Young defensive prospect Mark Haines has shown his commitment to Chelmsford City by putting pen-to-paper on a brand new contract with the Clarets whilst paying tribute to `legend` and mentor Steve Ward, claiming: “He’s given me a lot of a
Haines, in his very early twenties and having progressed through the reserves to become a first-team regular, embodies the youthful ethos Head Coach Glenn Pennyfather has brought to the squad this season. Though he admits his emergence might not have been quite so sharp had it not been for team mate and 37-year-old fans’ favourite ‘Wardy’ who has been a constant role model to the former West Ham United starlet.
“I’ve taken a lot from the other players and have been reading their game,” he explained, “such as when to go for certain headers or not, because they’ve been around longer than me. Wardy and Ben Chenery give me advice and Ben stays after training with me to work on things like my heading. If I’m in the wrong place or make a mistake they won’t have a go at me but will encourage me and tell me how to do it better next time.”
Pennyfather is delighted to have so many options in the centre of defence, with Ben Martin also making a real impact since returning from injury. Now Haines, despite his own foot and ankle knock picked-up at Weymouth, can’t wait to get stuck in again. He said: “There are definitely opportunities there so you’ve got to make sure you take them. Some of our other players have taken their chances as well because they wouldn’t be here otherwise and they’re learning along with me. The club is on the way forward.”
Meanwhile, Ward believes he could reach the 1,000-game mark if he continues to maintain the shape which sees him regarded as one of the squad’s fittest players.
With football remaining to flow through his veins, Ward (pictured) has been the perfect inspiration to City’s younger players competing for places, although he confesses he still has a lot to learn himself. “I love training and running and trying to improve my game even now.
“I spend a lot of time thinking about the next match. I take vitamin supplements, have all the pre and post-carb drinks, wear a magnet to aid recovery, warm up and down when at games and constantly stretch! It all takes time and hard work but it has become a habit so it’s easier to do and when you have twenty-odd pre-seasons under your belt the fitness is part of your make-up. Sometimes after games I’m as stiff as a board and sometimes I feel like I haven’t played so whilst the latter is happening I’m confident of continuing. Players like Clarkey go out for runs and have ice baths which you take on board and while it might look a little odd when I’m stretching under a lamp post late at night or standing in a wheelie bin at the back of the bar, it makes it all worthwhile when the whistle goes!
“When you’re around a squad of young lads they keep you energised and feeling their age even if I’ve never heard of most of the music they’ve played! The feeling that a win can give you isn’t really replicated anywhere else in life and I love that adrenaline rush which keeps you ticking over until the next game. I often think where I will get that from when I finish and perhaps this has helped me to keep on going! That might be a real struggle for me when the curtain finally falls, but I can write another few pages!”
Ward`s job as a PE teacher means he has an in-built focus on what’s coming-up and, with a dozen games still to go, he admits he’s done some early mind-mapping for 2010/11, adding: “I’m already planning for the off-season and what I want to achieve in terms of fitness so I devote a lot of time to football, as my wife will vouch for! I’ve just passed the 850 career appearances mark and I’m looking to extending that as far as I can. It’d be great to reach 1,000 games like Neil Redfearn, but that’s another four seasons of football. You never know, if I could borrow Ricky Holmes’ engine I might just make it!”
