Connaught end 58 year wait for Sunday League trophy
Connaught United ended their 58-year wait to lift silverware – with nobody more deserving than long-serving secretary John Hughes.
Associated with the club since its first Wolverhampton & District League match almost six decades ago, John has been with them through thick and thin before finally getting his hands on a trophy on Friday night.
Cieran Clifton’s hat-trick in the Mac Webb Cup final ended Connaught’s decades of hurt – three times putting them in front against valiant opponents Pilot – with the referee’s final whistle ‘the sweetest sound’ John had ever heard.
“It was a bit emotional and a bit mind-blowing,” said John, who funds the club with the help of charitable donations. “It has been a long road for this to come to fruition.”
The road has been so long that the ribbons John tied to the handles of the cup were older than the players – he had kept them since the first cup final he took them to in 1977, which Connaught lost.
“I swore that if we ever won anything the same ribbons would be used,” he said. “It was a tribute to all the players who never won anything.”
Formed by eight school friends in 1964 – including John’s brother, Kevin – Connaught played a few friendly matches before joining the league in 1965.
John was at that first match, but only as a spectator after not making the cut for the matchday squad.
However, after finally getting to play for United, he went on to become secretary in 1974 – a position he has held ever since.
They lost their first final in 1977 – with those ribbons remaining in their bag – and fell short again in 1988, 2006 and 2010 (twice) before finally getting over the line against Pilot on Friday night.
After being pegged back twice, Clifton deflected in his and his side’s third, before they survived eight minutes of stoppage time to triumph.
“The sweetest sound I’ve ever heard was the referee’s final whistle,” admitted John, who then got to lift the trophy. “The players insisted I raised it so I was pleased about that.
“It was just satisfying, a relief, and a tribute to all the people from the last 58 years. It was emotional and starting to sink in now.”
