DK: To start off, can you give us a bit of background to your career so far?
TH: Yes so, stared at Heybridge Swifts for a year before going to university where I played for Dereham. I decided to go back to Heybridge under Mark Hawkes, which was one of the best decisions I made as I played a lot of games and was really enjoying my football. Winning young player of the year. I then decided to test myself higher and played for Enfield which was again brilliant for almost a season. The next few years were poor from a performance aspect, wasn’t playing as well as I would have liked and decided I wasn’t going to play anymore. Eventually went to Stowmarket for preseason as it was recommended by one of my friends and then ended up signing a 2 year deal at Leiston. Again wasn’t really given an opportunity at Leiston but I also wasn’t fit enough and only lasted a year. Felixstowe and Harlow followed and enjoyed every second at Harlow, although we got relegated Danny Chapman made me fall in love with the game as he was a very infectious character when talking about football....then to Bury.
DK: What's been the highlight of your career so far and why?
TH: I’ve unfortunately not had too many highlights, I would have to say we got to the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup having beaten Bromley who were top of the conference south at the time. We went on to play Boreham Wood and lost but was a great experience. Being Captain of Heybridge at 20 was also brilliant, a club I had been at since I was 16. I would love to add a promotion to that, which I did achieve with Felixstowe but due to the fact we should have won the league, coming second felt a bit of an under achievement.
DK: If you could relive any 3 games from your career so far which ones would you pick and why?
TH: I would definitely pick the FA Cup 4th qualifying round against boreham wood. It’s a bit sad but I really thought we should have won that with the chances we had, I watched it back on YouTube and a chance to play in the 1st round is what a lot of players at this level look forward to, also their pitch was one of the best I’ve played on. Next would be at Enfield, we was 2nd in the league at the time and p la yes Kingstonian, who were also near us in the league, Mark Kirby scored a last minute winner and was unbelievable scenes a great game to be a part of and they played at AFC Wimbledon at the time as again a nice place to play, but it was more about that moment when he scored, that feeling is really difficult to explain to someone there was a similar game where I scored the winner in the last minute again Tonbridge Angels, but for some reason the game where Mark Kirby scored was better. The last one, was Felixstowe against Coggeshall and whoever won basically won the league, I don’t think we did ourselves justice, not that we deserved to win like the Boreham wood game, but didn’t give a good account of ourselves. I would want to play those 3 again. I could have probably said any game I have played in which I have scored haha! But no those were great games, I also hope that I can add to that with Bury next season.
DK: What's the best ground you've played at so far and why?
TH: Maidstone was good for the size and support in terms of size, along with a lot of others, but I would have to say the best would be Harlow a few years ago. They had put the artificial turf down, but the ground and the set up of someone greeting you at the door was a really professional, great set up for this level, the fans for them were brilliant and they use to make it a really intimidating place to go, Harlow with 300 was more like a lot of clubs with 1000. As there are some grounds which make you appreciate Harlow even more, then ended up playing there, but I think it had lost its “magic” and a bit of support when I had arrived. When I say size for Maidstone I mean the stands etc.
DK: Tell us a bit about how you found your time at Heybridge?
TH: Heybridge was brilliant during my first spell of 2. Second spell I didn’t feel the same. But the first spell was amazing. Great players, friends who some of which I still speak to. And players I learned a lot from, to name a few Lee Kersey, Daniel Barber & Neil Cousins just to name a few. The fans were behind the team and I think it was a time where we really should have got promotion, which I think we would have done if Mark & Steve would have stayed, not to take anything away from Jody Brown, but players left and rebuilding the team started. But yes, a great time during the first spell.
DK: What was the standout highlight from your time at Heybridge?
TH: I think the Captaincy. I always enjoyed being captain. It also made me keep my discipline. It was a time where I was still young but learnt a lot about the game. I was only made captain as Lee Kersey our club captain had left and there was a short period where I was captain before I was injured. But it was always given to me when Kersey was injured or not there. He was a brilliant captain and a great bloke, so I learnt a lot on how to act from him. I think about him nearly 10 years later. Look after the players, feed back to the management my thoughts and a real sense of importance.
DK: How did you find your time at Dereham, can you tell us a bit about it?
TH: Erm, Dereham was a strange time, again good players etc, but I was at University in Norwich so had a lot of things going on, along with having to fit my lectures in etc. Going out a lot and not really being in focusing on my football. I also knew I wasn’t going to be there for long. Bury is the first club since Heybridge that I am playing for my local team. Dereham I didn’t feel that so never felt connected with them. Which is a shame as it’s a great place.
