Sport

Nicky Hayen: European football is the goal for Haverfordwest County

Published

4 years ago

January 20, 2022

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY return to action this weekend as they take on Newtown in the JD Cymru Premier.

Football in Wales had been suspended following the announcement of Welsh Government restrictions but they have now been relaxed and football can once again get underway.

The Bluebirds face a tough test against the side that sits in second place in the table but new manager Nicky Hayen will not be in charge for the game against Newtown as his work permit has not come through.

He will be watching on though as Gary ‘Waggy’ Richards takes temporary charge and Nicky told the Herald that he is fully confident that his assistants can get a good result.

When the sides last met in October the Bluebirds came out on top with a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Alhagi Touray Sisay.

Speaking ahead of the game on Saturday Nicky told us about his plans for the team, his ambitions and how he wants to work closely with grassroots teams in Pembrokeshire and with the community.

Nicky may not be able to take charge just yet but he has already been observing training sessions and been gathering information on the other teams in the JD Cymru Premier.

Asked what attracted him to join Haverfordwest County, Nicky said: “First of all, the ambition of the chairman, this is the most important thing so he had a project for three years to reach European football. I like projects and when you’re digging into stuff from the club, you can see that is a good combination.

“I saw some games of the team and I saw two different teams, one team who play with confidence and played the football that I like, building out from the back and trying to find the football solutions on the ground, and I saw a team that didn’t have confidence that was clearing every ball and wasn’t winning contests so I saw that they have the skills to do what I have in my mind.

“So this combination, the ambition of the chairman, the team that is playing at this moment, I think we have to be capable of performing better than the position in the league at this moment.”

The ultimate aim for the club is to reach European football but Nicky isn’t thinking about that just yet.

“The ambition is to make it to the first six positions, it will be almost impossible for this season so we want to avoid relegation and then have a good pre-season and we’ll see what happens next season but finishing in the top six is a nice goal.

“To reach this you have to win your first game and then your second game, I just take one game at a time, starting with the game at Newtown, we’ll try to win and then I hope I can be on the bench for the Penybont game.

“The short term project is staying in the league, but the project is much bigger and it includes building bridges with the grassroots teams with the Pembrokeshire League, with the community so what we want to do is to create an environment over here that is more than football.

“The academy is something that is really important, we want to improve our players and everyone can see that we give chances to players to develop in the squad and this is what we are already doing now.

“The one thing I don’t want to do is change the club culture. We have to keep the culture but we have to add some value and create an identity that is clear for the next fifty years.”

Nicky is settling in well in Haverfordwest and is looking forward to seeing more of the area but says he is focussed on the football for now.

Haverfordwest’s game with Newtown takes place on Saturday, January 22, kick off at 2:30pm.

Related Topics:Football Haverfordwest Haverfordwest County pembrokeshire

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Young Crymych players step up to senior stage

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6 hours ago

May 3, 2026

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Five youth team players earn praise after impressing at championship level

CRYMYCH RUGBY CLUB has hailed the contribution of five of its youth players after they stepped up to feature in a senior side at championship level.

The young players, who remain part of the club’s youth setup, were given the opportunity to test themselves in a higher-level fixture, and impressed coaches and supporters alike with their attitude and commitment on the field.

Club representatives said it was “fantastic to see” the dedication shown by the youngsters, who rose to the occasion in what was described as a special experience for both the players and the club.

The match provided a valuable opportunity for development, allowing the next generation of Crymych players to gain experience in a more competitive environment while contributing to the senior squad.

The rugby club said the move reflects its long-term focus on nurturing homegrown talent and creating a clear pathway from youth rugby into the senior game.

Officials added that the future of the club looks bright, with the performance of the young “Teirw” – or Bulls – offering reassurance that the next generation is ready to carry the club forward.

The club congratulated the players on their achievement and said it hopes to see more youth players progressing through the ranks in the coming seasons.

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Tenby youngsters book places in West Wales cup finals

Published

7 hours ago

May 3, 2026

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Under 13s and under 14s progress after District H finals day success

TENBY UNITED RFC’s junior sides enjoyed a memorable District H finals day, with two age groups securing victories and places in the West Wales cup finals.

The club’s under 13s lifted silverware after beating Crymych 32-17, while the under 14s edged a thrilling contest against Neyland, winning 18-17.

Tenby’s under 12s were also involved in a close match, narrowly losing 31-28 to Haverfordwest.

The under 13s and under 14s will now go on to represent the club at the West Wales cup finals at Parc y Scarlets on May 24.

Tenby United RFC congratulated the young Swifts on their achievements, saying: “Well done Swifts.”

Caption:

Winners: Tenby United RFC’s under 14s celebrate their District H final victory.

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Carew set early pace as rain disrupts Pembrokeshire cricket programme

Published

8 hours ago

May 3, 2026

Herald Sport

RAIN played a major part in Week 2 of the Nicholas Insurance Thomas Carroll Pembroke County Cricket League, with several Division 1 fixtures abandoned after strong first-innings performances.

