Dunston's Scottish Links emerging! Local boy Chris Swailes goes from Boston United to Scotland (via everywhere!) and eventually arrives at his home club

As regular readers will know, the unique feature of this particular Road to Wembley is that it is The Road to Wembley from Scotland. Hence I am looking for Scottish Links involving the clubs I will be watching along the road. Yesterday I made contact with the good people at Dunston UTS who will be hosting the next match that I will be watching - the FA Cup Preliminary Round tie against Penrith on Saturday week. I asked them if they have any Scottish links. They told me that local Gateshead man Chris Swailes who played for them from 2011 to 2014 while in his forties, had a connection with Hamilton Academicals.

Chris Swailes proudly sporting the Dunston UTS colours

I first came across Chris in October 1991 when the family moved to Boston in Lincolnshire. Chris was the regular centre half for Boston United and on many occasions I saw him strutting his stuff as an elegant young ball playing defender during season 1991-92. In total in his spell at York Street he made 30 appearances for the Pilgrims and scored one goal.  On the 15th January 1992 Boston United played Slough Town in a Conference fixture and Chris was featured as the Pilgrim in Profile in the match programme

Chris Swailes a Pilgrim with Scottish connections

It is fascinating to note that Chris' favourite player was the Glaswegian Paddy Connelly then plying his trade in the SPL for Dundee United. An early sign that Chris had an affinity for Bella Caledonia. They do say that Geordies are really only Scotsmen with their brains bashed out! I don't suppose that Chris ever managed to achieve his ambition of becoming a millionaire.

From Boston United Chris moved on to play league football for Doncaster Rovers, Ipswich Town, Bury, Rotherham and Oldham Athletic. In 2007, in what I suspect must have been the realisation of a lifelong dream, Chris crossed the border and signed for Hamilton to play his football in Bonny Scotland. He served the Accies with distinction and in total made 52 appearance and scored 10 goals for the men from New Douglas Park over the next 2 seasons.

After leaving the Accies Chris went on to play for Gateshead and Blyth Spartans and finally signed for Dunston UTS in 2011 at the age of 40. Chris represented Dunston for 3 seasons playing 98 games and scoring 15 goals. In this three year spell at the UTS Stadium he also picked up an FA Vase winners medal. However our man Swailes was not done with Scotland yet.

In January 2015 he left the UTS Stadium to rejoin Hamilton Accies, this time as Assistant Manager to Martin Canning. Chris was only at New Douglas Park a few months but was instrumental in securing a 7th place finish for the Accies in the SPL in season 2014-15.

Chris returned to the North East to resume his playing career signing for Morpeth Town at the age of 44. Despite his almost pensioner status he amazingly helped Morpeth win the FA Vase less than three months ago when Morpeth beat Hereford 4-1 at Wembley. Chris scored Morpeth's first goal in the final. At the age of 45 one of Dunston UTS's favourite sons Chris Swailes is still playing. I raise a glass of whisky to a Geordie with strong Scottish connections.