Gwyn in his playing days in a 1977 FA Cup meeting with Cambridge City
Gwyn Walters in 1982Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Gwyn was a remarkable all round sportsman who both played for and managed Harlow Town. His sporting achievements include captaining the Welsh schoolboy and college sides, representing British Students in the World Student Games, full Welsh Amateur International, Welsh rugby schoolboy International, Welsh Pole Vault International and representing Glamorgan schools at cricket. His versatility is further demonstrated by the fact that he once started a game in goal for Harlow despite being a midfield player. Incidentally he kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory against St Albans City.
Walters started his career with his home town club Merthyr Tydfil before moving on to play for Barking and Ilford before joining Harlow in the summer of 1977. He was a member of the promotion winning side of 1978-79 and also played in the Essex Senior Cup winning side of the same season, setting Neil Prosser up for the winning goal with a quickly taken free kick in the dying minutes.
The following season Gwyn went to America to study and as a result missed the whole of the 1979-80 season, and subsequently missed out on all the hype that surrounded our FA Cup run that year. However, Gwyn was back in the side the following season and was to become manager Ian Wolstenholme’s coach at the start of the 1981-82 season. In February 1982 Gwyn took over as manager of the club after Ian Wolstenholme resigned but was unable to save the club from relegation. Gwyn’s first full season in charge saw the club win back it’s Premier Division place with a mixture of talented local youngsters and a few old experienced players. The first season back in the Premier Division saw the side finish in a creditable 12th place, however, financial restraints meant that Gwyn was unable to build on this success as many of the clubs top players were lured away to other teams and the club were once again relegated at the end of the 1984-85 season. At the end of that season Gwyn resigned and later went on to mange Hendon in the Premier Division as well as working with youngsters for several Football League sides.
During his time at the club he was a teacher at Stewards Comprehensive School in Harlow. Gwyn made 149 appearances for the club, scoring six goals.
Walters started his career with his home town club Merthyr Tydfil before moving on to play for Barking and Ilford before joining Harlow in the summer of 1977. He was a member of the promotion winning side of 1978-79 and also played in the Essex Senior Cup winning side of the same season, setting Neil Prosser up for the winning goal with a quickly taken free kick in the dying minutes.
The following season Gwyn went to America to study and as a result missed the whole of the 1979-80 season, and subsequently missed out on all the hype that surrounded our FA Cup run that year. However, Gwyn was back in the side the following season and was to become manager Ian Wolstenholme’s coach at the start of the 1981-82 season. In February 1982 Gwyn took over as manager of the club after Ian Wolstenholme resigned but was unable to save the club from relegation. Gwyn’s first full season in charge saw the club win back it’s Premier Division place with a mixture of talented local youngsters and a few old experienced players. The first season back in the Premier Division saw the side finish in a creditable 12th place, however, financial restraints meant that Gwyn was unable to build on this success as many of the clubs top players were lured away to other teams and the club were once again relegated at the end of the 1984-85 season. At the end of that season Gwyn resigned and later went on to mange Hendon in the Premier Division as well as working with youngsters for several Football League sides.
During his time at the club he was a teacher at Stewards Comprehensive School in Harlow. Gwyn made 149 appearances for the club, scoring six goals.
Mr Walters continues to be a legend at Honywood Community Science school in Essex where he still teaches and inspires young sportsmen and women!
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