page revision date: 14th August 2008
Brian James - Llangwm through and through!
If ever there was an award for devotion to duty in a club then Brian James would be a serious candidate ion two counts because he has been involved for 45 years as groundsman at Llangwm Cricket Club for 45 years and also been secretary for four decades.Not content with that, ‘Jamer’ has also been involved in the village’s rugby club for a similar length of time as groundsman and committee member, plus secretary for five years in the 1970s and again from 1992 to the present day. Small wonder that he is a life member of both clubs and is kept very busy throughout the year because he is also secretary of the Llangwm Social Club which serves both sports!
County Club worker
Brian was elected on to the executive committee of the Pembroke County Cricket Club some ten years ago and eventually took on the role of Grounds Advisor and Inspector and in this role he visits all the grounds. He is readily available to help with advice and recommendations for improvement, as well as ordering in bulk the loam needed at the end of the season, plus the delivery to a variety of grounds across the county.
He was a founder member and only chairman of the Pembrokeshire Groundsmen’s Association which has worked so hard to improve standards of cricket grounds around the county and has formed useful links with Glamorgan CCC groundsman Len Smith, who has proved to be a great friend to Pembrokeshire Cricket with his willingness to give advice.
Cricket Lover
But above all else he is still a great lover of cricket, having started off as a player at Llangwm and enjoying being involved before taking on so much administrative work. He has also become well known around the county as a supporter of cricket who has probably attend more cup matches in the past 20 years than anyone else in Pembrokeshire, available to chat on the boundary as he sits with his beloved dog ‘Carney’ and enjoy a few words with other cricket lovers who have come to appreciate his knowledge of the game and his acerbic wit.
Jamer also played rugby for Llangwm as a prop or second row at a time when the Wasps had a very strong team and he played mainly in their second XV. He joined the committee as far back as 1964 and has been actively involved ever since, although the administration side of the game has quadrupled since the advent of National Leagues.
Heavy work loads
He regularly receives missives from the Welsh Rugby Union and one of his heaviest work loads has become the distribution of international tickets because there are now autumn internationals as well as the Six Nations Championships to contend with, with a value of over £20,000 exchanging hands and having to be accounted for.
Then there are committee meetings to attend and sort out minutes for, plus the nitty gritty stuff like cutting the grass at least twice a week at his beloved Pill Parks. The change-over between sports also needs careful attention because part of the rugby pitch forms part of the outfield for the cricket and taking down the posts at the end of the season, and re-erection in early September needs careful thought.
But Brian handles it all with his usual phlegmatic approach and there is no doubt that he is regarded as ‘Mr Llangwm’ with regard to his involvement. He is very much an unsung hero and deserves a huge pat on the back for all his work over so many years – and long may he continue to work so hard for both Llangwm Cricket and Rugby teams!
| 