Carew made the biggest statement in the top flight, cruising to a ten-wicket win over St Ishmaels to move clear at the top of the table.

St Ishmaels were bowled out for 110, with Tim Hicks (3-18), Shaun Whitfield (3-14) and Logan Hall (2-27) doing the damage. Carew then eased to 111-0, Hicks completing an outstanding all-round display with 55 not out, alongside Morgan Grieve’s unbeaten 54.

Elsewhere, Narberth piled up 301-7 before rain intervened against Herbrandston, Jamie McCormack hitting a superb 104. Lawrenny (297-7) and Burton (203-7) also posted big totals before the weather had the final say.

Division 1 results

Match	Result
Cresselly 30-2 v Burton 203-7	Match abandoned
Narberth 301-7 v Herbrandston 51-0	Match abandoned
Whitland 10-0 v Lawrenny 297-7	Match abandoned
Saundersfoot 205-7 v Neyland	Match abandoned
Carew 111-0 v St Ishmaels 110 all out	Carew won by 10 wickets

Division 1 table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Ab	Pts
1	Carew	2	2	0	0	36
2	Saundersfoot	2	1	0	1	27
3	Herbrandston	2	1	0	1	25
4	Neyland	2	1	0	1	25
5	Narberth	2	0	0	1	20
6	St Ishmaels	2	0	1	0	15
7	Burton	2	0	1	1	14
8	Whitland	2	0	1	1	14
9	Cresselly	2	0	1	1	11
10	Lawrenny	2	0	1	1	11

Johnston lead strong Division 2 pack

Johnston sit top after a dominant 135-run win over Llangwm, powered by Lewis Boswell’s 99 and Steve Mills’ 62.

Hook maintained their perfect start, edging Haverfordwest by four wickets, while Cresselly II brushed aside Llechryd by nine wickets after bowling them out for just 41.

Division 2 results

Match	Result
Llechryd 41 all out v Cresselly II 44-1	Cresselly II won by 9 wickets
Llanrhian 155-5 v Fishguard 154-7	Llanrhian won by 5 wickets
Hook 143-6 v Haverfordwest 142-9	Hook won by 4 wickets
Llangwm 106 all out v Johnston 241-6	Johnston won by 135 runs
Pembroke Dock 152-2 v Pembroke 168-8	Match abandoned

Division 2 table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Ab	Pts
1	Johnston	2	2	0	0	40
2	Hook	2	2	0	0	37
3	Cresselly II	2	2	0	0	36
4	Pembroke	2	1	0	1	28
5	Haverfordwest	2	1	1	0	24
6	Pembroke Dock	2	0	1	1	23
7	Llanrhian	2	1	1	0	22
8	Fishguard	2	0	2	0	16
9	Llangwm	2	0	2	0	13
10	Llechryd	2	0	2	0	3

Kilgetty and Carew II lead Division 3 race

Kilgetty and Carew II are locked together at the top after two wins from two.

Lamphey produced one of the standout performances of the week, hammering Burton II by 155 runs, while Laugharne continued their unbeaten start.

Division 3 table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Ab	Pts
1	Kilgetty	2	2	0	0	38
2	Carew II	2	2	0	0	38
3	Laugharne	2	2	0	0	37
4	Lamphey	2	1	1	0	28
5	Saundersfoot II	2	1	0	1	26
6	Hundleton	2	1	1	0	24
7	Haverfordwest II	2	0	2	0	14
8	Stackpole	2	0	2	0	14
9	Pembroke II	2	0	1	1	13
10	Burton II	2	0	2	0	12

Narberth II lead Division 4

Narberth II sit top after a five-wicket win over Neyland II, thanks to Jordan Howell’s unbeaten 88.

Hook II edged a thriller by one wicket, while Haverfordwest III also maintained a perfect start.

Division 4 table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts
1	Narberth II	2	2	0	39
2	Hook II	2	2	0	36
3	Haverfordwest III	2	2	0	36
4	Lawrenny II	2	2	0	35
5	Crymych	2	1	1	29
6	Llechryd II	2	1	1	28
7	Neyland II	2	0	2	15
8	St Ishmaels II	2	0	2	15
9	Herbrandston II	2	0	2	13
10	Carew III	2	0	2	11

Rowlands ton headlines Division 5

Tom Rowlands’ superb 108 guided Cresselly III to victory, while Llanrhian II remain joint top after a crushing win featuring Rick Walton’s remarkable 8-13.

Division 5 table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Ab	Pts
1	Llanrhian II	2	2	0	0	40
2	Cresselly III	2	2	0	0	40
3	Whitland II	2	1	1	0	25
4	Llangwm II	1	1	0	0	19
5	Pembroke III	2	0	1	1	14
6	Llechryd III	2	0	2	0	11
7	Pembroke Dock II	2	0	1	1	11
8	Hundleton II	1	0	1	0	6