IT HAS been a memorable few weeks for Dale Belford and his family, getting drunk on the spirit of football.
Just a month after the PFA's Dave Palmer was handing Swindon keeper Tyrell Belford an award as PFA Community Champion 2016 for his outstanding work away from the pitch in Wiltshire, he was at Stamford Bridge to hand over Rugby Town's award to the 22-year-old's dad.
Dale, pictured, told The NLP: “Football is the smallest village in the world. I'm having lunch with the guy who gave my son his award – and he's here presenting me with one for my team!
“My teams have never been angels, until this year. And I've got to admit, my other boys who play, Cameron and Courtney, take after me. Ty is like my wife, Michelle, so people will be less shocked at him getting his award than me standing here now collecting this one!”
After his Evo-Stik NPL Division One South side finished as our saints for receiving just 35 yellow cards and one red – but crucially, none for dissent, foul and abusive language or violent conduct – Belford left his Butlin Road post last month.
The 48-year-old is rightly proud of the legacy he and assistant Steve Farmer, the former Bedworth manager, leave behind after their eight-month spell in charge.
“Fair play is a big, prestigious thing in football now and we're delighted to accept it,” says Belford. “I did have issues with being brought up in front of the FA three times while I was at Tamworth to explain the number of red cards we had. I always thought that with the tough environment in the Conference, it was always hard for us from a discipline perspective.
“We've proved at Rugby that you can be disciplined and competitive at the same time, winning plenty of games, which we have done this season after we took over seven games in with a relegation battle on our hands.
“The remit was to stay up, but we were looking towards the play-offs at one stage. In the end it was job done and we parted on good terms.
“Football is in my blood. It's something I love doing so hopefully there will be somebody out there who'll give me a chance to stay in management.”
