That Wrexham legend Gary Bennett’s first name happens to start with a ‘G’ is arguably mere coincidence.
Even if the former English footballer's parents had opted for something G-less or more syllabic – perhaps Christopher or Timothy – Gemma Owen would still have likely appropriated the surname when she dribbled a football across her school pitches in Wrexham 30-odd years ago. Gary Bennett was her hero. And Owen, like most aspiring footballers, liked to pretend to be her hero, especially the one she watched on her favourite pitch in the world. It wasn't rocket science.
“I idolised him," Owen tells WalesOnline. "I still do. There’s nobody who has really come close to him." As her cheeks flush an iridescent red, she says: "Oh, the kids at school will be laughing if they ever read this! They all knew I called myself Gemma Bennett!"
