THE latest book from lifelong Ards supporter and programme editor, Adrian Monaghan, is now available to purchase.
‘The Newton’ Aces’ was launched at an event last Wednesday evening (October 22), which saw more than 80 guests including former players and their relatives, club officials, backroom staff and a mix of supporters converge on the Ards FC Sports Club.
Some of the former players in attendance were Billy Humphries, Billy Nixon, Ray Mowat, Billy McAvoy, Tommy Armstrong, Lawrence Patterson, Sammy Galway, Bobby Brown, Billy McCullough, Aaron McKee, Darren Nixon, David Cully, Darren Erskine, Charlie and David Murphy, Glenn Duckett, John Murray, current first team manager John Bailie, Neil Moore and Ross Arthurs.
Interestingly, a number of relatives of past players were also present. James Cochrane, nephew of Jack Cochrane (1930s), Paul Stelges, son of 1950s player Jackie Stelges and Tim Bailie who is a great nephew of George McKnight – who began his career at Ards before moving to play for Blackpool.
Martine Boyce, whose grandfather ‘Afy’ Murphy played for the club in the 1920s, came along, so too did brothers, Alan and Stephen Rowley, still regular attenders at Ards games, and the grandchildren of Charlie Rowley who scored the winning goal in Ards’ first senior game in 1923.
Club director Stuart Dellow, whose half-brother Ronnie – an Englishman that both played and managed the club in the late 1940s – and Brian Kelly, a nephew of 1950s goalkeeper, Jim McCafferty, was also among the crowd.
Mark and Jennifer Calderwood, their son Kyle played for the club up until recently, enjoyed the evening, and another relative, Sammy Curry, kept goals for Ards in the 1930s/40s. Amusingly, Sammy was married in September 1938 and spent his honeymoon at Castlereagh Park as he turned out for the time that afternoon.
The book details every player to have represented Ards Football Club over a 100-season period, listing them in an A-Z directory style. It features over 70 in-depth profiles of players such as club legends like Billy Humphries, Ray Mowat and Darren Erskine. The publication is also filled with hundreds of photographs and a season by season statistical record.
Priced at £20, The Newtown’ Aces is now on sale from the following outlets: Fairy Tale, Conway Square, Newtownards; Top Spot, Frances Street, Newtownards; Maxol, Frances Street, Newtownards and Maxol, Harbour Road, Portavogie.
Alternatively, Adrian can deliver the book to addresses in Newtownards and Bangor. You can also have a copy posted out by contacting Adrian directly on 07979 614674 or adrianmonaghan@aol.com.
