Calvin Brooks becomes just the 17th player to play 350 competitive games in a Weymouth shirt.
Here’s how he remembers his time as a Terra…
When Calvin played in Saturday’s FA-Cup outing versus Forest Green Rovers, it did not end with a result that he, or the rest of the team, would have hoped for, as we were handed a 2-0 defeat.
But beyond the loss, the versatile defender was still able to celebrate something significant.
His weekend appearance ensured that he has now achieved a feat managed by only 16 other players throughout the club’s history.
That’s right, he joins a list that includes Tony Hobson, Anni Iannone and our club ambassador Jason Matthews to have made at least 350 competitive appearances in a Weymouth shirt.
When he first joined us on loan in September 2014, from our arch-rivals Yeovil Town, few could have expected that the then-20-year-old would be sitting down with us an entire decade later.
However, 350 games (incl. 331 starts), 32 goals, 100 clean sheets, and two promotions (in a row) later, the experienced footballer has firmly cemented himself into Weymouth’s history books.
For Calvin though, this is an occasion that has been a long time coming. He tells us that he has had this milestone in the back of his mind for a while, and may have been lucky to have attained it even sooner had it not been for recent long-term injuries.
“It was a little while ago when I played my 300th game, and it’s something lots of people have reminded me of, too,” Calvin says. “But, a few things have happened in-between.”
One of those “things” he refers to is injury setbacks, notably in February when he tore his meniscus during a 1-0 win away to Dartford. His return this campaign as an ever-present at the back could not be more impressive, given his surgery just a few months ago in pre-season.
Understandably, he told us that it was a “relief” to return to playing.
Another obstacle to achieving his milestone was his transfer to Salisbury in November 2021, a move Calvin says was extremely tough to make.
“Without sounding dramatic, leaving was heartbreaking. I’d been at Weymouth for seven years and it felt like my home,” he tells us. “But we were in the National League for the second year running and I had just started my own business.”
This commitment to work left Calvin one of only three in the squad, alongside Andreas “Robbo” Robinson and Ben “Thommo” Thomson, to have a job away from the pitch.
With fifth-league football ensuring hectic travelling across the country, this change to Calvin’s life, combined with working outside of football, invited a lot of pressure.
However, a return to Weymouth was something that he knew he would “snap at” if given the chance, a thought that intensified after he came to the end of his contract at Salisbury last summer.
Thankfully, the club reached out to him during this period, wishing for him to come back to where he was still popular with fans and staff alike.
Now back for his second spell since the start of the 2023/24 season, Calvin is undoubtedly one of the leaders of the dressing room, a role confirmed by both teammates and coaches.
Current manager Mark Molesley, who has been a part of Calvin’s life, on-and-off, since 2015, cites the defender’s experience as key to the role he plays in the dressing room.
“Calvin has been at the club a long time,” Mark says. “He knows what it means to play for Weymouth. He’s seen the successes and the struggles.”
“Those are the attributes we need right now. Not just myself and the rest of the staff, we need players who can share their experiences about the importance of putting on a Weymouth shirt.”
For Calvin, this is a “nice position to be in”.
“Now, I can pass on things I’ve learnt about the game over the past 13 years to the younger players.”
I asked him how he operated as a lead figure.
“I like to keep everyone on their toes.”
Though that may sometimes involve digging out a player at half time to get the team going, Calvin says his method of guidance is to “keep things light-hearted.”
“On a Saturday I see some players who look like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders,” he claims. “I want to help them relax and help them be the best version of themselves.”
It may be unsurprising to hear that every player we have interviewed named Calvin as the biggest “prankster” in the squad. He insists, though, that none of them have gone too far!
But, make no mistake, he has an unquestionably serious side. When Mark, Jason and chairman Paul Maitland were asked about Calvin’s biggest strength, they all responded with the same word:
“Professionalism.”
It’s a side to his game that he himself believes has allowed him to play so many games in a Weymouth shirt, explaining, “looking after your body is the biggest tool as a player. It’s something I’ve had to keep an eye on the longer my career has gone on. How I recover, what I put into my body, it’s about making sure everything I do in-between matches will improve my performance levels.”
I asked him if he has always applied this level of discipline throughout his career. Before he answers, he lets out a guilty laugh.
“I would love to lie to you and say that I have always looked after myself. That isn’t the case. You get away with more when you’re younger!”
I wonder if he is being a little harsh. After all, Paul saw a player who “quickly became integral to the first team.” Then-manager Jason, who had previously played with a teenage Calvin at Dorchester Town, saw enough in his ex-teammate to bring him down to Weymouth on loan in 2014.
It didn’t take Jason long to recognise leadership qualities in his young defender, either, giving him the captain’s armband for the first time in only his second season, after then-skipper Stewart Yetton suffered injury setbacks.
However impressed the club were when they first saw the 20-year-old defender, he was equally enamoured with his new side.
“There were three clubs who were interested in me at the time. But, when I heard that one of them was Weymouth, it took me about 10 seconds to make my choice. I knew I would be heading to a massive club, a real sleeping giant.”
