From the Welsh Premier League to West Ham: Macauley Southam-Hales’ FA Cup story
Two years ago, Macauley Southam-Hales was lining up for Barry Town United against Aberystwyth, now he is hoping to be a part of a major FA Cup upset.
The 24-year-old is playing for Vanarama National League side Stockport County these days after moving on from Jenner Park in 2018.
Southam-Hales new club Stockport, host David Moyes’ West Ham United at Edgeley Park on Monday 11 January.
“It will be good to face West Ham United,” said the right-back, “It’s obviously been on everyone’s mind for a while now.
“When the draw happened obviously everyone was buzzing.
“I’m hoping that I’m fit, as I came on at half-time against Altrincham. I’m looking to train Thursday to try and be fit on Monday for selection.
“It’ll be tough but we obviously know what we’re coming up against.
“It’s surreal but it’ll be a good experience hopefully if I’m on the pitch. It’ll definitely be one to tick off, playing against a top six Premier League team.
With four divisions separating the two sides, the Hatters will be form underdogs in football’s oldest competition.
“It is a bit different but it’s just another game of football at the end of the day,” added Hales.
“The opposition is going to be a lot better but we’ll just be trying to get the ball in the goal.
“It’s as simple as that.”
Southam-Hales journey’ is one similar to a lot of players who fell out of the professional game.
He was released from Cardiff City after the appointment of Neil Warnock saw him leave in an academy reshuffle, alongside Theo Wharton, who is now on the books of Barry.
Instead of floating around other development sides, Southam-Hales took the decision to drop out of full-time football and into the blood and guts of semi-professional football.
Southam-Hales said: “I enjoyed the academy system but towards the end I was getting towards 20/21 and it was just doing nothing for me.
“I wanted to go straight into a first team somewhere. I couldn’t find another club and dropped out full time and landed at Barry where I kicked on from there really.
“At that time in my life needed to be playing men’s football. So it was a case of getting into a men’s system so made the step to Barry. People see it as a step down or whatever but in my eyes it was just playing men’s football which was what I needed at the time.”
It was his move into the Cymru Premier which gave him a setting he hadn’t experienced before.
Development games are usually reserved for first-team players lacking game time or recovering from injuries.
Whereas the competitiveness of senior level football where there is something riding on the fixture, gave him the chance to experience what the sport is about.
“Everything happens, you’ve got the fans there, the three points, league table, relegation, promotion,” said the Bluebirds academy product.
“There is a lot more on the line when you’re playing men’s football. This is most peoples livelihoods, they are playing for their families. It’s sometimes maybe putting food on the table for most of them so, there is more on the line.
It is his spell at Barry that Southam-Hales advises those with a similar experience in the game to him to experience, leaping praise on his former boss Gavin Chesterfield.
“I’d 100% recommend it. If you join a club like Barry, they’re going to give you opportunities to play.
“Working with Gavin Chesterfield and the backroom staff there, you’re going to develop your game in different aspects than you would in academy level.
“The academy as I said will be technically better, but then when you work with someone like Gav’s, he’s demanding, he wants the best for the team,.
“You have to do your job and you learn on the it really. You get chucked in the deep end which is sometimes what you need.”
A key highlight in his Barry career was a 5-2 victory over Llanelli Town, in which he earned an assist, as well as games against Caernarfon Town and The New Saints.
However, he earmarked Connah’s Quay as an opponent, he wasn’t particularly excited of playing against: “I didn’t enjoy playing against Connah’s Quay because you always got kicked.
“Connah’s Quay were always very physical. They’re trying to play more now with the signings they’ve got.
“However when I was playing it was very physical demanding game. Players like me were just getting kicked around a bit.
“I did however enjoy playing against TNS because of the challenge and the test. Caernarfon was always a good game as with their fans our fans, it was always lively. It was always a good game because they were always there or there about.”
In his last words on the Barry Town chapter of his career, he revealed his admiration for the club: “My time there was fantastic because of the fans, I love them.
“I love the club, I loved the fans and I just thoroughly enjoyed my time there it was great.”
“I’m still in touch with most of the lads speak to them mostly daily, watch all the games when I can on S4C. I track the games on Twitter and I really want the club to do well.”
Embed from Getty ImagesDuring a one-and-a-half-year stint at Jenner Park, he made 49 appearances, helping them to a seventh placed finish.
It was in his second campaign in which he was catching the eye. Southam-Hales was all but a shoe-in for the first Wales C fixture. A match which has propelled the career of players in the non-league game.
However Southam-Hales wouldn’t get that opportunity, as instead he was a target of a number of professional sides and eventually Fleetwood Town secured his services.
He was due to rejoin Barry on a six-month loan, however complications in the deal put a stop to that. However despite his exit, the club were still able to qualify for the UEFA Europa League, ending a 15-year wait.
“I heard a few rumours before Christmas before the transfer market,” revealed Southam-Hales.
“I didn’t think any thing of them to be honest its just one of those where people are watching me then there was more interest. It kept on coming and then in mid January a lot more teams coming to watch me and the hype was growing.
“I was never sure someone was coming in because you never are, it was always in the back of my mind someone could end up happening towards the end of the window.
“Joey Barton rung my agent towards the end of the window I think around the 18th, asking if I could come up for a week for him to have a look, in which I would train with the lads.
“I went there and done well for that week and had a short period to try get the deal done before the end of the window.”
Embed from Getty ImagesHis move to Highbury Stadium saw him muster just three league appearances, however he did experience being managed by former Man City and Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton.
“It was always going to be difficult for me going there from Welsh Prem to League One trying to jump straight into the team with the likes of Lewis Coyle, Wes Burns people like that vying for positions, on the same side as me.
“In terms of working with Joey Barton thoroughly enjoyed it. He’s a good man, knows his stuff and learnt a lot from him to be fair.”
He would still experience senior football however, having spent a majority of the 2019/20 season on loan at Hartlepool United.
Southam-Hales would later return to Fleetwood where he would make a substitute appearance in their play-off defeat to Wycombe Wanderers.
Despite Fleetwood triggering a one-year extension in his contract, his stay with the Cod Army would be cut short.
He would return to the National League, joining promotion hopefuls Stockport County.
Revealing how his move came about, he said: “I had the call on the back from the play-offs (details). Someone at Stockport who’d just moved over from Hartlepool saying that they’ve asked about me and their interested.
“They told me that the club is growing massively and that they want to get promoted and be in the championship in the next five years. When you hear stuff like that you’re going to be straight onboard.
“So I spoke to my agent who had been there before. He said that it is a great club which also has a massive fan base and that it is right in the heart of Manchester.
Everything ticked the right boxes. It was a big opportunity for me that I couldn’t turn down.”
