Legends match to officially open ‘Wayne Evans Playing Fields’

Some of the finest players to have worn the Welshpool Town football shirt will join in with the celebrations to officially open the town’s new pitches that are being named after former player, Wayne Evans, who tragically died suddenly in July.

‘Wanners’, as he was better known, left Welshpool for a glittering professional career that saw him make over 500 appearances for Walsall, Rochdale and Kidderminster Harriers in the 1990s and 2000s.

Following his sad passing at his American home, aged 51, his former club announced that the pitches that have been created alongside the canal following a fantastic community campaign, will be named the Wayne Evans Playing Fields in his honour.

They are already being used by dozens of kids in the junior set-up, and will be officially opened with a Legends game on Sunday, September 3.

“A lot of hard work has gone into getting them to this stage and to make the area as user-friendly as possible,” said club secretary, Eva Bredsdorff.

“Goals have been installed and the pitches will be line-marked in the next couple of days. Currently dogs are allowed - with poo-bags available at the entrance to the pitches and four bins strategically placed so there is no excuse for not picking up poo and deposit it in the bins. It is hoped that all dogwalkers will be responsible, so we can continue to welcome our four-legged friends.”

Officials hope that the match will be a key part of a day of celebrations that will also feature a kids’ football festival prior to the Legends match against current coaches and parents at 2.30pm. The official unveiling ceremony will be at 2pm.

The pitches came about after former headteacher, Paul Coackley, pulled together a community effort to lobby for new pitches after the former Salop Road fields were lost to the new primary school being built there.

The group identified and then raised the funds required to turn the former farmland into high quality playing surfaces that will benefit the community for generations to come.

“Paul Coackley was relentless in getting this for us and as soon as the project was given the green light, go Eva and her family have put in a monumental amount of work to make it a success!” said Chris Roberts, Chairman of Welshpool Town FC.

“I’m so glad we could actually do something to remember Wanners as he was such a legend of a player, and then then returned to the club to ensure the Academy is up to where it is now  of Platinum status. He really did set the standard for us.”

As well as raising their own considerable funds, the club has also received support from UK Government Wales, the Cymru Football Foundation, Sport Wales and Powys County Council.

The club said it is also grateful to these organisations as well as their sponsors: Alexanders, BML-Hayley, Craven Electrical, Derwen Tooling Ltd, Gwilt & Son, Invertek, Lizard Technology, Lovatt Brothers Ltd, Plum Logo Group, Sterling Mortgages, Vyrnwy Caravans Ltd and Welshpool Printing Group.

PICTURES: The new lush playing fields alongside the canal and (bottom) Welshpool legend Wayne Evans marking Andy Cole during and FA Cup match between Manchester United and Walsall at Old Trafford, taken by Phil Blagg.