Hometown Heroes

The Devils’ prolific junior development system was another WNIR wonder to behold. Team GB and many clubs throughout the country have benefited from the quality of young players produced in South Wales.
 
Nicky Chinn, Jason Stone and Paul Cousins may well have been first through the gate but four years after the club began there would be Welsh talent all over the Devils bench. Indeed, when the Devils pole axed Steelers 12-1 in the 1994 Heineken Play-Off final at Wembley, the final goal was notable, not just because Richard Townsend fired through Martin McKay’s five-hole from out on the left wing, but because:

Every Devil was a home grown product. James Manson, Lee Carson, Neil Francis, Simon Keating and, of course, Townsend were all regulars.

The development of the Superleague stifled local development somewhat with the increased number of imports. However, Devils such as Phil Hill still came through the ranks.
 
Jason Stone has clocked up over 1,000 games and Matt Myers and Jonathan Phillips are doing fine in the highly competitive Elite League. Welsh goalie Nathan Craze is now a starting Goalie with Edinburgh and Mike Brabon has also played at the highest levels in Britain. Goalie Stevie Lyle (pictured above) is even back for his tenth season with the Devils and this year is enjoying a testimonial season, details of which are HERE. With the next generation of local Devils like Ben Davies, Sam Smith and Josh Batch, the Learn to Play scheme and the development of the junior programme there will be more and more hometown heroes.