There will be special recognition for Terry Hazell on Saturday to mark 60 years of sterling service to Welwyn Garden City FC.
The Pitching In Southern League Division One Central club play host to leaders, Real Bedford, and Terry will be on duty as usual.
He first watched the club in the mid-1960s when his brother-in-law, Vince Evans, was part of the Citizens’ line-up.
It wasn’t long before he was asked to join the club’s committee but because of his work as a lorry driver, his main role was collecting and delivering club equipment.
He remained on the committee as the club moved to its present ground at Herns Way in 1969 and in the years that followed, through his footballing sons, David and Andy, his involvement increased.
In the mid-1980s he managed the youth team for two seasons and then became Vice-Chairman of the club before assuming the Chairman role and serving for ten years – making him the longest-serving chairman the club has had post-war.
“We had varying degrees of success during those years,‘’ recalls Terry. “We did consistently well under the management of Malcolm Doctor and Billy Bannister, who took us to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup.
“Bannister’s appointment was part of a link-up with Stevenage FC, then known as Stevenage Borough, as we acted briefly as a nursery club for them during their non-League days.”
A club trustee for the past 30 years, he stepped down in the mid-2000s and moved to live near Lymington in Hampshire, but still travelled up regularly to watch home and away games.
In 2013 he moved to live closer to the club again and has been a regular ever since, with he and wife, Sandra, responsible for pre and post-match hospitality and entertaining opposition guests.
“The club has come a long way since I first started watching them as a Herts County League side in 1965,” he added. “To become an established Southern League club is a massive achievement and the reward for so much hard work and dedication by a lot of people, many of whom are no longer with us, who have played major role in what we have achieved.
“I just hope I’ve helped make a small contribution in that too.”
Pictured we see Terry Hazell (right) with current chairman David Coates (centre) and vice-chair Hywel Rhys-Williams (left).
Everyone at the Southern League sends their congratulations to Terry on such remarkable service - here's to many more years.
WORDS: Phil Ravitz | IMAGE: Welwyn Garden City FC
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