Famous sports people to visit Pembrokeshire: Feature No 8

 

Gerald Davies CBE, a great rugby player – and ambassador for the game in Wales

 
Gerald Davies was another world-famous rugby player I was lucky to meet at Marley Davies’s Victoria Book Ship, when he was signing his new autobiography ‘Gerald Davies - An Autobiography,  and a tribute to the esteem in which he was held could be gauged from the queue which snaked down Bridge Street, waiting to meet him.
 
It was an ideal present since he was there just before Christmas and as well as being a privilege to meet this mercurial winger with a fantastic sidestep and pace off the mark, I also had a signed copy to put as a brilliant prize on our Christmas Quiz at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk, with Marley as generous as ever!
 
I read the book and it made fascinating readying about a time when Welsh Rugby stars like Gerald, Sir Gareth Edwards, Barry John, JJ and JPR Williams were alongside him in a purple period for our national side.
 

Brief meeting outside Murrayfield with our mutual pal Graham

 
I had met Gerald very briefly before that in Edinburgh, when a group of us travelled on the ‘Killer Train’ from Carmarthen through to Edinburgh (if you have an hour two for a chat I’ll tell you in detail why it was so appropriately named!) - and one of those was Graham Thomas, who taught alongside me in those days in Milford Central, and had formed a close friendship when they both studied at Loughborough College.
 
Gerald scored an amazing corner try at Murrayfield in the last seconds, converted by flanker John Taylor, as Wales won by a single point, which has long been spoken of as one of the greatest in our country’s history - and his explanation of how it came about was featured in his book, and nicely rounded off a very long trip which was both wonderful and a nightmare!
 

Second meeting – at Marley’s top bookshop in Haverfordwest

 
We met upstairs in the Victoria Book Shop with Marley supplying his customary posh biscuits and a cuppa, until a worried lady said there was a massive queue waiting for our great man - but I can honestly say he was one of the most interesting characters I have met and I still have the interview, which went out on Radio Pembrokeshire.
 
He never shirked a question and provided a great insight into the good and not-so-good areas of the WRU – but all delivered from the reasonable standpoint of someone who really knew his rugby onions. I could have chatted to him for hours!
 

Third meeting – at a ‘Question of Sport in Cardiff

 
He was analytical and with a powerful recall of names and faces, as he proved a while later when my wife Marilyn and I went to the Motorpoint Stadium in Cardiff to watch David Coleman host a ‘Question of Sport’ with Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell as team captains. Mrs Carne told me there was someone waving to us and when I looked across two rows there was Gerald Davies and his wife!
 
He came across to say hello and we chatted about whether I had seen Graham Thomas and he asked to be remembered to him - and this from a man who had played 46 times for Wales (scoring 20 tries) and had been on two Lions’ Tours!
 
Wales had won three ‘Grand Slams’ during his time in action, as well as playing for Llanelli, Cardiff and London Welsh. Gerald Davies was also appropriately honoured with the presidency of the Welsh Rugby Union from 2019 to 2023 - where it was recognised that, like that day in Bridge Street, he was a great ambassador for our game, and someone who was comfortable meeting anyone and making them feel happy for the unique experience!