Player Profiles


	Peter BEADLE	MANAGER	Born Walderslade 13/05/72
	Peter has made 344 Football League appearances, starting his career at Gillingham with spells at a number of clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, both Bristol City and Rovers and latterly Barnet followed by short periods at Team Bath as player/coach and at Clevedon Town as player/commercial manager, then on to Taunton Town as Manager.


	Tony PENNOCK	GOALKEEPER	Born Swansea, 10/04/71
	A Welsh non-league international keeper, Tony joined County from Carmarthen Town in October 2005, after two years with the Welsh Premier League club. Tony started his professional career at Stockport County but it was at Wigan Athletic that he made his league debut, making 10 league appearances before joining Hereford United in their Third Division days. He added a further 15 league games before spending six years at Yeovil Town. Tony then played five times in the league for Rushden & Diamonds before signing for Farnborough Town and playing at Arsenal in the FA Cup. A fully qualified coach, he works as a football development officer at the FAW and is goalkeeping coach at Swansea City.


	Ian HILLIER	DEFENDER	Born Neath 26/12/79
	Capped at Welsh Schools, Youth and under 21 level. He was a regular squad player for Luton Town before a spell out injured and he spent part of last season on loan at Chester. Ian was at Tottenham Hotspur for four years before joining Luton, having been a trainee at White Hart Lane.


	Geraint BATER	DEFENDER	Born Bristol 26/07/80
	Geraint was Peter Beadle's first signing when he followed his manager from Taunton Town in October 2005. Geraint, whose father Phil is a former Welsh under-21 international, signed as a professional by Bristol Rovers after completing his A Levels before moving to Tiverton Town, Brislington and Bristol Manor Farm. He than spent three seasons at Clevedon Town before joining Taunton.


	Andrew THOMAS	DEFENDER	Born Newport 11/10/82
	Andrew is one of the first products of the Newport-based Hartridge Football Academy, which has provided the club’s production line, and he now has several years experience as a regular first team player. He has been capped at semi-professional international level by Wales and is approaching his 200th first team appearance.


	Terry EVANS	DEFENDER	Born Pontypridd 08/01/76
	Terry rejoined County in December 2005 after a successful season at Newport Stadium in 2003-04. He had earlier played first team football at both Cardiff City and Swansea City, and played three times for Wales at under-21 level. Between his two spells in league football, Terry was part of the Barry Town side that swept all before them in the League of Wales and played with distinction in Europe. After being surprisingly released by County two years ago, Terry, who is studying accountancy, played for Cardiff Grange Quins.
	COUNTY GALLERY ON TERRY EVANS


	ANDY LEGG	DEFENDER	Born Neath 28/07/66
	Capped six times by Wales, Andy was a late starter in league football joining Swansea City from Welsh League Briton Ferry when he was 22, but he has since enjoyed an illustrious career. He was a goalscoring winger for the Swans before joining Notts County where he spent three seasons and he took in spells at Birmingham City and Reading before starring in three promotion campaigns at Cardiff City. He spent the last two seasons at Peterborough United to take his tally of league appearances close to the 600 mark and joined County in March 2006.


	JOHN BROUGH	DEFENDER	Born Heanor 08/01/73
	John’s first league club was Notts County but he had to move to Shrewsbury Town to make his league debut. He had a brief spell in non-league with Telford United before returning to the full-time game with Hereford United in their Third Division days. John helped Cheltenham Town win promotion from the Conference and made 136 Football League appearances for the Whaddon Road club before joining Aldershot Town in the summer of 2005. He joined County in March 2006.
	COUNTY GALLERY ON JOHN BROUGH


	Paul COCHLIN	DEFENDER	Born Cardiff 23/08/83
	Paul was with Cardiff City as a schoolboy and later played for Cardiff Civil Service, UWIC Inter Cardiff, Team Bath and Cwmbran Town during his studies, graduating and qualifying as a teacher and switching between defence and midfield. He began the present season at Carmarthen Town for whom he played in the UEFA Cup before representing Great Britain in the World University Games in Turkey. He was briefly with Merthyr Tydfil before signing for County in December 2005.


