Martin Cole was a great ambassador for Carew Sport – and was hugely respected in football and cricket

 
 

If anyone represents the true spirit of sport in the village of Carew it is Martin Cole, who was one of the very best of sporting all-rounders in local cricket and a more than useful footballer who not only served ‘The Rooks’ well as player and manager, but played for Haverfordwest County and Pembroke Borough in strong teams in the old Welsh League, which attracted big support around the county.
 
No-one was more competitive in either sport than Martin but he also enjoyed his post-match time with his team mates and the opposition over a chat and a pint or two - and that is why he still has a host of friends in other clubs. I played against Martin in cricket and can vouch for his competitive nature - but if I’m in Carew watching sport I still look forward to a chat with ‘Coley’, although he would readily admit that he doesn’t watch as much as possible.
 
And that is because he finds it hard to accept the way the games are played, with not the same respect shown to opponents and especially not to referees or umpires.
 

Early start in his home village – and games for Kilgetty

 
Martin’s football began on the village’s sports field, now renamed in memory of the late Gerald Hicks, who was very much a contemporary and great friend, with others spending many hours in games of their own device, depending on how many were there - and he played his first organised football as a right winger for Kilgetty Juniors because David Howells used to pick him up and take him there and back.
 
He was also roped in to play in the Wiltshire Youth Cup with the likes of Mackie Harts as they played against Haverfordwest players of the calibre of Billy West, Tim Green and Dekker Thomas.



 

Influenced by Dave Morris in football

 
“I played senior football at Carew and our play took a turn that was very much for the better as David Morris took over and he turned us from a happy-go-lucky group into a dedicated set of players with the right attitude.
 
“We had the likes of Dai Sefton, Tony Scourfield, Gerald Hicks, Mike Brace and others - and started to make our mark locally as we won league and senior cup titles. Others who played then were Dai Jones, Barry Neill and Graham Jenkins – what a goal scorer he was!
 

Played for The Bluebirds after a surprise phone call

 
“Then one day, out of the blue, I was working as an apprentice panel beater in Jeremy’s Garage, Tenby, when I had a phone call from Ivor Rowlands, of Haverfordwest County, asking me if I fancied playing a game for Haverfordwest County.
 
“I said ‘yes’ and the next day he picked me up at The Carew Inn and I found myself travelling with him to play against Swansea City at the old Vetch Field, alongside Mike John, Len Allchurch and the great Ivor Allchurch - and I finished the season playing alongside local boys Tim Green, Eric James, Mackie Bowen, Tal Harries and old timers like Ray Davies, who dominated things at the back.




 

Joined Des and the Boro at London Road

 
“But then Eric decided to join Pembroke Borough and their manager Des Shanklin persuaded me to go to London Road as well, still playing as a winger, to join Keith Todd and Alan Davies as key players - and one of my memories of an important day for me was playing against Merthyr Tydfil at Penydarren Park - and found we didn’t have a sweeper so I volunteered, and stayed there for the rest of my playing days.
 
“In the opposition was the legendary figure of John Charles, who is rated by experts as the best-ever Welsh player after his spells with Leeds United and for Juventus in Italy, where he was also worshipped. At Merthyr he was right at the end of his playing days but I will never forget just being on the field and seeing “The Gentle Giant’ head the ball for 30 yards as hard as most players could kick it.”
 
But after eight great years there, where they came runners up in the Welsh League and won the West Wales Senior Cup with Steve ‘Weaver’ Callan as the best centre half he saw at that level, then Martin got tired of all the late travel on Saturday evenings and went home to Carew.
 

Great to be back in Carew to finish my football

 
“It was great to be back at Carew alongside Keith Cole, Dai Sefton, Peter Hall and my brother Clive - and one of the proudest moments there came when I captained the team to beat Goodwick United in the Senior Cup and it was great afterwards to receive the trophy on behalf of such a great bunch of boys.  
 
“I played until I was almost 45, with my final game for the seconds against Prendergast Villa, with another great servant in the late Aled Davies, in goal.
 
“I had the ball at the back but delayed my clearance for a split second too long and I was caught by a 16-year-old from The Villa and went down in a heap. He apologised straight away but I told myself he had only done what I would have at his age as I limped off and afterwards, I told the boys it was my final game.
 
“Then I managed the team for three years and we reached the Senior Cup Final, where Kevin Hughes broke his leg – and the Seconds played Tish in their final under lights and were leading 2-1 with ten minutes to go but Glyn Steele scored a hat-trick in that time and we lost 4-2.”
 

Capped by county in cricket at youth and senior levels

 
Martin was equally involved in cricket and started out in cricket when he was only 13 and was a regular with the county youth team, captaining them for one season, receiving his county cap in 1970 – and his senior cap in 1982, both of which he is clearly very proud.
 
He was part of the Carew team which dominated local cricket for well over a decade and were league champions TEN times in TWELVE seasons with Brian Morgan nominated by Martin as the best captain, supported by himself, Peter Hall, Dai Sefton, Tony Scourfield, Mike Brace, Raymond Broad and Brian Diment.
 
Martin also picked up three winners’ medals in the Harrison-Allen Bowl and others in the DR Morris Cup
 
Ask Martin about his part as an all-rounder and he would simply say, “I loved hitting the ball hard and I just bowled the ball down and tried to make it swing a bit!” – A masterful piece of understatement if ever there was one!
 

And finally . . .

 
But it typifies Martin Cole’s attitude to sport because he loved competing, especially in football against the likes of local big guns in Kenny Harries, John Luke, Alun Davies and Geraint Phillips for Fishguard Sports, another very good footballing team of his era.
 
“We battled hard but there was no diving to the floor in agony or trying to get opponents sent off and that was how I liked it, not like a lot today who watch too much play acting on television.
 
“I’m just glad I played my sport when I did because we had a great time, and I met some smashing characters who I still enjoy a chat with on the rare occasions I meet them – and there is still that mutual respect and love of our sport!”