FA Cup goal hero Amond to leave Newport after being released by club
ALL good things come to an end eventually and this week the love affair between Newport County and Padraig Amond was terminated.
The Irish striker, synonymous with so many famous FA Cup goals during County’s recent dream runs in the tournament, was among the players released by the club after his contract ran out.
He leaves Rodney Parade a hero having scored 59 goals in 206 games over a four-year period.
Ironically, having played in two League Two play-off finals at Wembley, he finally gained promotion this season with Exeter City. His seasonlong loan spell with the Grecians saw him play 24 league games and score three goals as they finished runners-up to Forest Green Rovers.
Those much revered and still talked about FA Cup goals against Manchester City, Leicester, and Middlesbrough counted for very little when James Rowberry was cutting his cloth for the 2022-23 season. An 11th-place finish was not up to scratch and his eyes are firmly fixed on the future, rather than the past.
“A week before the start of the season I was told from a number of places that I wasn’t wanted at Newport. I didn’t know where I would end up and I’m just so pleased that it was Exeter,” said the 34-year-old Irishman.
“At the time things felt very raw about how it happened. I was disappointed, especially being told that late in pre-season, but that’s football and you have to get on with it.
“It’s a cut-throat industry. I signed five seasons ago for Newport, I played over 200 games for them, scored 60 odd goals and I got released in a 25-second phone call - 10 to 12 seconds of which was the manager introducing himself to me because of a change of number,” revealed Amond in the League of Ireland podcast
“I was down in Exeter for the promotion parade, with my Mam, Dad, my wife and son and I was walking to go and meet the bus. The phone call happened so quickly they didn’t even know I was on the phone.
“It doesn’t surprise me, I know what football is like, but it does hurt.”
Joining Amond in leaving the club are fellow striker Alex Fisher, Ryan Haynes, Courtney Senior, Louis Hall and Ryan Hillier, while Finn Azaz, Ollie Cooper, Jake Cain, Rob Street, Josh Pask and Timmy Abraham will all be returning to their parent clubs after successful loan spells. Dom Telford and Courtney Baker-Richardson have both been offered contract extensions, but Rowberry has been left with 12 senior players - Joe Day, Nick Townsend, Cameron Norman, James Clarke, Priestley Farquharson, Robbie Willmott, Matty Dolan, Aaron Lewis, Scot Bennett, Lewis Collins, James Waite and Mickey Demetriou.