This week PembrokeshireSport.co.uk starts out a new feature where we look at the quality football referees we have in this county – and where better a place to start than with Danny Thomas, who no longer officiates at 78 years young but has been the president of the Pembrokeshire Referees’ Society for 15 years.

Danny is very much a larger than life character known by all the clubs and players in Pembrokeshire and is still very much involved and looking forward to the day when he can get out again to watch matches – and support referees in the process!

Danny Thomas – still playing his part at 78 for referees in Pembrokeshire

Danny Thomas would readily admit that in footballing terms he has been very much a poacher turned gamekeeper because after many years as a footballer who often had plenty to say on the pitch he became a very good referee who certainly could communicate with players.
 

Held in high regard by fellow refs . . .

He has also been held in high regard by referees too because when he stepped down from officiating matches he became an assessor who firmly believed in encouragement, rather than too much criticism, which helped plenty of young referees (including a lot of local officials today) to make their way in the game. What he also does, without fail, is to give them one piece of advice:
“Take no nonsense from players on the pitch!”

Their appreciation of his help can be gauged from the fact that he was vice-chairman and chairman of the referees for three-year stints before being made president some 15 years ago and still retains the role today.

He was also involved as the referees’ representative on the West Wales FA and the Manderwood Pembrokeshire League – and is rightly proud of the fact that in 2015 he was made a Life Vice-President of the league!
 

. . . And able to speak to players in their own language

When he was reffing regularly, Danny was known for his ability to talk to players on the pitch, using some humour and a little Anglo Saxon language himself when the need arose but it clearly worked because he was well respected by players from Camrose to Carew, Goodwick to Angle.

He regularly attends meetings of the Referees’ Society and works well with other officials like Charles Davies as chairman and Dave Badger as Hon Secretary. He has always tried to give 100% but failed miserably when he was previously entertainments officer for the monthly meetings because he spent too much money in making the guest speakers enjoy their visits to the society!

He has also been very supportive of the society’s Margaret Davies Cup for promoting good sportsmanship in local clubs and one of his jobs has been to present the trophy to the team awarded the highest marks over the season by referees, presented at a monthly meeting of the society and covered in the local press.



 

Started out over six decades ago as a player!

Danny has been involved in football for almost 60 years after he started out as a lad with Rhiwbina Youth in Cardiff, before turning out for his village side Tongwynlais and then Taffs Well in the South Wales Amateur League.

Danny moved with his work to Pembrokeshire in 1969 and helped form a team at Manorbier, playing as a centre forward (that’s striker to you youngsters!), and when they stopped playing for a while he joined Monkton Swifts and ended his playing career there after suffering a bump on the head in a match at Angle.

Right decision to take up reffing

He took up reffing after a chat with Eddie Oliver and enjoyed being the man in the middle after playing for so long. 

“I obviously missed playing but becoming a referee was absolutely the right decision for me because it was nice to give something back to the game - and I still felt very much part of football.

“So I sorted out my kit and a new whistle, gained some experience in the middle and was soon travelling all over South Wales after gaining some experience locally.

Highs and lows of a long career

Danny has officiated at most of the cup competitions in Pembrokeshire, including a classic Senior Cup Final between Merlins Bridge and Goodwick United where he had a blinder in the first match but pulled a muscle in the replay and so missed the rest of the game and the second replay before the Bridge won. 

He was also unlucky when he was honoured with the West Wales Intermediate Cup Final between Port Tennant Colts and Llanelli where a huge scuffle broke out between players and supporters and when Danny tried to break it up he found himself knocked unconscious and conveyed to Morriston Hospital from the Vetch Field in Swansea. It was the first match that his late wife June had seen and she must have been impressed because she married him soon afterwards!

He also became a referee on the Welsh League circuit as he worked well with two great local friends in Graham Sheppard (Hundleton) and Pedr McMullen (Pembroke) all over the South Wales corridor along the M4 Motorway.

They became known as ‘The Three Pembrokeshire Musketeers’ and stories of their post-match travel from games have become legend!

And finally . . .

Although he misses the on-pitch involvement he still gets a great deal of pleasure from being involved with the refs’ society and he also loves watching cricket for Carew and is a keen gardener who has won prizes for his sweet peas and fuchsias. 

But it is football that remains Danny’s first sporting love and as soon as possible he will be seen again around the footballing fields of Pembrokeshire in support of the new batch of men in black and white. 

They will do well to listen to advice from Danny Thomas because he is a larger than life character who has served football in general, and refereeing in particular, really well!