We recently caught up with a few of the Haverfordwest County AFC players to get their reaction to the news that Tony Pennock has signed a new one-year extension to his contract, which will keep him with the club until at least the end of the 2026-27 season!
Since arriving at the club in the summer of 2022, Tony has overseen a period of continued upward trajectory, which included qualifying for Europe for the first time since 2004.
The Bluebirds currently find themselves third in the JD Cymru Premier with five games remaining in Phase One, as we seek to clinch a first top six finish in a 12-team top-flight league.
Dylan Rees, first team captain
He’s been massive for us since he’s come in. You can see the changes he’s put in place, it’s only benefited all of us. He’s a great guy, and his staff as well he’s got with him, all the boys are right behind them and willing to do everything on the pitch to do the best for them.
It’s brilliant, we’ve got the plans in place obviously with the new pitch. We’re looking forward to getting back there now in the new year, so it’s really exciting times at the club. A bit of security with the manager is always good to have, especially for the players, so we’re all really looking forward to the future and what it can bring.
They [Tony and Waggy] bounce back and forth with each other. They’re a great partnership. I think Waggy’s done it for so many years now. You can see that. Some of the knowledge and advice he gives the players. He’s been at the top of the game, so he knows what he’s talking about. It’s brilliant to have both of them. I think we’re really lucky.
[His main strength is] being personable. He’s a really approachable person. If the boys have got anything, whether it’s football-related or not, he’s there to listen, he’s there to help. He’s always the voice of reason for any sort of concerns the boys have got, and on top of that, obviously, he knows his football very well and you can see that with the sort of results we’ve picked up this year and the position we are, so hopefully we can keep that going, secure the top six and then carry that into Phase Two.
Owain Jones, first team forward
Obviously I’m delighted. He’s the reason why I’m here. So to see him commit himself longer, I think it’s a great thing for the club. As a group of players who love playing under him, it’s great news for us as well. It’s really good news for the club to be honest.
They’re the best coaches in the league in my opinion. I’ve known them both for a long time. They’re incredible coaches and incredible people, so it’s a pleasure playing under them, and long may it continue.
To be fair, this season, it’s all been standout moments. I was thinking the other day, we haven’t really gone through a rough patch at all this year, touch wood. So it’s all been positive. It’s enjoyable playing when the team is winning and things are going well. So I think it’s all been good so far.
Ifan Knott, first team goalkeeper
It’s a testament to what he’s done this year and over the last three years. He really deserves it. It’s been a solid start [to the season] and we’re hoping to keep it going and finish off strongly.
It’s really beneficial [using his experience as a goalkeeper], just even asking him the small things, what I can improve on. As you know, he’s played at the top level, so anything I can pick off his brain is beneficial for me when I’m playing.
[Best moment so far is] probably in Europe when we went out to North Macedonia. I think that was the first proper time we were starting to build a very good group of boys for seasons ahead, and the performance we put in on the field was as good as the time we had off, to be honest. It was a really good time for the club and we started building a really good connection with the group of boys.
