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Ted’s still going strong in Kilgetty
Ted George is in his 70s but still going strong in Kilgetty sport and we recently reminisced with the former top goalscorer who once rammed in 14 goals in a single match – and we are delighted to feature his story today.
“I completed my national service in 1950 and started work in a grocery shop called Borough Stores in Pembroke Dock, cycling to and from Kilgetty every day. At that time I was playing football for Kilgetty after coming home most weekends during my time in the forces to play for them at weekends.
Soon after starting work in Pembroke Dock I had the chance to play for Pembroke Borough when they offered to pay me £1 ten shillings per match, and an extra £1 for winning. I was delighted because it was good money in those days!
At the same time, they thought it would be a good idea if I changed jobs and went to work at Hancock’s Shipyard and when they told me Mr Hancock was president of the Borough and Alf Llewellyn, who was Borough manager, was also timekeeper at Hancock’s, which meant time off for football was much easier, although I have to admit changing from a nice white coat in one job to greasy overalls in another was a bit of a shock!
Borough greats
The Borough first team squad during the four seasons I was there had some very good players and the defence virtually picked itself every week – with Harry French in goal, Len Roberts and Charlie Bowen full backs, plus Ken Absalom, Gwyn Price and Jimmy Morgan as half-backs. The forward line was picked from Frank Donovan, Mal Morris, Billy Reed, Johnny Lunt, Hugo Steer, Russell Martin and myself, but of course there were no subs in those days. The team was picked on a Monday with two reserves and that was it. If you were reserve, unless someone dropped out you didn’t play. Of course, we played with the old laced-up leather ball and on a wet day, with Frankie Donovan’s right boot behind it, it wasn’t the easiest to head home unless your name was Billy Reed, far and away the best striker I’ve seen. For the Bank Holiday matches against Milford the crowd were six deep around the ground and the stand was full, it was brilliant.
Return to Kilgetty - and dirty baths!
After four very enjoyable years with the Borough I was offered a job nearer home and so I returned to play for Kilgetty, who were then playing in the Pembrokeshire League Second Division and more than held our own there, gaining promotion on quite a few occasions but such was the gap between the 1st and 2nd divisions we always seemed to go up one season and down the next. Changing facilities were not the best – we changed in a shed behind the Kilgetty Arms, each team shared a bath each and so the last one out was probably dirtier coming out than when he went in! There was also one shower which was hot for one shower only and looking after the changing room was the one and only Mike (Ferret) James who was a wonderful supporter of both Kilgetty cricket and football.
Summer cups
During the sixties and seventies we played football summer and winter – in the summer lots of villages held summer cup competitions and I remember playing in Maenclochog, Glandwr, Meidrim, and Templeton and in the Ben Waters Cup in Kilgetty. For these games we had a combined team, Kilgetty and Amroth Seagulls, and one year we reached the Meidrim Cup Final which was played on a Saturday. This was the same day the Pembrokeshire League started the new season and we were playing Goodwick United away and straight after the match we took our boots off and drove straight to Meidrim, just in time for the kick-off there, but we lost both games 2-1.
Goals galore – and a broken leg
I was now playing centre forward having scored quite a few goals early on and in October 1960 playing against SAAA Manorbier we won the match 18-1 and I scored 14 of them, which I was told broke the record held by Dewi Pritchard, Clynderwen, who had scored 10 in one game! Whether this still stands I don’t know. I continued enjoying myself, scoring regularly, with two nine-goal hauls so I could say I scored 32 goals in three of my games for Kilgetty. But I was playing against the 22nd LAA Regiment, Pembroke Dock in December 1962 and we had played only three minutes when I was tackled from behind and broke my leg in two places. This laid me up for seventeen weeks - I did play again but after five matches my confidence went and I retired.
Refereeing success
It was then I decided I’d like to give something back to the game and decided to take up refereeing. I spoke to a referee from RAF Pembroke Dock called Jock Reed, one of the best referees at that time, and his advice was ‘for the first ten minutes of the game blow your whistle for everything then put it in your pocket and only take it out when absolutely necessary’. I refereed all the league finals in turn and my Senior Cup Final was HMS Goldcrest versus Merlins Bridge, which was an excellent final with Goldcrest winning 4-1. This was the last game Goldcrest played in the County as they left Brawdy shortly afterwards. I would say to anyone who is thinking of taking up refereeing, go for it – I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Cricket keeper
Kilgetty Cricket Club was formed in 1958 by Peter Tucker and Billy Evans and I started playing halfway through the first season and was wicket-keeper. Our biggest problem in the beginning was finding a suitable field. We played on the Amroth Football Ground at Merrixton and all we had was a push mower and had to depend on the farmer to cut the outfield. We carried on this way until one day we got to the ground and someone had left us a motor mower. We are still not sure who left it, but it was very much appreciated. We also played on the Selwyn House School pitch, which had an excellent wicket, but the boundaries were a bit close. A flick on to the bank for six was too easy and now of course we have a very nice ground at Kingsmoor.
Bowl highlights
The highlight of my cricketing days was playing in two Harrison-Allen Bowl finals in 1969 and 1970, which was as good as it gets for an ordinary cricketer like myself. In 1969 the final was against Llangwm and with one ball to go the scores were level, with me facing, and the ball was outside the off stump. I just left it and took off, my partner Ralph Badham was down almost as quickly as the ball and I made it to the other end. What a finish!
In 1970 we played Carew and were rank outsiders but this turned out to be far easier than anyone expected and we won quite easily. One big plus for us in the Harrison-Allen was one Barry Wood, not just for his own performances but he seemed to get the best out of the rest of us. There were some very good players around during my playing days but to me Barry Wood was the best of them all, a privilege to have played with him.
Kilgetty chairman
After my playing days I became Chairman of Kilgetty Cricket Club, working along with Rose and Graham Jenkins, and during the 1990s we had a really first class side, proof of which was winning the Harrison-Allen Bowl three times, beating Haverfordwest twice and Lawrenny. One final against Haverfordwest was one of the best finals ever, when chasing 182 to win, Haverfordwest failed by just a few runs – great game!
And finally…
My playing days were not quite over because I went to watch our seconds playing Llanrhian and we were one short so I kept wicket. I managed to take the ball above waist high, because had I gone down I would never have got up – this was my 73rd year!
I’ve had a wonderful sporting life and would not have missed a minute of it. At present I am still carrying on my interest in sport, especially junior cricket since I have two grandsons, Aled and Jac, both playing. They are also both rugby mad and playing for Tenby Juniors so it looks as if I will still be involved with local sport for some time to come yet!”
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