Hayden nets treble in Mawnan FC’s 75th year presentation
11:20am Thursday 24th May 2012 in Sport
Hayden Van Reijn (right) receives the Dickie Robertson young player of the year trophy from chairman David Rickard
Mawnan Football Club brought the curtain down on their 75th anniversary season with a presentation evening dinner at the Greenbank Hotel, Falmouth, on Friday.
The landmark occasion also coincided with the end of another era, the retirement of the manager of the first XI, Gregg Renfree, and his assistant Charlie Coombes.
Both had decided that after 12 years at the helm by Gregg and ten years by Charlie it was time to stand down. In the managerial game today that is, indeed, an exceptional length of time for anyone to be in charge of a team.
Having played in Mawnan’s Cornwall Junior Cup winning team of 1999/2000 under Andy Winnan, Gregg assumed the mantle of manager the following season and immediately led the club to the old Falmouth-Helston League division one title and another Cornwall Junior Final where they lost in controversial fashion to Biscovey.
It was the start of a golden period for the club as Renfree steered them to a total of five Western Section finals, two county finals and a further final triumph against St Dennis.
He won both the Percy Stephens Cup and Lockhart Cup and in 2008-09 captured the league and cup double.
For much of that time Charlie Coombes has been Renfree’s right-hand man. It was at the end of 2002 when Gregg invited Charlie to become his assistant. Charlie told him he would go along for a few games to see if he wanted to be involved and to have a look at the set-up, but he must have liked what he saw because he stayed for a decade.
However, with many years of senior football under his belt, Charlie proved the perfect choice with his inside knowledge of the game proving invaluable. He not only assisted Gregg as club coach, but was more than willing to perform other tasks such as first aider, filling water bottles, putting up the nets, and on occasions marking the pitch.
Charlie was involved with the club in every capacity and if it meant getting his hands dirty, then he got them dirty. Fortunately, both of them are remaining with the club despite their retirement.
It was no surprise that the John Christophers clubman of the year trophy was presented to them jointly by Barry and Jean Christophers in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the club with Barry paying a fitting tribute.
The club chairman, Mr David Rickard, also presented each of them with a box of specially engraved brandy glasses.
It also proved quite a night for 17-year-old Hayden Van Reijn who walked off with three major trophies, the first occasion it had happened in the club’s history.
The honours went to: Ist XI players’ player, Chris Symons; Ist XI manager’s player, Andrew Prynn; 2nd XI players’ player, Hayden Van Reijn; 2nd XI manager’s player, Dan Thomas; W C Rowe young player of year, Hayden Van Reijn; Dickie Robertson man-of-the-match award winner, Hayden Van Reijn.
Both teams expressed their thanks to the managers and the volunteers who work in the background with a number of gifts.
With the season now over, the club is now expecting to make a swift announcement on the new managerial structure for the coming season.
