Sports Spotlight . . . from PEMBROKESHIRE SPORT

Toby takes over the Saturday afternoon sporting reins

Radio Pembrokeshire has had a new voice for its Saturday afternoon sports programme over recent months as Toby Ellis has taken over the role from long-standing incumbent Ben Stone – and is thoroughly enjoying it.

His job is to provide listeners with sporting details throughout the afternoon, linking with the likes of Simon Mumford (Narberth RFC), Eldon Phillips (Scarlets), Robert Nisbet (Haverfordwest County)  and Bill Carne (local sport), whilst playing good music and keeping a weather eye on sporting news at national and even international level.

Main sporting interest

Ask Toby about his main sporting interest now and he might admit to being an enthusiastic footballer in the local leisure league which organises five aside indoor matches on a Sunday.  He turns out regularly for a team which is sponsored by his own TE1 Entertainment Company and it is a good way to relax after a busy Saturday on radio and then later at Eddie’s Bar in Haverfordwest, where he is a very popular DJ. Never one to sit around, Toby also provides DJs for all sorts of functions under his TE1 umbrella.

He first played football as a nipper with Carterton Rangers in Oxfordshire, slotting in as a midfielder until he was about 14, when his family moved back to Pembrokeshire because mum Jill was a Milford Haven girl.

Greatest sporting success

But his greatest sporting successes have undoubtedly been in ten-pin bowling, where he actually competed in the 2003 European Youth Championships in Holland as a highlight. He first took part in Brunei when his dad Bob was there with the RAF and it was a hugely popular sport.

When he moved to Pembrokeshire he took it up again at the Phoenix Bowl, in Milford Haven, and was soon installed in the county team, followed by selection for Wales over the period 2001 to 2004, after loads of trials, and as well as coming fourth in the team event in Holland, Toby was involved in the “Triple Crown” matches against England and Ireland.

His top score was 258, which included seven strikes in a row at the start of his match – but then work took over because he had been a DJ since he was 14 and was soon equally as busy on radio!

Enthusiastic participation

Toby is now back playing some ten-pin bowling and beginning to return to something like his old form but loves his music so he is having a great time with his latest challenge, which keeps him busy from 2pm-6pm every Saturday afternoon. There is an evident enthusiasm in the way that he deals with both local and national sporting news – and has definitely found a niche on Radio Pembrokeshire very Saturday afternoon. So PembrokeshireSport.co.uk says well done Toby Ellis – and keep up the great work in promoting sport in Pembrokeshire!

PHOTOS:

Toby Ellis at work as a presenter with Radio Pembrokeshire.

Toby with ten-pin bowling team mate Lyndon Jenkins.