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Diolch Eddie / Thanks Eddie Saesneg / English Rŵan ei fod wedi roi cychwyn ar bethau am dymor arall yn yr Academi, mae un o arwyr yr ystafell gefn yn rhoi’r gorau i’w gyfrifoldeb presennol. Am y dair blynedd ddiwethaf Eddie Blackburn oedd Gweinyddwr yr Academi, swydd eithriadol o bwysig ac un sy’n cymryd llawer o amser. Ni chafodd Eddie yr iechyd gorau yn ddiweddar a bydd rhaid iddo rhoi’r gorau i’r swydd. Y gwir efallai ydy na fyddai’r mwyafrif wedi cymryd y swydd yn y lle cyntaf oherwydd eu hiechyd ond o wybod am gariad Eddie at bêl-droed yn gyffredinol, a CPD Porthmadog yn arbennig, fedrai o ddim gwrthod. Yn wir byddai iechyd Eddie yn elwa o beidio gwylio pêl-droed o gwbl ond mae hynny’n annhebygol iawn o ddigwydd! Pan ofynnwyd iddo sut fyddai’n cofio am ei gyfnod gyda’r Academi atebodd, “Gyda hapusrwydd mawr a hynny er waethaf rhwystredigaeth ambell dro. Ond roedd y pobl o’m cwmpas mor gefnogol a bob amser yn groesawgar gan fy ngwneud i deimlo’n rhan go iawn o’r Academi. Gobeithio mod i wedi ad-dalu peth o’r caredigrwydd yma drwy wneud eu gwaith hwy ychydig yn haws.” Fel y byddech yn disgwyl -o adnabod Eddie- ychwanegodd, “Mi gofiaf yr hogiau i gyd sydd wedi mynd drwy’r Academi. Pawb a’u personoliaethau eu hun ond gydag un peth yn eu huno, sef y brwdfrydedd a’r cariad at y gêm. Mwy na dim, byddaf yn cofio’r hiwmor sy’n diasbedain o gwmpas y lle o gyfeiriad yr hyfforddwyr a’r chwaraewyr -agwedd hyfryd iawn.” Yn ystod ei gyfnod gyda’r Academi gwnaeth eu llywio drwy nifer o adolygiadau’r Ymddiriedolaeth Bêl-droed er mwyn sicrhau’r nawdd a gwneud yr Academi yn un o’r rhai gorau yng Nghymru o rhan trefn. Mae wedi gwasanaethu’r Academi mewn cyfnod eithriadol o lwyddiannus. O gofio lleoliad gwledig Porthmadog gyda’r boblogaeth yn denau mae’r llwyddiant a gafodd Eddie a’r hyfforddwyr yn haeddu gwerthfawrogiad y cefnogwyr. Ei unig siom, wrth drosglwyddo’r awenau, ydy fod y clwb, wrth golli eu lle yn Uwch Gynghrair Cymru, wedi colli’r nawdd. Ond mae’n dal yn uchel ei ysbryd ac yn dweud, “Teimlaf yn optimistaidd am y staff a’u hagwedd - ‘nawn ni ddangos iddyn nhw’. Ni fydd yn daith hawdd ond wrth i weinyddwyr ieuengach ymuno, a pharhad y cydweithio rhwng yr hyfforddwyr, y cyfarwyddwr a’r gweinyddwyr does gen i ddim amheuaeth y bydd yr Academi yn dal i ffynnu. Byddaf yn methu’r cysylltiad o ddydd i ddydd gyda Mel a’r hogiau ond mae bywyd yn mynd yn ei flaen a bydd yr Academi yn mynd o nerth i nerth. Diolch yn fawr Eddie a phob dymuniad da wrth fynd i’r afael â chyn swydd Angela yn gofalu am y Drwydded Ddomestig. Thanks Eddie Now that he has set things in motion for another Academy season, one of this club’s unsung heroes will be calling it a day in his current responsibility. Eddie Blackburn has for the past three years served as Academy Administrator, one of the most important yet time consuming roles in the club. Eddie has not enjoyed the best of health and will now have to relinquish his role. In fact if the truth be told Eddie’s health was such that most people would not have taken on the job in the first instance, but given Eddie’s love of football in general and Porthmadog FC in particular he could not refuse. In fact Eddie’s health would benefit from not attending football matches at all but that is very unlikely to happen! When asked how he would remember his time at the Academy Eddie responded, “With great fondness, although there have been many frustrations these have been somewhat alleviated by the fact that the people around me have been so supportive and always made me feel welcome and a real part of the Academy. I hope that in some small way I have repaid some of that kindness by making their jobs a little easier.” As you would expect and knowing Eddie, he added, “I shall remember all the boys who have passed through the Academy. They all have their different personalities but one thing unites them and that has been their unfailing enthusiasm and love for the game of football. Above all I will remember the wit and sense of humour that crackles around this place both from the coaching staff and the boys, lovely, lovely attitude.” In his time with the Academy he has seen them through several reviews by the Welsh Football Trust to secure grant aid and has put in place one of the best organised Academies in Wales. He has also served the Port Academy during a period of unbelievable success. Given that Porthmadog is in a rural, thinly populated area the success which Eddie and the hard working coaches have achieved deserves the highest praise from Porthmadog supporters. His only disappointment, as he prepared to hand over responsibility for administering the Academy, was the loss of funding which came when Porthmadog FC dropped out of the Welsh Premier League. However he remains upbeat about the Academy and says, “I feel the optimism running through the staff at present, and a feeling of ‘we'll show them’. It will be a hard and sometimes bumpy ride but with the introduction of new, younger people doing the administration and the continuation of co-operation between coaches, director and office staff, I have no doubt that the Academy will continue to flourish. I shall obviously miss the day to day contact I have had with Mel and the boys, but life goes on and the Academy will, without doubt, become stronger and stronger.” Thanks Eddie and best wishes in your new role overseeing the Domestic Licence application which Angela undertook last season. |
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