Abbey - Andrews

When this feature was published in the first programme of the 2003-4 season, the first to grace this series was Andy Abel. However, in December 2003, when none of the regular goalkeepers was available, manager Willy Wordsworth recruited former Ispwich Town goalkeeper Nathan Abbey to play in the match at Bedford. Despite being beaten by a shot in only the second minute of the game, he was part of a winning team, but was immediately signed up by a Football League club. Nevertheless, this single appearance entitles him to the honour of first place in this feature.

Andy Abel came on loan from Addlestone & Weybridge of the Southern League in April 1983, when Alan Cox was unavailable, and played three winning games in goal, conceding three goals. The first game that he played, against Bromley, was Hayes' first since the death of Mickey Howell during the Easter Saturday match at Harrow. Andy was last heard of in 1984-5, playing for Epsom & Ewell.

Three players by the name of Adams have played for Hayes, all in the last 30 years.  First is John Adams, a centre-forward, who joined Hayes in August 1976 from Bracknell Town, having previously played for Leatherhead and Staines Town.  He came with a reputation for goalscoring, but managed only two goals for Hayes in 17 matches, and moved to Woking in March 1978; he later joined Farnborough Town from Chobham in April 1985.

Next is Kieran Adams, a rangy mid-fielder, who joined Hayes on 3-months’ loan from Barnet early in Hayes’ first season in the Conference.  He played 11 games and scored two goals in the Isthmian Challenge Shield match against Kingstonian. He had the misfortune to be sent off, somewhat harshly, for two yellow card offences against Stalybridge.  At the time, Terry Brown commented that he looked a good prospect for the future, but, after leaving Barnet, he spent the rest of his career in the Isthmian League with Boreham Wood, Purfleet, Billericay and Windsor & Eton.

Kieran’s namesake Mark Adams played virtually the whole of 1984-5, wearing the number 11 shirt.  He played a total of 52 games and scored 8 goals.  He was a quick and tricky wide player. After leaving Hayes he played for Harrow, Hendon, Chesham, Kingstonian, Wealdstone and Slough.

Vic Akers was an almost ever-present left-back in 1978-9 and 1979-80, totalling 89+2 appearances and scoring 8 goals.  He joined from Dartford, having previously played for Egham, Tooting and Watford.  When Martin Hackett resigned as manager after a boardroom shake-up, Vic was appointed caretaker manager.  He applied for the post permanently, but was overlooked in preference for Roy Ruffell and left in pique, joining Slough and then Carshalton. But his main claim to fame has been his regular appearance on the Arsenal bench, immediately behind Arsene Wenger, with the letters ‘VA’ proudly displayed on his top. He is the kit manager and continues to manage the excellent Arsenal Ladies team.

Pride of place among the ‘A’s must surely go to Anton ‘Toni’ Allemann, who graced a Hayes shirt in 1959-60. Tony was Swiss and first played at Church Road on Easter Saturday 1956 as a guest with Muttenz, who were on tour, and then for a Swiss National XI against Middlesex Wanderers on the Monday. At home he played for Young Boys of Berne and had been capped five times for the national team, when he came to London in 1959 as part of his training as a watchmaker. FA regulations meant that he could not play for a professional club, although he did play for Arsenal in a friendly match against the England team. Instead, because of business connections between the then chairman AJ Ayres and Kurt Horler, he joined Hayes and played during the early part of the season and from December onwards in the Amateur Cup run to the quarter-finals, usually at centre-forward.  He had brilliant ball control and was exceptionally fast.  The statistics show that he played only 15 games, and scored 4 goals, but his influence was immense.  He was capped by Switzerland against Italy at Naples on Thursday – the first instance of a current Hayes player gaining a full international cap - and flew back to London in time to play for Hayes at Barnet in the Amateur Cup on Saturday, 9 January 1960. After returning to Switzerland, his football skills took him to Italy, where he played for Mantova, to Holland (PSV Eindhoven), and to Germany (Nürnberg). He returned to Switzerland, where he ended his career in 1972.

Phil Amato was only 17 when he made his début for Hayes at outside-right at the start of 1960-1 season.  He had previously played for Crystal Palace Juniors and was a protégé of George Wilkins. He played a total of 10 games for Hayes, scoring 3 goals, and later played for Gillingham Reserves.  While at Gillingham, he refused to give evidence to a Football League Commission on match-fixing.  He was later manager of Carshalton Athletic from 1976 to 1978 at least, and of the Isthmian League Division Two side in 1976.

Although he played for Hayes only during their last season in the Athenian League, Tony Amos made a big impact for someone who was only 5 ft. 4 ins. tall.  He joined from Southall in September 1970 and scored 30 goals in 47 appearances. While at Hayes he was selected for both the Athenian League and an FA XI.  He later played for Slough, with whom he won an amateur international cap against Italy, and Wycombe Wanderers. He rejoined Hayes towards the end of 1972-3, forming a deadly trio with Robin Friday and Peter Drabwell, but was visibly overweight at the start of 1973-4 and left in October for Tooting & Mitcham. He played for Hendon in 1975-6.  All in all, he played 59 games for Hayes, scoring 32 goals.

Jock Anderson took over at right-back from Stan Hudson after the latter’s injury at Hendon in November 1950 and claimed the position as his own, also forcing Ron Gadsden to play wing-half.  During his time, Hayes finished runners-up in the Athenian League for only the second time.  He made 29 appearances before taking up a business appointment in Wales in May 1951.

Two players with the name Andrews have played for Hayes, outside of recent players.  The first was Tommy Andrews, an inside-forward who played on loan from Wycombe Wanderers at the end of the 1938-9 season.  He played a total of eight matches, including the final of the Middlesex Charity Cup, when Joe Friday failed to turn up in time.  He was a long-time servant of the Chairboys, playing from 1934 until 1949, and was due to play for Hayes against Wycombe in an FA Cup tie in 1948, but was taken ill in the week leading up to the tie.

The second  was Colin Andrews, a forward, who joined from QPR in 1966, and played 55 games, scoring 8 goals, before joining the Metropolitan Police in September 1967 and being obliged to play for them.

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