GAVIN CHESTERFIELD-BARRY, ELMORE, MERTHYR, WALES, EXETER

Gavin Chesterfield

Don't get too excited about the reference to Chesterfield-I am not going to chat about the "Twisted Spire Men", you know, Chesterfield FC. This is about......

Gavin Chesterfield, who is a course leader for the MSc Advanced Performance Football Coaching Degree. He has a wealth of higher education experience and has led programmes at Foundation Degree, Honours Degree and Masters' Degree level, and holds external examiner roles at other higher education institutions. Just shows you what can be achieved academically in Football.

 Professionally, Gavin is a UEFA "A" Licensed coach and former professional football player, who proudly works at an international level, coaching at U15/16 age-grade with Wales and was a part of the coaching team that recently retained the Victory Shield, the historic annual tournament competed for by the under-16 teams of Scotland, Eire, Northern Ireland and Wales, traditionally a competition for the Home Nations. The competition was originally competed by under-15 teams until 2001, when it switched to under-16 to fall in line with UEFA competitions. This included England of course, until The FA withdrew their team** from the tournament "for the foreseeable future" in 2015. The competition was continued after England's withdrawal, with the Republic of Ireland taking their place. 

**This was part of the FA's programme to improved English football! Well 6 years later.....? BELOW      Northern Ireland win for only the second time in 2018.

Gavin is now the manager at Barry Town United, a position he has held successfully for around 300 senior games, and works with the FA Wales Trust as a UEFA "A" and "B" license coach, educator, mentor and assessor, as well as as a consultant in coach education.

He was a youth team player at Exeter City in 1998 and was part of the FA Youth Cup team that drew with Arsenal in the 4th Round. He played 1 game in the South West Counties League in 1996/97 and 

and he later  played for the 1st team in the "Devon Bowl" against Plymouth Argyle in May 1999.
After leaving Exeter he had a short spell at Elmore FC in the South-west Peninsular League, before signing for Merthyr in 1999/2000. 

In addition to these roles, Gavin works as a UEFA coach educator, mentor and assessor on behalf of the Football Association of Wales Trust (FAWT) and delivers a combination of theory and practical content across the coach education spectrum (UEFA B, through to UEFA Pro Licence). 

On the 14th of June 2020, the following was reported on the Barry Town website: "Barry Town United were delighted to announce that manager Gavin Chesterfield has agreed a new two year contract at the football club. 2020/21 will be Chesterfield’s 14th season in charge of the team, having first joined in the summer of 2007. Since then he has taken charge of exactly 450 games and become synonymous with Barry Town United. His results this season have been P7 W5 D1 F16 A5. Next up, an away Premier League match at The New Saints.

Chesterfield won promotion from Welsh League Division Two in his first season at the helm and helped stabilise the club in the second tier. When the club were withdrawn from the league by a previous owner in 2013, Chesterfield and the Barry Town Supporters Committee fought to ensure the club’s survival and continued existence. Having won a court case, Chesterfield then guided the team to three promotions in four years, ensuring a return to the top-flight in 2017.

The revival was complete in 2019 when the club finished third in the Welsh Premier League, qualifying for European football for the first time in 16 years, something which would again be achieved this year with a fourth place finish. Chesterfield’s tenure has also included an appearance in the Welsh League Cup final in 2017 and two Welsh Cup semi-finals in 2013 and 2019. The club and town crest is:

Here is the explanation!!

The Official blazon: Arms : Or three Bars gemel Gules between in chief two Fleurs-de-Lys Azure and in base a Dragon passant of the second.

Crest : On a Wreath of the Colours upon Water Barry wavy proper, a Lymphad Sable sail set "Argent lozengy" also Sable pennons flying Gules.
Supporters : either side a Unicorn Argent armed crined and unguled Or gorged with a Chain of the last pendent thereform by a like Chain an Escutcheon that on the dexter Argent three bars gemel Gules and that on the sinister as the Arms.
Motto: 'CADERNID CYFIAWNDER CYNNYDD' - Stability, justice, progress.

Origin/meaning The arms were officially granted on October 31, 1939. The bars gemel or pairs of barrulets are from the arms of the De Barri family and the fleurs-de-lis are from the heraldry of Lord Davies of Llandinam. The red dragon is that of Wales. The ship with the black diamonds on its sail alludes to the coal exported from Barry. The supporters are derived from those of the Earl of Plymouth.