Football News . . . from PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

Pedr’s immense contribution is rightly recognised

When Pedr McMullen was presented with a special award for his work as Chairman of the Welsh Referees’ Society over the past five years it was perhaps appropriate that making the presentation at the Athletic Club in Neyland was Danny Thomas.

Danny (70) is the president of the Pembrokeshire Referees’ Society and also there was another of Pedr’s old refereeing colleagues in Graham Shepherd (73), and all three were able to reminisce about their significant contributions with the whistle, not only in this county but also all over South Wales in a period of over 20 years, with Pedr now the youngster at 64 years young.

‘Three Amigos’ tour South Wales

In that time they became known as the ‘Three Amigos’ for their officiating at Welsh League level, when they travelled to games together as referee and two assistant refs, from Carmarthen to Cardiff, and Merthyr Tydfil to Maesteg.

All three enjoyed their football but also liked to stay behind after matches, chatting to players and club officials. Indeed, there was one occasion when they were the last three to leave the club, walking out with the hon. secretary and the steward. It was usually the case that ‘Shep’ drove and it is rumoured that he often took a nap in the corner, as the other two enjoyed a few pints, prior to the long journeys home!

Stories about the intrepid trio were legend and one such tale revolves around the fact that whenever Pedr took his car it had an idiosyncrasy whereby when he changed from third to fourth gear it somehow turned the radio off – and so if the football results were on he was actively discouraged by the other two from changing gear!

Toilet rolls galore – and yellow tomatoes!

They once were on a ‘visit’ to a club and in a conversation with a club official discovered that in his day job he was a toilet roll salesman. They must have impressed him because when they arrived back in Pembroke the car was filled from top to bottom with very soft toilet roles – which would have taken some explaining had they been stopped by police on their way home!

My favourite story revolved around a Saturday evening chat at the Eastgate Hotel in Pembroke at about 10pm on a Saturday night, when Pedr, Danny and ‘Shep’ held court alongside a lot of local sports people who were there. I had just joined the ‘Three Amigos’ and Danny was complaining bitterly about some tomatoes that Pedr had given him from his greenhouse. The grouse was about the fact that Danny had placed the tomatoes on a window sill to ripen and they were still yellow after almost a fortnight there – and Pedr explained that they were in fact a yellow variety of tomato and so could have been eaten straight away!

It just nicely summed up the whole trio as ‘Shep’ and I almost collapsed with laughter and Danny spluttered into his pint!

Rightful recognition – and still going strong!

Also in attendance at the presentation were Brian Hawkins, the Hon Secretary of the Manderwood Pembrokeshire Football League, John Gow, the West Wales Referees’ Officer, John Davies, the Hon Treasurer of the West Wales Referees’ Association, and Gareth Williams, the new Hon Secretary of the West Wales’ FA, along with all the officials of the Pembrokeshire Referees’ Society and a large number of members.

All agreed that Pedr had done a great job at the helm and would be sorely missed in the chairman’s role – but it is great for PembrokeshireSport.co.uk to report that he is back in the middle again and looking sprightly, as he was recently when he joined Gareth Elliott as assistant referees to Dave Badger for the Haverfordwest County versus Cwmaman Institute match in the Welsh League Division One match at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium.

PHOTOS:

Danny Thomas, Pedr McMullen & Graham Shepherd.

Pedr McMullen and some of the guests, officers and referees at his presentation.

Pedr in action with his flag at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium.