500-UP FOR LOYAL COOMBES 14/04/2004   Defender Andy Coombes created a little piece of history when he made his 500th appearance for Screwfix Direct Western League club Devizes Town on Saturday. Coombes is just 31-years-old and he is confident he has a few seasons left at the club that he first represented in the under-11’s as a schoolboy. Coombes, who captained the team for four years, admitted he has received offers to move to other clubs during his career, including Melksham Town, but never felt the desire to play for anyone else except his hometown club. "I am pretty chuffed to have wracked up that many appearances," he said. "To have played for Devizes 500 times is a bit of a milestone, but they really have flown by." Despite starting life as a centre forward Coombes made his debut for the senior team in defence when he was aged just 21 and his hero was Swindon Town defender Colin Calderwood. He said the highlight of his career was captaining Devizes when they won the Western League Division One title in 2000, without losing a game. "It's something I will always remember and I don't think many teams who play Saturday football go without losing for the whole season," he said. He said he could also remember the glory years when Town reached the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. Devizes lost 5-2 to Kingstonian, but he said he felt it was an incredible achievement considering Town was the lowest non-League side left in the competition at that stage. But he admitted last season was probably the low point of his club career, when Devizes finished bottom of the table. Coombes, an accountant, who works in Devizes, said it was a traumatic period for the club with three managers in a matter of months. "I don't think the club has changed that much in the years I have been playing, but any changes that were made have been for the better," he said. "We have a new committee now and everything seems to be going much better at the club. There is more stability and it has a better name than perhaps it did twelve months ago." Coombes said he started playing at Devizes because it was his local club. "I think it is a shame that at this level people aren't supporting their home town or playing for their local club," he said. "I could have gone to other clubs who play at a similar level, but I couldn't really see the point for an extra fiver." Coombes played right the way through the club's youth system, but when he was aged 17 to 20 he started playing football on Sundays and watched Swindon Town on Saturdays. He said he started playing in the defence by accident when he filled in for an injured player. But he enjoyed it so much he decided to stay. Coombes has rarely missed a game since he made his debut for the club in 1993, although he was forced to when he was training for his accountancy exams. He has also been ucky to avoid any serious injury. Coombes said he has no plans to retire just yet and hopes he can carry on playing for the club he loves for at least another four or five seasons. "It's getting harder because I am getting older, but I still enjoy it and if I gave up now I'm sure I would regret it nine or ten years down the line," he said. "I have made some great friends at the club through the years and I can't imagine doing anything else on a Saturday afternoon." Former Devizes manager Brian Newlands, who has known Coombes since he was a teenager, praised his loyalty and skill. From the first night he came to training as an 18-year-old he stood out," said Newlands. "I was manager of the reserves then and I immediately picked him out as a great prospect. When I became manager of the first-team his name was always the first on the team sheet. He really was ‘Mr Consistant’ and at his best could have played any position on the field. His loyalty to the club is to be much admired. He is the only player at this level that I know to have stayed with one club for ten years. We had more approaches for him than any other player but he always stayed loyal to Devizes. He could have played at a higher level but luckily for Devizes he chose to stay. I think it is great he is getting this recognition of his loyalty."