Football News . . . from PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

Chris Stapleton set out in both cricket and rugby during his younger days in Laugharne but he started playing football when he moved into Pembrokeshire and over the last 12 years has become widely respected as a football referee who adopts a no-nonsense approach with players but also has the ability to communicate with them when he makes his decisions.
He lays the blame for his taking up the whistle on fellow Hundleton cricketer Steve Williams, who was also involved in  football in the village alongside Chris when he felt that it was time to stop playing – and decided to take up the whistle, suggesting that Chris should do the same.  

Speedy start!

Chris was already officiating at some Saturday morning matches for the junior teams but it was a year later that Chris decided it was worth a try, contacted league secretary Eddie Oliver on a Friday evening to say that he would like to go on the referees’ course – and found himself in charge of a match the next day between the second teams from Pembroke Borough and Letterston! He had to borrow Steve Williams’ spare kit and used the whistle he had bought for the junior games as he thoroughly enjoyed the match, took the refs’ course with Pedr McMullen and has been heavily involved ever since.

Cup finals aplenty

His first final came along in 1998/99 when he reffed the under 14s final at Marble Hall, with Merlins Bridge winning against Herbrandston, and since then he has been in charge of a number of finals as reward for his commitment and reputation as a good referee.
Then came the Third Division Cup Final in 2000/01, when Angle beat Hubberston, the Wiltshire Cup Final (Pennar Robins beat Tenby in 2002/03), the 2004/05 Second Division Final (Milford Athletic beat Letterston) and the last Reserve Division Cup Final (2007/08) where Hakin United beat Merlins Bridge.

Pride of place

But pride of place goes to being selected to officiate at the Senior Cup Final for 2005/06, when Hakin United beat Narberth by the only goal of the match.
It was something of a nice surprise when I heard that I was to be ref at the Senior Cup Final but I was thrilled,” says Chris, “but got more and more nervous as the day got closer. It was nice to have experienced assistants in Phil Gale and Jonathan Twigg, plus Steve Evans as fourth official.
“We all met up with about 20 other refs for brunch on the morning of the match, as traditionally happens now, but I was so nervous I couldn’t eat, which certainly isn’t like me!
“But once all the pre-match activities were over I was fine and thoroughly enjoyed a good game of football in front of a big crowd on the Bridge Meadow.”
(Editor’s Note: Chris also admits that he was so emotionally drained by the experience that he was home and tucked up in bed before seven o’clock, which certainly isn’t him!)

Worst moment

Ask Chris about his worst moment as a ref and he would unhesitatingly point to a West Wales Cup match between Fishguard and CRC at St Mary’s Field, where some of the visiting supporters were so drunk that he had to abandon the match when they came on the field at half time. But he bounced back the next week and says that being a referee means far more than being put off by a few people who don’t know how to behave!

Cricket at Laugharne ...

Yet football wasn’t his first choice when he was a youngster at Laugharne and played cricket as a fiery fast bowler in partnership with Roger Hunt, who was equally aggressive. Chris’s dad George was already playing as an opening bat and good slip fielder and Stapleton junior enjoyed playing alongside dad and other characters like Jeff Watts, John Jenkins, Barry Jackson, and Arwyn Thomas, with his best figures at Laugharne being 8 for 25.

... and rugby too!

Chris played rugby on the wing for Laugharne and was involved along with Barry Jackson, Alun and Glyndwr Jenkins, Peter Brace; John Lynch, Phil and Keith Pearce as they played in the West Wales League – and he had one season of football as a youth player with Pendine in the Wiltshire Cup.

Hundleton Cricket Club chairman

He was a policemen in those days and his work brought him to Pembrokeshire, where he had one season of cricket at Pembroke Dock before moving to Hundleton, where he enjoyed the company of Steve Williams, John Williams, Richard Howells, Donald and Glyn Sheppard, Mark Fowden and Peter Baker, as well as youngsters like Mark and Jonathan Williams, Morgan and Richard Allen.
He has played the game ever since at Hundleton and is currently the club chairman who continues playing despite fast approaching his mid-50s. He once had seven-wicket hauls in two consecutive matches and had a 50 in one of them as an added bonus, but now plays as a slow bowler who needs to be hidden a bit in the field! He also hit a rapid-fire 80 against old rivals Stackpole in the annual Highgate Cup and says that he will carry on playing for as long as he can!

Football refereeing keeps him most busy

But it is football refereeing that keeps Chris most busy, when added to the fact that he runs the under 15s side at Monkton Swifts, where his son Liam is currently first team manager and other son Jonathan was a good player. Chris’s partner Jan also gives vital support and his parents, George and Beryl, are also great supporters of all he does, whilst old Hundleton cricket friend Dai Nicholas still keeps in touch from Southampton and they meet up at least twice a year.
He says that being part of the Referees’ Society is very important and he wishes that former footballers and others would join because they would get so much out of their involvement, as he has always done with characters like Danny Thomas as president and Pedr McMullen still doing so much work in training new refs.
“Other good officials are Jonathan Twigg and Ian Baxter, with Brian Hawkins before him, plus a lot of other refs who do a brilliant job for football in this county.
“Just give it a try,” says Chris to anyone thinking of becoming a referee, “I really believe you won’t regret it because there is great camaraderie and support. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
It is easy to see how enthusiastic Chris Stapleton is and PembrokeshireSport.co.uk can only echo his words of encouragement after enjoying our chat with such a good referee!