DK: How did you find your time at Enfield?
TH: Brilliant, again I was only there for a year but was a big part of it and we were fighting for the league for a long time and the lads ended up in the play offs if it wasn’t for a 3 point deduction at the end of the season. The fans were superb and the team was something else. Some amazing players but great people as well. A lot of the older school of everyone had a beer in the bar after the game with the fans. It doesn’t happen as much anymore. The younger players don’t do it as much, not all but most of them. We had some great results as well so wasn’t just everyone having a drink haha!
DK: What was the highlight of your time at Enfield?
TH: The Mark Kirby goal against Kingstonian as mentioned earlier was a highlight. I think Enfield had a bit of everything in it. Great friends and a great team. The other highlight would be the winner I scored which I mentioned earlier as well. Last minute with the fans singing that we was going to score. Headed clear and volleyed it in. I don’t actually remember it hitting the net but it was an amazing moment, always means that bit more when they are you’re friends as well as team mates.
DK: What was your time like at Leiston?
TH: I would describe my time at Leiston as a bit disappointing. I wasn’t fit as I hadn’t played for a while but needed minutes to get fit but that didn’t happen. Nothing against Glen Driver, it just wasn’t to be for me. I was loaned out during that season to Stowmarket which again I didn’t feel a part of and hated being loaned out. Felt a bit let down and couldn’t enjoy my football completely. Felt like I needed to be given more time or just someone to have a bit of faith to get me some minutes. But it is a good club with good people and still enjoyed my short time there.
DK: How did you find your time at Felixstowe?
TH: Mixed, had some really good times and some really bad. We went unbeaten for a long period and I think it may have been 15/20 wins on the spin (I might be corrected) and then for some reason the team changed and it didn’t involve me being a part of it. A lot of discussion were had but I felt I was forcing them when I shouldn’t of had to. You can look at the results when I was in the team and when I wasn’t and people will have different opinions which is what football is all about. But in that league we didn’t need to change what we did for anyone and should have won the league comfortably. I don’t hold grudges and what happened is we got promoted, but feel we had so much more. The fans there are brilliant and always spoke to me. I even spoke to a few of them when I was injured at the start of the season when they came to Bury.
DK: What was it like being in the promotion winning team?
TH: Every game I played I felt like we would win. Turning up to games and didn’t feel we needed to do much in terms of preparation work as we was just riding a confidence wave. If players have been a part of a team like that they will know the feeling. Managers of course are there to stop that turning to complacency, which I think in the end was the problem, not turning complacent but trying to change it. It was disappointing in the end as although we was promoted we should have won that league with the team we had, players like Joe Francis. You won’t get players like him performing at that level too often.
DK: What was the standout game from your time at Felixstowe?
TH: Standout game was Histon at the start of the season. They were going well and I think it was just us and them unbeaten and they were probably the favourites and we won 3-0 and it was very comfortable. This was the wave we was on, we resorted them to very little going forwards and we could have got more than the 3. The game had everything you would want from our perspective, defensively with Rhys Barber and Dan Davis and then going forwards we was always able to get a goal from somewhere...well more often than not!
DK: How did you find your time at Harlow?
TH: Harlow was brilliant, was a tough time as we couldn’t buy a win it felt like. But as a time with a club it was brilliant, Danny Chapman the manager was absolutely fantastic for me as a person not just a manager. He was honest with everything and if you gave him everything he would do the same in return and Spencer Knight as assistant was also brilliant. The fans when they were behind us could be as loud as anyone and we weren’t even getting the crowds that Harlow were use to. We had everything you could imagine and we also had a good side, some of the players we had shouldn’t be fighting relegation in the Premier but we ended up getting relegated and then moved to the South Central league. I probably didn’t play my best football there though, I struggled with injury to my ankle and I was also again not fit. It’s something that I’m not working on at the age of 28....
DK: What was the standout game during your time at Harlow?
TH: I would have to say the home game against Tonbridge, we were down the bottom of the league and they were top. Everyone just assumed we would lose and we ended up scoring in the 80th minute (around that). We defended so well as a team. It was one of the nights the fans were right behind us, I think they turned out to see a few of the old Harlow players that were then at Tonbridge. We didn’t have a lot to celebrate that season, even with the group of players we had, but we did put in a very good performance that game. Another would be the Boxing Day game against Bishop Stortford, we lose 1-0 but if we would have won 4/5-1 it wouldn’t have been an injustice. I’ve watched that game back and I can’t believe we didn’t score. Get those games where you fully deserve to win and things just don’t bounce for you.
