Welsh international star Harry Wilson has teamed up with a trailer firm to help pay for a new junior football clubhouse named in memory of a popular local councillor who did so much for the game in his hometown of Corwen.<\/p>\n
Two years ago the junior clubhouse and pitches were devastated by catastrophic flooding from the nearby River Dee which also affected other local sports facilities in the town\u2019s Dee Park.<\/p>\n
But now the Huw \u2018Chick\u2019 Jones Clubhouse is the new headquarters of junior football in a town which has produced a conveyor belt of talent in recent years including Welsh internationals Andy Jones, of Charlton Athletic, and former Liverpool defender Gareth Roberts.<\/p>\n
The latest off that production line is left winger Harry Wilson, whose father, Mark, and grandfather, John, played for the town, and who donated one of his match-worn Wales shirts which raised \u00a31,500 for the cause.<\/p>\n
That augmented a grant from the UEFA Disaster Fund and support from local businesses including leading trailer manufacturer Ifor Williams Trailers.<\/p>\n
The building commemorates Denbighshire County Councillor Huw Jones who served football in the town as a goalkeeper, manager, committee member, president and loyal supporter over many years before his death last February aged 62.<\/p>\n
Ian Evans, Corwen Juniors Director of Football, said: \u201cThis will be a lasting memorial to Huw and to all he did for the junior football club.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo years ago we were very badly flooded and the place was in a terrible state but Huw did so much to get us grant money and to support us and work for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a town of its size Corwen has produced some great footballers and Harry Wilson sent us one of his shirts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe senior side, Corwen Amateurs, have recognised Huw by naming a stand after him at their ground and we also wanted to do something to honour him here and so we approached local businesses and Ifor Williams Trailers have responded generously.\u201d<\/p>\n
Huw\u2019s sister, Kathryn Roberts, said: \u201cFootball was his life and he loved this club. As a family, we\u2019re incredibly proud his memory is being honoured. He\u2019ll be remembered forever now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey called him Mr Corwen and it was a good description because he always put other people ahead of himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Huw Jones represented Corwen on Denbighshire County Council for Plaid Cymru from 2008 and had been Lead Member for Leisure, Youth, Tourism and Rural Development and for Community Development.<\/p>\n
He was a trustee of Canolfan Ni community centre in the town, a director of Cadwyn Clwyd rural regeneration agency, a member of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partnership and former board member of Menter Iaith Sir Ddinbych.<\/p>\n
As well as the clubhouse he had helped Corwen Juniors recover from the 2019 floods to a position where they now have two new pitches and two mini pitches for younger players with 100 youngsters playing and training every week.<\/p>\n
The pitches have been equipped with new dugouts and the club are hoping to install floodlighting and Ian added: \u201cChick would have loved it. He was so enthusiastic about Corwen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no exaggeration to say that without Huw there wouldn\u2019t be a Corwen football club because when Corwen Amateurs were going through bad times it was basically Huw and a couple of others who kept it going.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut now we\u2019ve got plenty of players of all ages and a really strong committee. we had a discussion and we all wanted to mark the contribution that Chick made to the club and the town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samantha Williams, Management Support Specialist at Ifor Williams Trailers, said: \u201cWe were delighted to be able to play our part in honouring the memory of Huw \u201cChick\u201d Jones who was a genuine local hero in Corwen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis legacy will live on through generations of young footballers eager to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Harry Wilson, Andy Jones and Gareth Roberts.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur company is deeply rooted in the community and many of our employees have close connections with the club which is a vitally important part of the fabric of the town.\u201d<\/p>\n