	Nathan DAVIES	MIDFIELD	Born Pontypool 26/05/82
	Welsh non-league international matches have completed the four seasons for Nathan, who is another product of the Newport Football Academy. Eight-times capped by Wales Schools under 18’s, he made his Southern League debut in January 2000 and, by the end of last season had made over 200 first team appearances.
	COUNTY GALLERY ON NATHAN DAVIES


	Lee JENKINS	MIDFIELD	Born Pontypool 28/06/79
	Joined Swansea City on YTS forms on leaving school, going on to make 169 league appearances for them before joining Kidderminster Harriers and taking his tally of league games above 200. Lee was capped by Wales from schoolboy up to under-21 level and joined County from Redditch United in October 2005.
	COUNTY GALLERY ON LEE JENKINS


	Gary FISKEN	MIDFIELD	Born Watford 27/10/81
	Joined County in January 2006 after being released by Swansea City for whom in June 2004, he was Kenny Jackett's first signing after his appointment as manager. Gary was on the fringes of Swansea's promotion winning side last season after making 22 league appearances for Watford whom he had joined from school.
	COUNTY GALLERY ON GARY FISKEN


	Ashley WILLIAMS	MIDFIELD	Born Newport 14/05/86
	Another Academy product. Ashley is a strong, livewire midfield player who made his first team debut in 2003-2004. Was in the Rest of the World squad that played England Schools at Villa Park in May, an accolade that followed his being capped for Welsh Schools a month earlier. Played in three-quarters of the 2004-2005 games and has recovered from the injury that prematurely ended last season’s involvement.


	Jason BOWEN	MIDFIELD	Born Merthyr 24/08/72
	Signed in the summer of 2004, Jason has two full Welsh international caps to his name as well as recognition at Schools, Youth and under 21-level. Jason has nearly 350 Football League appearances behind him, having spent five seasons at Swansea, three at Birmingham City and shorter spells at Southampton and Reading before moving to Cardiff City during the 1998-99 campaign.


	Tyrone TOPPAR	ATTACK	Born Cardiff 15/01/88
	An exciting prospect Tyrone joined County in the summer of 2005 when he began his studies at the Academy. He had previously been on schoolboy forms with Cardiff City and he has made a big impact since signing for County, forcing his way into the first team before his 18th birthday. Fulham have been closely monitoring his progress.
	COUNTY GALLERY ON TYRONE TOPPAR


	Sam O'SULLIVAN	ATTACK	Born Aberdare 14/07/86
	A prolific scorer with the Youth team over the last two seasons, Sam was once on Cardiff City’s books as a schoolboy and made his league debut in 2003-2004. He has already shown in first team action that he has a more than promising future. Played in the Newport County side that won the FAW Youth Cup for the first time last may, beating Cardiff City in the final.


	Craig HUGHES	ATTACK	Born Rhondda 18/12/78
	Craig is an under-16 Welsh Schools International who joined Coventry City in their Premiership days under a two year YTS arrangement with the option of a year's professional contract at its end. However after a successful spell playing mainly in a free role behind the strikers, Craig became homesick and negotiated his release. He had a brief trial at Shrewsbury before joining Barry Town as a full-time professional and over the following years he has also played in the Welsh Premier League for Rhayader, Cwmbran and Carmarthen, averaging better than a goal every other game. He joined County in November 2005 and marked his full debut with a goal at Hayes.


	Matt GREEN	ATTACK	Born Bath 02/01/87
	An England Schools international signed from Cirencester Academy during the summer, Matt is a fine prospect, strong and pacy. He impressed against County in a Football League Youth Alliance match and was recommended by Cirencester Academy Director and former County ace, Steve Lowndes.


	Nathan BAILEY	ATTACK	Born Reading 25/05/86
	Nathan was with his home town club right through from schoolboy to professional before being released after Steve Coppell replaced Alan Pardew as manager. He has since had brief spells at Colchester, Darlington and Forest Green Rovers before joining County in March 2006.


	John FITZGERALD	PHYSIOTHERAPIST	Born Newport 24/04/53
	Fully qualified with the Diploma in Treatment and Management of Sports Injuries, John was previously with local clubs Llanwern and Newport YMCA and that progress in qualifications has given him duties with Wales’ under 17 and under 19 teams on the back of his good work at Newport Stadium.


	Bobby MORRIS	BACKROOM ASSISTANT	Born Newport 01/08/55
	A more-than-useful player in the Welsh League with Brecon in his earlier years, Bobby has also had experience of managing at that level with Llanwern and Newport YMCA. A Senior Technician in the weighing industry, he has proved a vital part of County’s training and match preparation team.


	Tony GILBERT	Kit Manager	Born Newport 12/02/50
	Far and away the longest serving member of the County backroom team, his experience of Newport senior football goes back to the Football League team in the 1970’s. A perpetually effervescent character, he is an Assistant Manager in the section of Newport City Council and responsible for the Newport Stadium playing surface, having extensive qualifications in Horticulture and Grounds.

© Colin Jeremiah