DK: Tell us a bit about how you've found your time at Bury so far?
TH: In a word, Frustrating. Stating the season and then feeling an injury a couple of games in, kept playing which resulting in a tear to my abdomen resulting in a hernia. Which I am still waiting for an operation for. The club itself is brilliant and one that I enjoy being at, so hopefully I can get my hernia sorted and then be available come the start of the season. Bury has some great people involved from management, players and people behind the scenes who all made me feel welcome. Just hope I come back and pay them all back with a good season.
DK: What's been the highlight of your time at Bury so far?
TH: Unfortunately being injured has prevented any real highlights. I hope to bring some highlights going forwards I just need to prove myself after a season out injured. I had a header saved first game of the season so that would have been nice had that had gone in haha!
DK: What targets do you have looking forward to next season?
TH: I have both personal and team targets. After last season I just want to get through the full season, injury free and play as many games as possible. That means getting myself in a position when Ben can pick me week in and week out. But for that I have to prove myself. Team goal is always that of playoffs and then we always have a chance, and if I can be involved and have a bit part of that then I would be more than happy. It’s a great club and a great town, it needs to have some success, the team deserve it and so does the manager.
DK: Who's the best player you've played alongside so far and why?
TH: Really tough one....I’ve been lucky and could name a few Luke Callander was unplayable, Corey Whitley, Ryan Doyle, Neil Cousins, Danny Barber all were brilliant for different reasons. It’s easy in these to name a player that has really kicked on and gone to the League like Corey has. But I would always say Lee Kersey was the best player I have ever played with, he could do everything as a defender, he wasn’t the tallest but won more headers than most, wasn’t the quickest but was rarely beaten in behind, was technically superb but most of all a great communicator.
DK: Who's the best player you've played against and why?
TH: Obviously not talking pre season games, but I remember a playing against Sean Marks when we was at Braintree about 7/8 years ago and he was really tough. Very strong and aggressive, he was a really nasty striker but in a good way. There was also a lad at Potters Bar called Tom Pett, I think he went on to play in the league, I was playing central midfield then and he was very good. Very technical so I would have to say a mixture of those 2 were the best I’ve played against.
DK: If you could pick an XI of the best players you've played alongside so far who would you pick and why?
TH: GK - Nick Eyre - great goal keeper and great character. Nicks a great distributor of the football as well for a GK.
RB - Ryan Doyle - I played with him at Heybridge and Enfield, had some good nights out with him and he is also a great football player. Can play anywhere probably. Most importantly another brilliant character.
CB - Lee Kersey - don’t need to say anymore on him.
CB - Mark Kirby - Kirbs was deceptive. Not to disrespect him at all but you wouldn’t think he would be as good as he is...and he is a superb CB...was tried as a striker and I can’t say that worked as well. He was massive for everyone at Enfield.
LB - Danny Barber - wand of a left foot, strong in a tackle and always trying to have a laugh on the pitch, great when things aren’t going well as he could take your mind off it, especially if you’ve made a mistake.
CM - Kevin Dobinson - Didn’t play with him long but just effortless. When I first started playing they use to say put it the corners and the terms Ryman corner was used a lot. When Dobbo arrived at swifts he had perfected it. Dropping it over a full backs head for a winger to chase to relieve pressure. He was better than just that, but he had mastered it.
CM - Fabian Simms - played with Fab at Harlow and he was an awkward player I wouldn’t want to play against. Faster than you think, but “great feet for a big man”. His feet were brilliant and was great at sitting in front of the back four but when he had space to open his legs he was dangerous.
CM - Michael Toner - early stages at Heybridge he was brilliant. Lost his legs and moved deeper like myself. But he was someone you definitely want in your team.
RW - Neil Cousins - Best outball you could imagine. At Heybridge Barber would knock that cross field ball and Cous would win the header for our strikers to run on to. He wasn’t the tallest but I never really thought he should have won a header that he didn’t win. Also was my Car school at Enfield. This team would have some characters in it.
ST - Luke Callander - his goals speak for him. I remember a goal he scored against Aveley where he chested it from a goal kick turned and chipped the keeper all in one move.
LW - Corey Whitely - now in league football but he was so evasive as a player. He scored goals got assists, brilliant player and always had that something special.
That would be my team, some players that could have been in there and some players that I’ll think about later and should have put them in, Tom Hitchcock being one, he was a great player. Good lad as well.
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