Taff wants first team football

By Albatross
October 16 2003

Anthony "Taffy" Williams has told the Hartlepool Mail that he wants first team football - at Hartlepool United or if necessary elsewhere. Pools Online wonders where it's all gone wrong for the Welsh Keeper.

Taff's comments to the Hartlepool Mail make it very clear that he's not content to sit on the bench every game, and that if he doesn't get first team football at Pools he'll look elsewhere. This in many ways is understandable: since signing for Pools in the summer of 2000, he's spent most of his time at the club as the number one 'keeper, and at the age of 26 he should be just coming into his prime.

Instead, he finds himself displaced by Jim Provett, someone more than five years his junior, and not even playing regularly for the reserves as Cooper and Scott take an extended look at Demitrios Konstantopoulos. The LDV Trophy defeat was his 146th appearance in three and a bit seasons - but also his first since the opening day against Peterborough. With Cooper giving Provett his chance, and the youngster responding magnificently, Williams finds himself frozen out of the side.

It's a disappointment for him in part because great things were expected for the Welsh stopper. He arrived on a free from Blackburn, and although he'd not made the first team there he was highly rated. First team experience had been gained in loan spells with Macclesfield (twice), Bristol Rovers and Gillingham, and he had taken the record for the most number of caps won for the Welsh u21 side - during which time he'd made his name as a penalty expert by saving two spot kicks in the same game on two occasions. Enquiring of a Rovers fan of my acquaintance at the time, I was told that he was a cracking young keeper, and that we'd get a hefty transfer fee for him in the future.

That transfer fee looked set to arrive sooner rather than later. After starting as backup to Martin Hollund, he got his chance fairly early in the season following an injury to the Norwegian and held his place for the rest of the season. Such was his form that come Christmas 2000, Pools had already turned down an approach for Williams from Cardiff, and before long Turner was talking of him in terms of a future full international.

The next season followed a similar pattern - coming in after Hollund started the season, and keeping possession of the jersey - but performances were not always at quite the same level. With the departure of Hollund at the end of the season, and Turner's decision to go without another experienced 'keeper, Taff found himself pretty much the undisputed number one. The only game he didn't play in last season was the 5-0 defeat at Tranmere in the LDV, when Provett took the gloves for the first time, albeit with a reserve side in front of him.

Last season though showed us both the best and worst of Taff, and criticism wasn't long in coming. At times he was sublime, his performance in front of the Sky cameras against Bournemouth close to world class as he saved a penalty and kept the South Coast team at bay until close to the end of the game. At other times he was awful, the nadir possibly being the 4-0 defeat at Rochdale where he was very much at fault for a couple of the goals, and almost got caught out on another couple of occasions as well.

It was this inconsistency that many found so frustrating. Despite having a very solid defensive unit in front of him, Taff seemed to concede more goals than we would have expected - and with the odd howler thrown in for good measure the clamour started to grow. With the emergence of Provett, Williams' future at Pools looks in grave doubt.

Where did it all go wrong then? Can he turn it around? My personal opinion is that Taff's problem was in part that last season especially he was in a comfort zone. With Turner, and then Newell, both seeming to be unwilling to give Provett a chance, and no other pro keeper at the club, he was guaranteed to be on the teamsheet. In many ways it was a parallel with a situation when Hollund had been out of form a few seasons earlier - it was only after he was dropped for a few games (Simon Miotto coming in) that he returned, looking much more confident and determined. Taff however was never given that option - and in Jim Provett, Pools look to have unearthed a player that has potential to go far.

Taff's best hope of regaining the starting slot seems to be if Jim picks up an injury - for no Poolie thinks that he'd deserve to be dropped on recent performances. However, Williams is obviously becoming a little impatient. Under the circumstances, it wouldn't be a great surprise to see Taff join Hendo and Richardson out on loan. One source is already saying he's going to Kidderminster, while Hull and Swansea have also been mentioned.

Would he come back to haunt us if he did leave? Possibly. After all, who would have thought after his unhappy time here that Andy Dibble would still be turning out regularly for Wrexham. Williams though needs to rediscover his best form - and consistently - if he's to show that he's still got what it takes. Tony, it's over to you.....