REVIEW OF VETS TEAMS – SEASON 2024/5

Both Celtic teams endured a difficult season in the very competitive Wales Veterans League but to their credit they stuck to the task to the finish in support of the player managers Kieran Masterson, Darren Jones and Mike Pinch, each of whom did a sterling job in running their sides.

OVER 40s

League playing record: Played 14 Won 2 Drew 1 Lost 11 Goals for 21 against 46 Points 7 which placed them bottom of the 15-team league. Celtic’s 3 wins were in successive games in March: 5-0 v Ely Sports, 2-0 v Cascade and a win in the cup on penalties after a 2-2 draw v.Llanelli.                                                 

Appearances: (31 players, 16 games)15 Jonathan Tattershall; 14 Dan Parfitt; 13 Kieran Masterson, Paul Taylor; 12 Andy Rees, Richmond Rice, Gareth Stacey, Dean Taylor, Gareth Williams; 11 Anthony Barlow, Joel Price, Nicholas Wilson; 9 Mark Jones, Robert Surtees; 8 Richard Darch; 7 Simon Phillips;  5 Symon Bailey, Nathan Ceretti; 4 Samir Boulghassoul; 3 Martyn Evans, John Lloyd, Alex Pritchard; 2 Mark Alcock, Jonathan Behr, Ross Mayne, Ian Rosser, Gary Stirling; 1 Paul Andrews, Paul Bielski, Jonathan Hughes, Andy Miall.                                                                                                                            

Goals (23): 4 Parfitt; 3 Boulghassoul, Surtees; 2 Davey, Masterson, Wilson; 1 Behr, Bielski, Williams, Jones, Evans, Stacey, Tattershall.

OVER 50s

League playing record: Played 18 Won 2 Drew 2 Lost 14 Goals for 15 against 110 Points 8 which placed them bottom of the 10 team league. The league wins were v Newport (1-0) and Cardiff Academicals (2-1). In the League cup they beat Newport Cavaliers 2-1 before going out to Penybont. Seven of those who turned out were over 60 of whom Richard Harrison, Ian Jones and Alan Seddon played regularly for Celtic’s 1^st team over 40 years ago.                                                                                                   

Appearances (27 players, 20 games):  17 Mike Pinch; 16 Richard Harrison; 15 Paul Andrews; 14 Chris Head, Neil Oakley; 13 Damon Ali; 12 Malcolm Jones, Robert Yapp; 11 Lee Strange; 10 Paul Bielski, Darren Gingell, Darren Jones, Alan Seddon; 9 Ian Rosser; 8 Mario Laida, Lee Richards. Matthew Rowley; 5 Chris Herrin, Ian Jones; 3 Matthew Williams; 2 Richard Darch, Justin Edmunds, Nigel Flanagan, Darren Morgan, Matthew Vella; 1 Richard Aston, Mike Watkins.                                                                                                                                                                       

Goals (17): 8 Andrews, 4 Oakley, 1 Rosser, Yapp, Bielski, Gingell, n/a.