Desperate de la Haye aims to break his duck

MICK DE LA HAYE is one of those players who does not tend to make the headlines. But it has emerged this season that the 35-year-old may have made history.

It seems extremely unlikely that anybody has ever won Priaulx titles with three different clubs, a feat the versatile defender completed last month.

And today he goes out to break another, this time unwanted record - he has played in four Uptons and lost the lot.

Bels may have gone a little off the boil - 'maybe we won the league too early' - but the veteran said today was the time to put things right.

'We definitely can win, I've no doubt about that. We need to play better than we have done tomorrow, but that is the right time to do it.'

De la Haye was a Bels mini before he switched to Vale Rec in his teens. He won the first of his Priaulx medals in 1993 at the Corbet Field as a young lad in a team of veterans including Mick Marley and Chris Dyer. They lost that year's Upton 5-4 in a ding-dong battle in Jersey, losing a 2-0 lead.

But he left the Rec, disappointed with a lack of first team opportunities and crossed the road to Northfield.

The club were perpetual runners-up at that time, and de la Haye failed to add another league medal in three seasons.

A little disaffected, he was coaxed to all-conquering Sylvans by some team mates from the island squad.

'I loved it there. They were a cracking bunch of lads and there were some great players there. I enjoyed every minute.'

With the possible exception of three Uptons - 3-1, 2-1 and 5-0 defeats from 1999 to 2001.

'We were expected to stroll the middle one, and didn't play well. The last one we just didn't turn up,' he said.

But when he bought a house, and busy at work, de la Haye drifted away from the game and spent a year in exile.

The closest he came to the pitch was a Saturday tea-time drink with friends at the Bels club, which, he said, turned into a concerted campaign to get him to sign.

Eventually de la Haye, who has played in virtually every position, though he prefers centre back, overheard Keith Parkyn telling Ray Queripel that he was the man to sign.

'That was a nice feeling. I went down training and the quality of the nippers there was brilliant.'

He is no doubt that Micky Ogier has moulded a team together from the individual excellence of some of the youngsters.

De la Haye expected to be competing for the Priaulx, but was far from sure that a league title would be on its way this spring.

'I never dreamt this would happen a couple of years ago - it just goes to show how far Bels have come.'

'I'm not usually nervous, but tomorrow I will be. But everyone wants to win, I'm hoping that the boys will perform and raise their game.'

It could be the last big occasion for the affable former Muratti man.

'I can't make my mind up if I'm going to retire. It's all starting to take its toll on my legs. I told my wife I would retire this season, but it would be nice to stay on and do it again.'

* GOALS by Kris Moherndl and Matt Drillot gave Sylvans a 2-0 win over Vale Rec in the Mauger Cup final at Blanche Pierre Lane.

It is the fourth time in a decade that the westerners have lifted the trophy for Jackson League sides.