Every club needs its unsung heroes and Fishguard Sports is lucky that it has several, including junior coach Gary Hall, who has also done more than his share of administration work and has been involved in the club's new ground at Tregroes.

Gary is also a very keen darts player with the Pendre Inn in the North Pembrokeshire League and as well as playing in the first division developed the league's web site.

Gary’s boys have really grown up

On the football front, Gary is in charge of the Sports' talented under 16 team, having taken them through from under 8s level almost by accident when a friend was eager to start coaching but needed help and roped Gary in.

But after three weeks his pal got a job as a postman, which involved Saturday morning work, and so Gary had to soldier on alone until Andrew Hopkin, whose son Danny plays in the side, joined him - and this intrepid pair have looked after the lads ever since!

"In our early years we had some fearful hammerings, including a few by over 20 goals from top teams of the time like Camrose - but we kept on emphasizing the importance of sticking together, trying our best and having fun.

"It is great that well over half of our early squad are still with us now and we are battling with Camrose for second place in the table as Tenby look likely to be the front runners.

Taking part is always encouraged

"We also try to have an end-of-season celebration which once included a paint-balling session - and when we play away in West Wales' matches I'm forced to have food at McDonald's, when I am a KFC man myself!

Gary also encouraged his players to take part in the fund-raising needed to help develop facilities at the Sports’ new complex at Tregroes and he was supported by 14 of them on a sponsored run around Llys y Fran Reservoir.

“It was over 10K and most of them galloped off from the start but I knew the terrain would be rough in parts so I went at a steady pace throughout and was chuffed that I managed to finish ahead of nine of them and might have mentioned it to them a few times since.

"But what was most important was the fact that we managed to raise over £500 towards the cost of the top of the range goalposts we invested in at Tregroes."

Pleased they are moving upwards

Another delight for Gary is the fact that six of his under 16 team are currently training with the senior squad in preparation for moving out of this age group next season and he has been joining them there.

"But they have got their own back from my Llys y Fran teasing, saying my reactions are not as quick as theirs because one evening recently the ball ricocheted and hit me in a very tender spot - and they are still laughing about it now!"

Started from scratch at St Mary’s Field

Gary himself started out in football as an 11 year old who had previously not been involved much because he was brought up well away from any sports fields or grassy areas.

"But then we moved to the brand-new council houses at Gwelfor, in Fishguard, which is very close to the Sports' old ground at St Mary's Field, and the very next day there was a knock on the door and with six boys of my age asking me if I wanted to have a kick about with them on the nearby pitch.

"Under the rules of the school playground I was adjudged the fattest and so played in goal, and we played almost every day after that, and I was eventually even allowed to have a game at full back!

Playing for Goodwick – and then the Sports

"We eventually moved down to Phoenix Park when were 16 because there weren't junior teams at Fishguard and were made very welcome there in a season where we came second to Hakin with players of the calibre  of Chris O'Sullivan (who was a year younger), Gareth George, Jamie Robb, Tom Billing and Rob Hall.

“I just tried to fit in wherever I was needed but when it was time to play senior football I went back up the hill to St Mary's Field, where the Sports only had one team and I played alongside Ian Bell, Darren Osborne and Neil Phillips as former 'club greats' like John Luke (Captain) and John Evans (Secretary) were still supporting us.

"I think we were in division two then and I played wherever I could get in," admitted Gary, "and I always had full support from my wife Donna."

Gary played for Fishguard Sports until he was 28 but then his son Ethan came along, followed by twin daughters Ellena and Isabelle, and he decided he wouldn't have time to play and coach - and it was the coaching that won, hands down!

Other sports

Gary played pool for a while at the 'Ship & Anchor' pub in Fishguard, helping out after popping in for a pint and finding they were a player short for a league game. His darts also started by accident after his friend, Blaine John, who played darts for the 'Pendre Inn', phoned him up to say they were a man short for that evening's match.

"I knew I was there to make up the numbers and I played like a crab," said Gary, "but they stuck with me and I gradually improved alongside Blaine and his father Gerald, Mark Rees, Ian Foster and Andrew Sinnott, our Irish 'import'.

"There are six of us and we play five singles, two pairs and a triple - and we enjoy playing now in the first division after gaining promotion and winning the Handicap Cup three years on the trot.

Going from strength to strength

Gary was league 'Player of the Year'  in his second season after winning more games than anyone else, and he also won a few pairs competitions with different partners - and this year they are doing well to be third in the table.

What Gary didn't mention was that he also plays in the summer Premier League with the rest of the league's top players and is currently ranked in the top ten of the North Pembs League, with eight wins and four losses, and in the past has had quite a few 180s and a best 'out' of 152 (treble 20, treble 20 and double 16)!

Working well at Tregroes

Back on the football front, Gary has also been the junior football secretary at the Sports for five years; organising the fixtures and also taking on the role of club secretary for three years, which included taking minutes, writing letters and anything else that cropped up.

"It has been very enjoyable working alongside Matthew 'Minty' Lamb, Owen Duggan and Nigel Davies as we completed all the paper work for Tregroes, with Gary Delaney and Gareth 'Gaffer' Thomas doing so much physical stuff before the official opening, whilst John Luke, John Evans and others were also available if we needed advice."

And finally . . .

At the moment Gary is still enjoying his weekly involvement with his young charges but says that when they finish this season he will take a back seat coaching-wise, hopefully watching some of them play for the Sports at senior level.

He will continue as the 'go to' man for the North Pembs Darts League Web Site and the PembrokeshireSport.co.uk web site which supplies so much news of all sports in the county.

And there's one thing for sure - whatever Gary Hall undertakes it will be with the enthusiasm and good humour that is very much part of his sporting DNA - and it is guaranteed that he will be a Fishguard Sports' stalwart for many years to come!