Whitchurch duo hit big milestones at Yockings Park

The Reds marked the occasion by presenting the crowd favourite with a framed shirt in front of the Alport faithful.

A 3-1 defeat against Brocton may not have been the result Alport wanted, but there was no dimming of the spotlight on Hughes, who has gone from promising youngster to ever-present leader and fan favourite over his seasons in red and white.

His milestone had been trailed all week, with the club urging fans to get down to Yockings Park as he joined the select band of modern non-league players to rack up a quarter of a thousand games for a single side.

Across roughly nine seasons with Whitchurch Alport, Hughes scored 111 goals in 244 appearances, a record that underpins his status in club history.

Aaron Simms receives his commemorative shirt. (Image: Liam Pritchard.)

He enjoyed a particularly outstanding 2021–22 campaign, finishing as top goalscorer in the Midland League Premier Division with more than 33 goals and earning a place in the division’s team of the season.

After his long spell with Whitchurch Alport, Hughes took a brief step away from before returning to the pyramid with Northwich Victoria and later joining Telford Town and returning to the Reds at the start of the season.

It was a double celebration for the Reds’ old guard, with popular centre back Aaron Simms also chalking up a significant personal landmark in reaching 100 appearances for the club.

Simms joined Alport in July 2021 following spells at Ellesmere Rangers, Haughmond, Market Drayton Town and Shifnal Town and has become a mainstay at Yockings Park.

The junior section publicly saluted both Hughes and Simms, holding them up as role models for the next generation of youngsters dreaming of pulling on the Alport shirt.