Stars put on a show for club stalwart (01.05.05)

ON A glorious sunny day, Maidenhead put their relegation woes of the past 24 hours to one side and came together to celebrate the career of club captain Brian Connor in a testimonial match which had raised more than £1,200 by the final whistle.
The game started with a bang when Dennis Greene scored for Wycombe after just 70 seconds, beating Nick Hart with a superlative curling shot from 20 yards.
Maidenhead equalised after 13 minutes when a Ben Abbey cross was headed down by Chris Elsegood into the path of Steve Hale, whose superb strike gave Trevor Roffey no chance.
In the second half, Hale combined well with former Northwood strike partner Lawrence Yaku to make it 2-1 on the hour mark.
The day was topped off for Connor with 10 minutes left, when on a powerful foray up front he was brutally scythed down by Damon Ming.
He then got up to fire home the penalty and shortly afterwards took his leave, allowing son Bradley to take centre stage for the Magpies.
Maidenhead United chairman Jon Swan has paid tribute to club stalwart Brian Connor for his staunch service over the past nine years.
The 35-year-old defender made his debut for the Magpies on November 30, 1996, and has notched up an astonishing 370 games since – a record of club loyalty that Swan believes is almost unheard of in the modern game.
He said: “These days it’s very rare to find players who can play more than 350 games for you.
“To have a player who has been around for so much time, well words can’t describe how good he has been.”
The chairman added he was particularly impressed with Connor’s loyalty to the club in the period just after Alan Devonshire left, when John Dreyer was charged with leading the club.
He said: “Brain was one of the very few who stood by the new manager and helped him through. We’re very pleased to have him here as a player and as a friend.”
Swan was pleased the showpiece testimonial against a Wycombe Wanderers Old Boys XI, including current Magpies boss Dennis Greene, went so well for Connor.
Swan said: “I was delighted with how it went. Brian even scored, which doesn’t happen very often.
“I was pleased to see so many old players come back, the weather was kind for us – it was a good day. It also proved that some of these old players have still got it.”

FAMILY MAN: Man of the day Brian Connor celebrates his testimonial game with children Bradley, 16, Chloe, four, and Nicole, 12. Ref:88690/36