NEW GULL PROFILE
Matty Hayward – @MattyHayward96
Matty talks about the latest Gulls signing
Am I allowed to say I’m bored of the announcement videos yet?
Oh, ok, right, that’s a clear no.
Am I allowed to say I’m bored of being told that our (clearly very high-quality, entertaining, genuinely good) announcements videos are indicative of anything actually relevant or significant?
Oh, also no. I’ll bide my curmudgeonly time then.
The most recent fish to be snared by Paul Wotton’s south-west-wide net is James Hamon. The goalkeeper seems, if slightly unimaginative, to fit perfectly into the model of solid, sensible, local signings.
CAREER SUMMARY
Hamon was born in Guernsey, and his youth career began with St Martins FC. A cursory Google suggests that they are, historically, one of the Big Three teams in the island’s Priaulx League. However, it was with Isthmian club Guernsey FC with whom Hamon made his senior debut. Let’s hope that his birthplace (and maybe a bit of set-piece prowess) is the only thing that he shares with fellow islander Matt Le Tissier.
In 2013, aged 18, Hamon signed a deal with Exeter, and in the 14-15 season the stopper competed for a starting spot with fellow teenager Christy Pym. The Guernsey de Gea accrued 21 appearances in League Two that season – an impressive feat for a youngster.
Though he stayed on the Grecians’ books for another four years, he added only six more league games to his total. During that time, he had loan spells at Hayes & Yeading, then Gloucester, both in the National League South.
Hamon’s southwesterly pilgrimage continued when he signed for Truro in 2019. During his time with the Tinners, he played a key role in their promotion back to the National League South under Paul Wotton, before keeping the Cornwall Somerset Gloucestershire-based side up last time around.
Of course, I’ve missed a crucial footnote in the gloveman’s career. Hamon is no stranger to TUFC colours, having enjoyed a momentary foray into Gulls folklore in 2021. His singular appearance for Gary Johnson’s Promotion Pushers came from the bench at Solihull Moors. Drafted in after Shaun MacDonald got himself sent off, James’ primary contribution was to pluck the ball out of the net as United clung on to a 2-1 victory. There can’t be many Torquay players who hold a 100% win ratio. Even though he spent less than ten minutes on the (plastic) pitch, you have to wonder whether he’ll regret throwing that prestigious title away.
HIGHLIGHTS
Two clips of the goalkeeper in action for Truro City.
And one from the golf course!
TALKING ABOUT HAMON
Aaron Prettyjohns – Gutted, been a huge part of Truro success, top lad & a fantastic keeper. Wishing you all the best Hammy, guessing it’s Torquay don’t accept 2nd choice your No1.
Ty Brett – Best goalkeeper by a mile in the NLS.
Mitchell Baynham – Thanks for all your efforts mate, been a top keeper for us and probably the best we have had for a long time! All the best for the future! Super James Hamon in goal!
HAMON STATS
DATE OF BIRTH: 1ST JULY 1995 – 28 YEARS-OLD
PLACE OF BIRTH: GUERNSEY
HEIGHT: 1.85M
POSITION: GOALKEEPER
NLS 23-24 STATS: APPEARANCES 36, GOALS CONCEDED 53, CLEAN SHEETS 10
MOST LIKELY/LEAST LIKELY
Most Likely To
- Be compared to departing ‘keeper Mark Halstead. The retained list confirmed that the Chicken Wing Enthusiast would be surplus to requirements. All the best to him: a man who occasionally carried a terrible team, but more often was a liability behind a team of liabilities.
- Take the number one shirt. With both netsmen on the books departing, it seems pretty clear that James will be the main man come August.
- Win Torquay United squad bonding golf competitions with ease.
Least Likely To
- Fear NLS football. This is his level. He’s experienced here, and deserves a pop at the top end (hopefully!) of the division
- Have his name pronounced correctly. We must have confirmation as to whether it’s “Hay-mon” and we need to be reminded of departing director Mel Hayman every time we say his name, or if it rhymes with “Gammon” and we need to be reminded of departing director George Edwards.
CONCLUSION
Hamon looks like a decent acquisition. Our new era has to be marked by pragmatism, by making use of local contacts, by signing the biggest fish in this smaller pond rather than casting our net into waters that are too choppy for our wage budget to handle. This lad was one of the best goalkeepers in the Conference South last season, is coming into the prime of his career, knows the manager, and lives in the area. That makes this a sensible move.
According to his Linkedin (lmao) (no, seriously, it is quite humbling – perhaps a new low – to be getting information on our new signings from bloody LinkedIn: these are the joys of being so perennially non-league) Hamon is a professional golfer (https://www.youtube.com/@RogueGolfers).
So…
Let’s hope he’s picked the right club, and that he’s got the drive for next season. He hasn’t had to travel a fair way, so he should be able to chip in on the pitch. At 28, he’s not particularly green, but is youthful enough to putt a shift in. Let’s hope we can pin our hopes on him, and that he’s not under par [although, of course, in golf, to be under par is a good thing, but semantically it is most definitely a bad thing. Why is this? Will it confuse him? I hope not!].
I’ll not wedge any more puns in now. Welcome James. Mash potato.
COYY – MATTY
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