“Although it’s only once you join that you realise how committed the fans and volunteers are, the size of the fanbase stood out straight away.”
Jason was our manager at the time, and in him Calvin immediately spotted a positive managerial figure who looked to get the best out of his players.
“He was brilliant, just encouraged all the players to be themselves. He loved attack-minded players and always encouraged us to get forward. A really positive manager, always enjoyed training. I’m really grateful for that time, not just to Jase but the characters I played with.”
Though Calvin is the player his teammates look up to today, this was a period where he would be the one guided by other senior players.
Though he praises the “fantastic…group” as a whole, he name drops “immense leader” Stewart Yetton, which, given his 65 goals for us in three seasons, will surprise nobody.
He doesn’t forget to mention fellow-club-legend “Thommo,” alongside Chris Shephard for his “unbelievable skill.”
“It was never boring to be around these lads,” Calvin reminisces. “It was such a laugh during the week, but we would do absolutely everything to win on a Saturday.”
This crop of players were able to finish seventh in the Southern Football League Premier Division for two successive seasons, finishing just three and four points off the play-offs at the end of the 2014/15 and 2015/16 season.
During this time, Mark joined as a player from Aldershot Town, before swiftly transitioning into a coach, eventually becoming manager in 2017.
What did you first see in Mark?
“His work-rate and appetite for the game was like no other. Even now, I’ve never seen anyone work as intensely as him. Watching him on a weekly basis, it’s really eye-opening. He’s a coach first, and I was quite young when he first took charge, and I still had a lot to learn. I was a bit of a sponge taking everything in”
I don’t need to remind you just how much Mark’s hard work paid off, do I?
After narrowly missing out on promotion to the National League South during his first season in our dugout, courtesy of a semi-final play-off loss to King’s Lynn Town, the following season was a different story.
We tore the league apart, finishing top with 86 points, scoring a whopping 96 goals.
Though Brandon Goodship was our top scorer with 37 (yes, really) league goals, Calvin’s attacking influence is not to be understated, chipping in 12 of his own, in addition to providing 10 assists.
From full-back, by the way!
His favourite goal from that season? The one he scored away to local rivals Poole Town.
Perhaps unsurprising, given that it earned us a crucial point before going into the final day.
Oh, and it only took him 12 seconds to score it!
It is also worth mentioning that Calvin told me he had a “terrible memory” before speaking to me, although his recollection of this crucial strike suggests anything but, gleefully talking us through that special moment.
“Poole have a massive pitch and were used to playing teams off the park,” he remembers. “So, to score so quickly, which put the title into our own hands, going into the final day is something I will never forget.”
“We had to get something out of that game, and what a way to do it. We showed how ready we were.”
Then, with our final game of the season at home to Farnborough, the rest is in Weymouth’s history books. Goals from Yemi Odubade, Brandon and “Thommo” put us in the National League South for the first time in nine years. Finally, the “sleeping giant” was back.
I wonder how Mark was able to get the best out of the whole squad.
In Calvin’s view, his team talks.
“He often refers to life as a whole, not just football. He’s very keen for us to react to setbacks as people, not just as players. He’s always preaching beyond just 90 minutes. That’s taught me a lot.”
But, make no mistake, his hunger and desire were certainly matched by the squad.
“The group we had at that time saw a lot of players at the same stage of their career, and we were all extremely well-drilled and knew exactly what Mark wanted us to do. A lot of the players had been released by bigger clubs; we felt we had a point to prove.”
This level of passion didn’t stop during the 19/20 season either, so much so that we took our electrifying form one step further, earning a spot in the National League at the end of the campaign.
Our third-place position earned us a spot in the play-offs, after the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely, before a penalty shootout win versus Dartford took us up to England’s fifth tier for the first time in 11 years.
As much of an underdog story this may have seemed, Calvin remembers this period differently.
“The momentum from last season had carried on, so we went into every game full of confidence believing we would win. When you have that mindset, you are able to do that more often than not. That’s exactly what happened.”
Did they know they were achieving something so special?
“Even at the time we realised this wouldn’t happen again. We achieved something that very few people have the chance to do. We never took it for granted and, for myself at least, these were some of the best times of my life.”
The fans must have felt the same.
“It was huge. Nearly every week we managed to put a smile on their faces. It’s important that fans who have a tough week are given something to cheer about,” Calvin gleefully explains.
“But it’s not just the fans. Even local businesses do well when we get to play bigger teams week-in, week-out.
Five seasons on, Calvin is still playing in the National League South and very much one of Mark’s most important players, even in a new-look Weymouth side.
Although results haven’t gone our way of late, Calvin echoes Mark’s, and the rest of the squad’s view that recent results don’t reflect the true potential of this team.
“We’ve kept the core group together from last season, which helps with our chemistry and camaraderie, but we’ve also added quality over the summer. We definitely have a capable group; it’s just a matter of showcasing that on a Saturday or Tuesday.”
Though, however capable this squad is, it will always be improved with a player like Calvin in it.
Thank you for the memories, and here’s to hopefully 350 more…
Written by Jack Webb
