignot (Kidderminster)

Anton Vircavs (Cheltenham)

Steve Brooks (Cheltenham)

Brian Hughes (Cheltenham)

Jon Purdie (Cheltenham & Kidderminster)

Best Captain?

Mark Yates

Funniest Team-Mate?

Darren Angel

Best Manager

Graham Allner

Best Mate in Football?

Brian Hughes

Are You Still Involved in the Game?

Not involved anymore. Finished coaching at Cirencester after winning Southern League Division One West about six years ago.

Words of Advice?

My advice would be to play, don’t stay at a higher-level club just so you can say, I’m at .....when you`re actually not getting any minutes. You`re a long time retired so play as much as you can. Always have good standards in training, warm-ups, games etc. And in the words of my best manager “just be a good player and don’t try and look a good player”.