Weymouth Football Club is delighted to announce the four former players who will be entering the Hall of Fame sponsored by Marlboro Restaurant in 2021.
This is the third edition of the Hall of Fame, in previous years we have inducted: Bob Lucas, Matthew Bound, John Clarke, Willie Gibson, Martyn Harrison, Tony Hobson, Ian Hutchinson, Aniello Iannone, Bryan Lawrence, David Laws, Jason Matthews, Graham Roberts, Phil Stocker, John Waldock, and Stewart Yetton.
Weymouth supporters were given the choice to vote on the following shortlist for who they wanted to induct this year: Tony Agana, Dudley Barry, Alan Beer, Steve Claridge, Derek Courtney, Sammy McGowan, Mark Molesley, Lee Phillips, Ashley Wells, and Stephane Zubar.
The three nominations who received the most votes from the public will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year, along with one selection from the Weymouth FC Board of Directors.
Details for the Hall of Fame 2021 evening will be announced at a later date.
The three former players who received the most votes from the public are:
Barry was born in Gunnislake in September 1943 – as a halfback he joined Weymouth in June 1965, from Plymouth Argyle – whom he joined in 1962.
At Weymouth he was part of the Southern League title winning in the 1965/66 season.
In 1968 he joined the staff of the development office as deputy to Alex Jackson.
On his retirement from full time playing, in June 1973, he joined the coaching staff of Weymouth FC. He made 385 appearances (15 as a sub) scoring 48 goals during his time with the Terras.
In 1975 he moved to Kuwait to work as Youth team coach at National Sporting Club – where Graham Williams was manager and later became manager at Bideford Town staying 3 seasons before retiring from football.
“Catweazle”, an electrician by trade, was just a lad of 18 when he joined the Terras as a forward in 1971. He would go on to play for Weymouth for 10 years over 11 seasons and was always one of the first names on the team sheet.
During his decade in claret & blue he amassed 445 competitive games scoring 110 times. Since WW2 only 7 players have played more games and only 4 have outscored him. He was the top goalscorer in the 1974/75 and 1975/76 seasons and over his long tenure the club averaged a lofty position of 8th in the non-league pyramid with two Southern league runners-up medals.
He was rightly rewarded before his departure to Poole Town with a prestigious testimonial game at The Rec against Chelsea.
Called “Mr. Weymouth” by some and the “Weymouth Moses” by others, local boy Ash was quickly taken to the hearts of fans with his loyalty and stout defending in the often unfashionable right-back position.
Making his senior debut at 20 in March 2012, he went on to play for nine seasons until being released last summer with a testimonial planned. During his long tenure, he became the first Weymouth player to exceed the 300 competitive game mark in almost 15 years and his 55% win percentage is higher than any post-war player with over 130 games.
He is also one of only 20 or so players to boast more than one promotion at the club and he won two-thirds of his FA Cup matches as a Terra, an unparalleled feat amongst peers.
The Weymouth Football Club board have also elected to induct Sammy McGowan into the Weymouth Football Club Hall of Fame.
Forward “Wee” Sammy was persuaded to move south from Scotland to Weymouth in 1948 and played in the famous FA Cup 3rd Round game against Manchester Utd in the 1949/50 season.
He was also a member of the Southern League team that were runners-up in 1951/52 & 1954/55 and is the only Weymouth player to feature in two FA Cup wins over football league sides.
Despite only joining the club at the age of 28, he went on to play for 11 seasons until he moved to Portland United. He racked up 445 competitive games placing him 9th in the post-war appearances list and was an ever-present in the senior side from February 7 1951 to 28 April 1956.
In 1959 McGowan became landlord at the Cornopean Public House, then across the road from the Rec. A year later he became 1st XI trainer at the Recreation Ground and held the position until 1972.
