Trethomas Bluebirds were formed in 1903, while Denbigh Town were formed in 1880 and won the Amateur Cup in 1924 beating Lovell’s Athletic 2-1. It promises to be a fantastic contest, with two up and coming managers in Trethomas Bluebirds Mark Dunford and Denbigh Town’s Dewi Llion. Trethomas have reached the final by beating Sudbrook (6-0), Marshfield (5-0), Cardiff Airport (2-1), Undy (4-1), Bangor 1876 (2-1) and Baglan Dragons (1-0). While Denbigh’s route to the Newtown final has seen Greenfield (3-0), Dolgellau AA (3-2), Castell Alun Colts (7-2), Rockspur (6-1), Penydarren BGC (2-0) and Pill (2-1), all beaten.

Here we take a preview of Trethomas Bluebirds, speaking to Derek Brazil, Football Consultant at the Bluebirds, who took time out this week to tell us about his own career, his role and background at the club and how preparations have gone for Saturday.

“I was marking Frank Stapleton and he scored a hat-trick.”

“I grew up in Dublin playing for a team called Rivermount Boys. I didn’t really start playing until I was 14. Nottm. Forest were the first club to show an interest in signing me and then I went to West Ham United for a month but didn’t sign. A few clubs were then interested, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City. I was playing for an Ireland age group side against England at Elland Road and I was going to tell Chelsea after the game that I was signing for them. I played quite well and I think we drew 1-1, I came into the changing rooms after the game and someone told me that Eric Harrison was there and he said United were interested in signing me. Manchester City also asked me to sign for them, so I went there for three days and then I went to United for three days. At this point I was still keen on Chelsea until I actually went to United and got talking to the likes of Frank Stapleton, Paul McGrath and Norman Whiteside who told me all about the club. I played in a friendly which the club had arranged between the Irish Under-18s and the first team. I was marking Frank Stapleton and he scored a hat-trick so I was quite disappointed but Ron Atkinson told me they wanted to sign me on a three and a half year deal and I couldn’t believe it. He told me I’d played really well because Frank could have scored ten but I’d made so many tackles.”

“I was quite in awe of the place, my dad was a United fan and I made the decision there and then to sign, it just felt right. So I signed in March 1986, City offered me double what United had given me but I’d made my mind up. I made my United debut as a substitute on 10th May 1989 in a 2-1 home defeat to Everton. Alex Ferguson was now the manager. It was at the end of the season, Sparky (Mark Hughes) had scored and it was amazing just running out onto the pitch. I came on at right-back and it was just an unbelievable experience. I’d played a lot of games in the reserves and the attendances often weren’t great but to actually make my first team debut was brilliant. It was quite eerie but I got great support from the crowd because they love it when young players are given their debut. Fergie was brilliant, I saw him when United played against Cardiff in the Premiership. He asked me how I was and then asked how my mum and dad were and still knew their names, which really took me aback. I asked him why he sold me because I’d never really known and he said there were two reasons and they were Bruce and Pallister. He said that he had to move me on to give me a career. With me being from Dublin, he could sense if I was feeling a little bit homesick and he’d send me home for four or five days. I’d be wondering what I’d done wrong but he’d just say he was letting me go home for a few days to see the family. He was an amazing bloke.”

“United wanted a quarter of a million for me but Swansea couldn’t afford it.”

“The following season I played another game, a 2-1 win at Millwall. I think we hadn’t won for ten games, I came on for Viv Anderson. I think Danny Wallace scored. That game was a totally different experience to playing at Old Trafford, the Millwall fans were unbelievable, every time I got the ball or took a throw-in they were shouting abuse and everything else. Playing alongside the likes of Pallister and Micky Duxbury was great because they were fantastic players. Both my games for the first team were at right-back but I was more of a centre-half, to be honest though if you’re given a chance you’ll play anywhere. A couple of times after that I was on the bench against Newcastle in the FA Cup and a game against QPR but it got harder because of the amount of options the manager had in defence. I was 23 at the time and had been there for six years and made two appearances, I’d captained the reserves but it was time for me to move on. I’d gone on loan to Swansea, managed by Frank Burrows, where I played 12 games. United wanted a quarter of a million for me but Swansea couldn’t afford it. I went to Cardiff and in my first season there we won the league and got promoted, we also won the Welsh Cup and I got to play in Europe so it was great and I did really well playing at centre-half.”

