COUNTDOWN TO THE PLAY-OFFS
Meet the parents who’ll be heading to Wembley whoever wins Newport v Forest Green semi-final:
ROD and Claire Collins won’t know where to look or who to cheer on Tuesday night when they pay their first visit to Rodney Parade this season.
It is the business end of the season in League Two and after 56 games of playing behind closed doors, the Newport County players will finally welcome back 900 of their fans for the first leg of their semi-final clash with Forest Green Rovers.
Not that the Collins’ are any ordinary sort of fans. They will have a foot in both camps this week or, to be more accurate, two, with a son playing for either side.
All set to lead the attack for County will be 20-year-old Lewis Collins, while providing the firepower for Rovers will be his 23-year-old brother Aaron.
It will be the first time the Malpasborn siblings have played against each other and the tension in the family is almost as high as the excitement.
Both boys are shooting for a trip to Wembley, but Mum and Dad can at least relax on that front. Whoever wins the family shoot-out over the two legs, both parents will be heading to London hoping to join one of their sons in a promotion party.
“Both boys have been to Wembley before, but never got into the action. Aaron was an unused substitute for Tranmere Rovers when they reached the National League final in 2017, while Lewis was the 19th man for Newport in the League Two final in 2019,” explained their dad, Rod.
“Neither side won, so we’re just hoping it can be third time lucky for the family this year and that one of the boys can get promoted.”
Rod played a huge part in his sons’ development. A former defender for Welsh League Division 1 side Caerleon, he coached them in the U8s at Malpas.
“Aaron always had a ball at his feet, but Lewis took a bit longer to take it seriously. They both started playing at Malpas at the age of eight and I guess Lewis suffered a little bit because his big brother would always take the ball off him,” he added.
“Aaron didn’t get a scholarship at Newport and had to go and work in McDonald’s to make ends meet. Then Michael Flynn got involved and he got a contract at Newport.
“Lewis went to Cardiff City for a while, but was told he wasn’t good enough. Then he got into the Newport academy and became one of their scholars.”
Aaron’s football journey may have started in his home town of Newport, but has also taken him to Merthyr, Wolves, Notts County, Tranmere, Colchester, Maidstone, Morecambe and now Forest Green Rovers. He is 24 on May 27, four days before the play-off final at Wembley.
With 10 goals in 48 games for Forest Green this season he has become one of their key players. His two second-half goals at Oldham last weekend guaranteed a play-off clash with his old club and, with another County old boy, Jamile Matt, ruled out with injury, it will be Aaron who will provide the main goal threat.
“We took Aaron up to Wolves when he signed for them at 18. We met their manager Kenny Jackett and asked if we should take him back home to get his things after he had gone thorugh the formalities,” recalled mum Claire.
“He told us Aaron was now with the club and would be training first thing in the morning. He went off to a hotel and I cried my eyes out.
“He went out on loan all over the place while he was at Wolves. At Notts County he was living in a hotel, but had to move out at weekends because they had wedding commitments. He ended up virtually living out of the boot of his car.
“He worked so hard and never complained. We were both so proud of the effort he put in, and the sacrifices he made, to make it as a professional player.
“We normally go to the home games for Aaron because Forest Green is so close to Newport. When Lewis is fit and playing we then go and watch him at Rodney Parade.
“This season we’ve only been able to see three games live. They were in December when they had some pilot schemes in England with fans.
“Last weekend we had both games on the iFollow app and had our two phones turned on for notifications of goals from the matches as well. I was a bag of nerves.
“It was really frustrating at halftime because Forest Green were drawing and Newport were a goal down.
“Then Aaron scored twice, County drew level and we had a game between our two sons set-up in the play-offs.
“Aaron came back to the house in Malpas to help us wish his brother a happy 20th birthday. He didn’t get in until late, gave him a card with some money in and then we sang happy birthday as the clock went past midnight.”
There won’t be any gifts flying around at Rodney Parade on Tuesday, though, or in the return leg at The New Lawn three days later.
“The boys get on with each other, but if there is a 50-50 ball to go for I don’t think either will pull out,” said Rod.
“We are in one of those incredible win-win situations for these two games because we’ll have a team to follow to Wembley whatever happens.
“I just hope it doesn’t go to penalties because they will both be involved.”