Page 19 - Avonmouth FC v Almondsbury 091223

Today’s match ball sponsors are two Avonmouth FC life members, ex-players and
committee men, Des Villis and Paul Brown. Des joined Avonmouth in 1957 and
played in goal when the club also had two other outstanding keepers, Dave ‘Oscar’
Rowley who was offered a contract by Everton back in the 1950s and his brother
Graham whose opponents used to bounce off him when challenging for the ball.

Des took over the role of junior team’s secretary from Bert Britton who was club
secretary and treasurer, when back in the 1960s the club ran two youth sides that
were very much the academy route into the senior sides. Back in those days local
lads only ever played for their local side and that was Avonmouth St Andrews.
When Bert retired after 45 years as secretary and treasurer the club held a
presentation dinner with England manager Joe Mercer as the very special guest.
Des then took on the job of club secretary and in 1968 won the Bristol & Suburban
League’s Tome Pitts Memorial Award for the League’s outstanding club secretary.
It wasn’t long before the league invited Des onto their management team as
registration secretary and his organisational prowess was soon recognised by the
County and became a GFA councillor and ended his executive management career
as President of the Bristol & Suburban League.
Paul Brown was a central defender and started his playing career with Waring
House FC (Redcliffe) in the Church of England League and then for Conham
Rangers in the Bristol Downs League. Paul also played for the Port of Bristol Police
Sunday side on the PBA old ground now the home of Manor Farm. Paul was only
ever cautioned once and his nickname became Two Pound, the amount of his GFA
fine. As a trained first aider he came to the help of the Hengrove Athletic
goalkeeper who had fractured his femur during a game. Thanks to Paul’s expert
knowledge of how to stabilise the injury and by using kit found in the dressing room
was able to take the injured keeper safely off the ground, which meant according
to the hospital doctor, Paul’s actions speeded up his recovery and he was able to
walk down the church isle six weeks later with his new bride. Paul was invited to
the wedding and the story of his leg saving procedure featured in the Bristol local
press.
Paul eventually retired from playing at the age of 43 but had taken over the
treasurer’s role from Bert Britton and steered the club through many difficult years
before the club returned to Avonmouth in 1986 and then enjoying the financial
benefits of a club bar. At the new ground Paul was always down on match days
ensuring the ground was tidy, litter less and free of dog mess.