“Fergie was brilliant with me, he was quite convincing about when the right time for you to go was. He told me that I was going to have a good career in football and that I was a good player who needed to be playing regularly. He was looking for the best club for me and that’s when he told me Cardiff City wanted me to go down for a month’s loan. I got the train down and met Eddie May at Ninian Park and he took me out to the centre of the pitch. He was a big man, Eddie, I’d not met many bigger than him to be honest. His presence was amazing. He said, ‘I’ve spoken to Alex and he thinks you’ll fit in well’. I signed and what sticks out in my mind from my time there is the chemistry of that amazing group of players. A perfect alchemy of players, sewn together by the master man manager Eddie May. We used to meet in the Beverley first. A few in there, we’d end up in town, the Bank, the Wine Press, you name it. It was great. You’d have 11, 12 lads who trained together in the morning, then on the Wednesday, because we were off Thursday, we would all go out. You wouldn’t get that now! It was such a close bond. So many characters… Nathan Blake, Jason Perry, Nicky Richardson, (Phil) Stanty, Cohen (Griffith) was the quietest, probably. They were good nights out, let me tell you!”

“The club and the fans meant so much to me. I was in tears on the walk from Ninian Park to Canton.”

“By 1996, injuries had started taking their toll on me. By this time Phil Neal and Kenny Hibbitt were in charge. I was still just 27, but could feel my time was coming to an end. It was pretty sad when I left. I kind of knew. I had missed the last two or three months with a bad hamstring tear. I wasn’t a big fan of Phil Neal or Kenny Hibbit. I had my best years under Eddie, so I was kind of biased. I went in and knew they were going to release me. Phil Neal said, ‘Look, you’ve been a great servant for the club.’ I said, can I just stop you there? If you’re going to offer me a two-year contract, I’m refusing it. His face just dropped. They had no intention of offering me anything. I said, Look, I’ve been at this club a long time now and I think you two are taking this club the wrong route, you’re taking it down. So I want to leave. Phil Neal was trying to get his words out but I just wouldn’t let him say it! I thanked Kenny and told them I had an appointment and had to leave, I was meeting the boys in the Admiral Napier, I had to get a shift on! I walked out the door into the small car park and literally had tears in my eyes. Just sadness. In the four years I was there, the club and the fans meant so much to me. I was in tears on the walk from Ninian Park to Canton. I had played 115 league games for the club.”

“I had offers to leave for China or to return back home to Ireland, but I had built an affiliation with South Wales and managed a move to Newport, part-time while I did my coaching badges. I had a great two great years there playing 75 league games before finishing my career as a player at Inter Cardiff and Haverfordwest in the Welsh Premier playing another 69 games. I then went into management at Haverfordwest and later at Goytre. I don’t miss it though it’s a 24 hour job, when you win you move onto the next game and when you lose you blame yourself. I enjoy watching my daughter play on weekends, she plays for Cwrt Rawlin and is a defender like I was! There are so many girls playing football now, which is great for the game in Wales.”

“We are all looking forward to the final, it will be great exposure for the club.”

“I joined Trethomas Bluebirds earlier in the season. One of the reserve players Ryan Idzi, who I am friends with asked me if I was interested in getting involved. In mid-November I met up with Chairman Dave Evans and was blown away with his foresight and plans for the club so agreed to join. Dave wanted me to have a Director of Football role, but I am more of a Football Consultant. I sit on the committee but have no say in the running of the First Team. I am there for advice really to Dave and the First Team Manager Mark Dunford. I have an active role in setting up a Youth Team for next season and I help with sponsorship, going along with Dave to meet potential sponsors. I am also heavily involved in organising the legends game this summer. We have already sold over half the tickets available, with the likes of Keith Gillespie, Wes Brown, and Lee Martin on show for United alongside guests such as Peter Beardsley and Lee Hendrie. The game is at our ground in Ystrad Mynach kicking off at 3pm on 24th June. Our main aim this season is promotion. We have five games to go and they will all be cup finals. Preparation for the final didn’t really start until Wednesday as we had a big game Tuesday against Abertillery Bluebirds so all our thoughts were on this. But we are all looking forward to the final, it will be great exposure for the club. I have been really impressed with Mark and his coaching team, they are doing a fantastic job and are so professional in everything they do. We will be well prepared for the final.”

Tickets for the game verus Manchester United Legends are available HERE.