KCsoccer.com Interview: Huw Williams

Photo: KCFC Technical Director Huw Williams talks with KCsoccer.com

Today KCsoccer.com profiles: Huw Williams

Team(s) you are affiliated with: KCFC Technical Director and coach of KCFC Intensity (U16G); KCFC Impact (U18G); KCFC Strikers (U17B)

How did you begin playing/coaching? Started playing at a very young age (can’t remember not playing)– I am from North Wales and if you did not play soccer in North Wales then you did not participate in any sport. I attended my 1st coaching certification course at the age of 15 (FA Prelim). I then held weekly clinics for the local grade-schoolers every Saturday morning for the FAW (Football Association of Wales).

Name some of your biggest wins as a player/coach: Biggest win as a player – Wales U19 2 v England U19 0. Biggest wins as a coach – U13G and U15G Regional II Championship matches. The u13 final was very exciting. We tied the game in the last minute of regulation and scored the winning goal the 1st minute of overtime.

Name some players you have played/coached against that have impressed you (and why?): Biggest name played with – Ian Rush who went on to be one of the best goalscorers of all time. However the best player at that time was Kevin Ratcliff who went on to captain Wales and Everton FC but as a youth player Kevin was head and shoulders better than the rest of us. He was stronger, faster and simply way better than all of us. (Later in life – Kevin claimed that he challenged Linford Christie to a race in the streets shortly after the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in which Christie had just won the gold medal – Kevin also claims that he won the race!!). Best player played against – Bernhard Schuster, German international player who also played for Barcelona and Real Madrid. He captained Germany U19s v Wales U19s – we lost 3-2.

Compare the game now compared to when you first started playing/coaching: The game in Kansas City is WAY different from when I first came over here in 1985. In those days there were very few clubs and very few premier level teams. (I remember talking with Emilio John after his team – Club America(?) had won an out of town tournament and that was considered to be a huge deal at the time). Kansas City soccer has since developed into one of the major soccer communities in the country. The depth of the talent level has improved dramatically.

What factors have helped you be a successful player/coach? Biggest influence on my coaching – Stuart Griffiths, my college coach. I had played for various pro clubs prior to attending college so I had been subjected to a certain coaching style – which was basically ‘win games and take no prisoners’ – foul or be fouled. Stuart Griffiths was just as competitive and had the same desire to succeed as these pro coaches but believed in doing so in the right manner. I hope his method was the biggest influence on my coaching.

Name your top 11 players of all time (no restrictions):
Spot the common denominator?
Neville Southall
John Charles (the gentle giant)
Kevin Ratcliff (the Rat)
Joey Jones
Ryan Giggs
Leighton James
Terry Yorath
Ivor Allchurch
Mark Hughes
John Toshack
Ian Rush
Subs
Trevor Ford
Cliff Jones
Brian Flynn
Billy Meredith
Gil Reece
Gary Sprake
Mickey Thomas

Formation – 3-4-1-2. Tactics: John Charles and Joey Jones marking tight at the back. Charles winning all of the headers and Ratcliff covering both players. Lots of speed and skill out wide with James and Giggs. Yorath winning lose balls and Allchurch spraying passes and attacking from midfield. Hughes would be a link between the forwards. Tosh would win all the high balls and Rush would feed off of his touches.

This interview was completed on: (date) January 8, 2009

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