Lyn can still score runs and hit a mean golf ball
Lyn Rees has always been one of those talented sportsmen who can take up any game and play it really well so that over the years he has been heavily involved in football, cricket, golf and badminton. His name might not be in the headlines now as much as it was when he was a a top performer but we are delighted to report that he is still working hard as a head teacher in Pembrokeshire and, although he has stepped down a level in terms of competition, scoring runs aplenty as captain of Llangwm Thirds and playing off a handicap of only two in golf, despite admitting to be 52 years old last month.
Goal-grabbing footballer
Lyn is perhaps best known as a very good golfer and cricketer but it is interesting to note that he was also a more than useful footballer after starting out at Solva when they organised their first-ever under 15 team for the 1972/3 season and he played alongside the likes of Matthew Raggett, Ian Walsh and Colin Reynolds, amongst others.
They finished runners –up to Monkton but two years later the same side won the Wiltshire Cup, beating Monkton 3-2 at Marble Hall, and Lyn scored the winning goal and the season afterwards they reached the final of West Wales Youth Cup Final, but lost to Swansea City on the old Vetch Field.
Moving into senior football, Lyn played for Solva AFC until the end of 1981 season with real characters like Nobby Howells, Anthony Davies (the father of Fulham star Simon Davies), Bobby Price, Matthew Raggett and Barrie Smith
Then his work as a teacher took him to Neyland and he played for Neyland until the end of 1989 with Mike Lampard, Terry Rees, Jeff Button, Mike Barnett, John Price and Terry Frank, and in one season scored 34 goals, including 4 against Solva, which pleased his former team-mates.
Lyn also played for Milford Athletic until end of 1992 season with Jeff Arnold, Terry Frank, Nick & Joey Beavis, Ian Mathias and Mike Evans before deciding it was time to call it a day.
Early badminton prowess
Lyn also played badminton as a youngster, turning out in their Pembrokeshire league side for St Davids whilst in the sixth form. In 1975 he reached the Pembrokeshire County Finals in the men’s doubles, partnering Jonathan Bennett (the brother of big Dai Bennett) but losing to the No 1 pairing of Barry Wood and Alan Hyde. Lyn continued to play when he went to college and was delighted to represent the Welsh Colleges in 1976/77.
Cricket centurion ...
Cricket was always a major sporting interest for Lyn and he started out by playing for Ysgol Dewi Sant school teams, achieving selection for Pembrokeshire Schools Under 19s in 1975 - and turning out in the First Division for Llanrhian between 1975 and 1978. He played for the Pembrokeshire County Cricket team on several occasions in1978/9, including the touring Australian side, Queensland Colts, at Neyland, which was quite an experience against some very talented young players. Then it was on to Neyland from 1979 – 1985, helping them win the first division title in 1980 and Harrison Allen in 1983.
Lyn spent three years in Cardiff College of Education from 1975/78 as he trained to be a PE teacher and played for the college 1st team and the Welsh Colleges’ team for all three seasons. In college he opened the batting with Alan Lewis Jones, who went on to play for Glamorgan, and his best score was 123 not out at Penarth, during the 1977 season, and it was a thrill to score an undefeated century on a smashing ground.
... Unlikely return to the game
He eventually gave up cricket to be Captain of Milford Haven Golf Club in 1986 after catching the golfing bug but returned to it by accident when Llangwm stalwart Jeremy Brock asked him at a party to help Llangwm Thirds out for one game because there was a wedding in the village and they were struggling to field three teams. Lyn dug his kit out of the attic ready to play at Kilgetty but the game was cancelled because of the wet pitch. So he played the following game instead at Crymych, scored 30 not out and Llangwm won. Lyn is now in his fifth season with Llangwm Thirds, his first as Captain and enjoys it so much that he has no plans to retire despite being 52 this month.
As well as his own playing, Lyn is currently helping Neyland Cricket Club Junior section as his son Geraint plays for the Under 9s and Under 11s and receives a lot of ‘stick’ for this as he is playing for Llangwm! It is a similar story on the rugby front because Lyn is currently team manager (which he says really means filling up the water bottles!) for Neyland Under 10s, where son Geraint plays.
Scratch Golfer
Lyn began playing at St Davids City Golf Club in 1968, when he was just 11 and his father started playing. He was soon given a holiday job taking the green fees which allowed him to play all day and he bought a proper set of clubs from Dick Sheil, the pro at Milford Haven, with his earnings.
He played as often as he could after that and when he left the club to start college in 1975 his handicap was down to six. He represented the Welsh Colleges in 1976, 77 and 78, playing superbly to win the Silver Medal at the British Colleges Golf Championships in Coventry during 1977.
Lyn joined Milford Haven Golf Club in 1982, and has been club champion six times as well as being honoured with the captaincy in 1986. He represented Dyfed from 1985 to 1992 and played against several golfers who became professionals, including beating current European Tour players like Bradley Dredge and Garry Houston, but losing to Phillip Price.
He has previously been Pembrokeshire County Champion, second & third at the Dyfed Championships, winner of the Dyfed Foursomes with Steve Read, and played in the Welsh Amateur Championships on several occasions.
At one time he managed to achieve a handicap of scratch and his current handicap is 2 – and one of his ambitions still left in the sport is to play for Wales Seniors from age of 55 onwards.
Belief in school sports
As well as his own playing days, Lyn has tried to be involved with sport in his teaching and has this to say:
“I have been involved in school sport for all of my 31 years in education and now as a head teacher I try to ensure that sport is regarded as a very important feature of school and I encourage kids to become involved in all types of sport. My son Geraint loves to play any sport and he is one to watch for the future. I firmly believe that participation in any sport is not only good for health but breeds a positive attitude to life – and this has certainly been the case in my own life.”
