Friday, September 23, 2005
Fellow Fans In Exile #3: Mike Hughes
What's your full name?
Michael Andrew Hughes
Michael Andrew Hughes
Where are you exiled?
I have lived in Tyldesley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, for the past three years. I work in Salford and have done so for the past thirteen years. My family are originally all from Mold but I am from Connah's Quay.
What have been the best and worst things/experiences about being an exiled fan?
There have been a couple of positives of being an exiled fan. The most positive was discovering the Red Passion web site and probably being more in touch with what's happening day to day at the club then I ever was when I lived in North Wales. I will forever be grateful to Gareth Collins, the webmaster, for what has now become the best Wrexham AFC resource on the net for any exile. Sky have also made things easier by including BBC1 and 2 Wales and S4C amongst their normal range of provided channels on a national basis (previously I had to retune my satellite receiver) although I still can't get the FM broadcasts from BBC Wales Radio.
Additional to that I would say that being exiled has compelled me to attend more away matches then I would have ever considered had I still lived in North Wales and so I have a much broader experience of football in general as a consequence.
The downside of all this is that, because my eyesight prevents me from driving, getting to home games is harder and the club being in administration hardly helps this as tickets for big games require that I send a member of the family back in CQ to queue rather than take a chance on sending a cheque. The sooner we can get to paying by card over the phone the better.
The other big down is that, in common with many other people, I have come to realise how poisonous and dead the atmosphere at home games is in comparison to the uniform positivity and loudness of our fans when we travel away. If it feels like that for me as a fan then I can only imagine how the players struggle with it.
Who's your favourite Wrexham player of all time?
Graham Whittle. In 30 years of attending the Racecourse I have never seen such a skillful player with such a powerful shot. The thing that swung it for me though was the sheer nerve of the guy. He would do things other people wouldn't dare whether they incurred the wrath of the manager or not. I always loved the way he would beat someone and then do it again just to make sure they got the message. There was a great goal against Tranmere that he once set up where, having done all the hard work, twice over, he then chipped the ball completely unnecessarily to someone else (Shinton I think) to head in from about 4 yards. Genius.
Which has been your favourite season supporting Wrexham?
Nothing can beat 77/78 although the sequence at the end of our last promotion season was the best in recent memory. I will never forget that 1978 game against Rotherham as long as I live but there were so many other highlights too. I always get depressed when people talk about the 92 promotion as we were a poor team in a poor division and it's probably only now that I appreciate the hard work Flynn put it to get us up and keep us there.
Nothing can beat 77/78 although the sequence at the end of our last promotion season was the best in recent memory. I will never forget that 1978 game against Rotherham as long as I live but there were so many other highlights too. I always get depressed when people talk about the 92 promotion as we were a poor team in a poor division and it's probably only now that I appreciate the hard work Flynn put it to get us up and keep us there.
Have you developed a soft spot for any of the teams in your area since being exiled?
Not to the extent of going to watch them other than as a neutral with friends who support the opposition e.g. I went to Wigan v Plymouth because I have a Plymouth supporting fan as a friend. I tend to look out for Wigan and Leigh results but I wouldn't really say I have a soft spot for either. I tend to look out just as much for the results of teams who have ex-Wrexham players e.g. Crewe, Luton, Stoke.
Not to the extent of going to watch them other than as a neutral with friends who support the opposition e.g. I went to Wigan v Plymouth because I have a Plymouth supporting fan as a friend. I tend to look out for Wigan and Leigh results but I wouldn't really say I have a soft spot for either. I tend to look out just as much for the results of teams who have ex-Wrexham players e.g. Crewe, Luton, Stoke.
How often do you get to see Wrexham play/how do you keep up with results and news?
In a good season I'll make 10 to 15 games. In a bad season I might only make 5. Now I have a young son the balance has become even more difficult. The sooner he is old enough to go to matches the better. I have to get in there before his Mum converts him to Glazer Plc!
In a good season I'll make 10 to 15 games. In a bad season I might only make 5. Now I have a young son the balance has become even more difficult. The sooner he is old enough to go to matches the better. I have to get in there before his Mum converts him to Glazer Plc!
