Barwell - Bell

Roy Barwell was tall for an outside-left at 6 ft., but he was extremely effective and very fast, possessing a powerful shot and good heading ability.  A local boy, he was educated at Swakeleys School, Ickenham, and represented North West Middlesex Schools several times. On leaving school, he joined Yiewsley, then in the Delphian League, gaining a 1^st team place when only 16, and scoring twice on his début, only to find himself back in the reserves next week. After National Service, he joined Uxbridge, where he made a club record 108 consecutive appearances, before joining Hayes in 1958 at the age of 22. He was already known to Hayes as he had scored four times against them in a 7-2 thrashing in a friendly match in 1955. While he was not as prolific a scorer with Hayes, he will be best remembered for his hat-trick in the never-to-be-forgotten Amateur Cup replay with Ford United in February 1960. He was a carpenter and joiner by profession, and was employed by Hayes Vice-President CH Cowdery. He was a serious thinker about the game with a dry sense of humour. All in all, he made 310 appearances for Hayes, scoring 60 goals.  His representative honours included caps for the Athenian League against the Isthmians in 1960 and 1964, and for London against Birmingham in 1966.  He was one of the mass exodus of players who followed Ron Clack to Harrow Town in August 1966, and returned to Uxbridge in 1967.

Several players whom Hayes has produced have gone on to achieve more off the field of play than on it.  Chief among these would be Dave Bassett, whose fame rests more on his managerial skills, usually at troubled clubs, than on the pitch, although he was no mean performer in amateur football. He was educated at Roxeth Manor School, Harrow, and at Hatter Lane School, Wycombe, and represented Willesden, Wycombe, Harrow and Middlesex Schools. While at school he received offers from Chelsea and Fulham to sign as an apprentice professional, joined Chelsea as an amateur, and played alongside John Hollins and Ron Harris in 1961-2.  He joined Hayes the same season and played in the “A” team, winning promotion to reserves and first team, where he made his debut together with goalkeeper Gordon Phillips, later of Brentford. He was a member of the side which shared the Middlesex Charity Cup with Enfield at 16 years of age.  While with Hayes, he was twice invited by Chelsea to take part in a tournament at Augsburg, and did so, but still refused to join as an apprentice.  He also went on the 1962 tour of Switzerland with Hayes and received an invitation to join Young Boys Berne. He broke his collar bone in a cycling accident at the start of 1962-3 and spent the rest of the season in the reserves.  He joined Wycombe for 1963-4 and played for their 1^st team until Christmas, when he returned to Hayes because of travelling difficulties and, once again, finished the season in the reserves. During 1964-5 he played in mid-week for Watford  as well as for Hayes on Saturdays. Next season he played for Watford Reserves, and was selected for an amateur international trial for England.  He played for Hendon from December 1965, but broke a leg playing in a Sunday league match in February 1966, causing him to miss the Amateur Cup final. He next played for St Albans, and rejoined Hayes in November 1967, playing for them until the summer of 1970, when he made what turned out to be his most significant move, to Walton & Hersham. There he was to gain seven international caps and an Amateur Cup winner’s medal and make the acquaintance of Alan Batsford, who would play a great part in introducing him to professional football.  The rest, as they say, is history, culminating in the management of Wimbledon, Sheffield United, Barnsley and Leicester City. During his three spells with Hayes, Dave made 133 appearances and scored 40 goals. All the way through his amateur career, he was an insurance clerk with Scottish Life.

For our next Hayes man, we go back to the mid-1930s. Maurice Batchelor was already an accomplished player when he came to Hayes in the summer of 1935.  He had played for Hounslow against Hayes in 1933 and was one of three players (the others were Leslie Smith and AG Reeves) who had played in the 1935 Amateur Cup final for Wimbledon against Bishop Auckland and would join Hayes.  Batchelor was an inside- or centre-forward and played just the one season for Hayes, appearing in 29 games and scoring 14 goals.  During his stay, he also played for Brentford reserves and represented the Athenian League twice: against the RAF at Hayes and the Isthmian League at Leyton, both in February 1936. He was still playing after the war, as he lined up with Tooting & Mitcham against Hayes in October 1946.

Ian Bath, as his name suggests, is a West Countryman. He was born at Taunton in 1947, and went to Loughborough Colleges, became a PE teacher and played for Wokingham Town, until signed by Bob Gibbs, himself a headmaster, in 1972.  He taught Sport and Geography at Ealing Green High School. He has a place in the Hayes Hall of Fame as a member of the first Hayes team to defeat Football League opposition in the cup-tie with Bristol Rovers.  He spent 3 years at Hayes in two spells, making 103+1 appearances and gaining FA Amateur XI and Isthmian League honours.  He also played for Luton Town reserves, before moving to Maidenhead United, where he made a further 225 appearances. He took up refereeing at the age of 40 and was to be seen running the line at Suburban League matches at the turn of the century. A fuller article on Ian appeared in the programme v Wycombe Wanderers on 16.11.01.

Jamie Beer was a thoughtful full-back, who followed Chris Sparks to Hayes from Chertsey Town in 1997-8.  He played 18+5 games, before joining Hampton in the summer of 1998.  He then captained Leatherhead. His most accomplished performance was in the 3-1 victory at Rushden.

Finally, Mickey Bell was a left-back, whom Bob Gibbs brought from Slough and who stayed for 4 years. Although small in stature, he was rarely outjumped, and could be dangerous on the overlap, causing no end of trouble with his touchline crosses. He was a member of the team which defeated Bristol Rovers in 1972, and made 132+1 appearances, before joining Woking in 1974.

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