Great meeting up with one of our best ever centre halves, Richard Callaway. The team he played in was always very competitive in a good standard of non-league football-the old Dr Martens Premier League. Dean White was manager and our opponents were teams like Burton Albion, Cheltenham, Crawley, Dover, Merthyr, Ilkeston.....
We were pretty much the strongest non-league side in Sussex and had some great players, Carlton Wynter, Andy Blondrage, Phil Henderson, Steve Willard, Terry White, James Creed.....
Enjoyed watching Richard at corners-he was a bigger version of Sean Ray-feeling sorry for the opposition goalkeeper and any defenders who got in Richard's way as he went for the ball.
Hope we can get back to this sort of standard in the future.
And in the same squad was a solid fullback or winger by the name of Danny Ashworth who shook off his Hastings heritage and now is a significant figure with the FA
Danny was our sub in that fateful away FA Cup replay at Crawley. We played brilliantly in the first half-2-0 up with Crawley never getting a kick. Right on half time Tony Burt was injured and was replaced by Danny. He was given a hard time by the Crawley winger and in a nightmare second half we conceded 3. All Danny's fault of course!
A few years ago, perhaps 1999? I was doing some work experience for the Mirror (I know, I feel dirty even now) which involved attending a press conference at White Hart Lane where Spurs were launching a new kit. On the pitch afterwards I was very surprised to see Richard Callaway. When I went up and spoke to him he refused to believe I was a Town fan and thought it was someone winding him up. I'm not convinced he fully believed me. I think he worked for Adidas in some capacity. What a player for our level he was. Certainly that was one of the strongest sides I've seen at the Pilot field in my lifetime.
Cally now works for Nike,
If you want to see him in action along with a few other ex Hastings players then head to Hawkhurst today Frant vets v T/ Wells vets
