Scott Richards plays football for Angle AFC and cricket with Carew CC but a nasty injury from the round-ball game saw him unable to play his summer sport so he showed what a good club man he is by taking on the role of scorer for Carew Seconds for the whole of the season just so that he could stay in touch with his mates there.

And his being involved was rewarded to a degree when Carew reached the final of the Alec Colley Cup at Treleet, Pembroke, against Whitland Seconds and although he was understandably disappointed at the result he did at least receive a medal there for his loyalty to the cause.

A terrible time . . .

That injury came in a division one football match against Narberth at Jesse Road and came about, he thinks, partially because his shin pad had slipped around a little and he paid a heavy price.

"I went in to a tackle for a 50/50 ball, as I've done so many times before and the collision was purely accidental as we reached the ball at exactly the same time.

"I heard a loud bang and when I looked down my ankle was facing the wrong way and after hopping around for a moment I went down in a heap.

"Then everything  became a blur because all I can remember is lying on the ground and looking up at concerned faces as my pulse dropped but luckily goalkeeper Jon Jones was a first responder and knew exactly what to do, assisted by an off-duty fireman and policeman.

. . . And some cheeky teasing!

"The ambulance took almost an hour to come but they kept reassuring me and talked all the time to keep me awake - then it was off to Withybush, where an x-ray revealed I had broken both my tibia and fibula in three different places!"

Scott had to spend a week in Withybush Hospital before being allowed home and only now, 14 weeks later, is he beginning to walk slightly better - and still putting up with the comments from his Angle team-mates about the fact that when he wasn't at the heart of defence for the final two matches of the campaign they kept their only clean sheets to remain in the first division for this new campaign!

Scott knows that he won't be able to play before Christmas at very best and might have to give the whole season a miss but with typical club loyalty he has started to use his coaching Level One badge and agreed to help new Angle boss Andrew Thomas as assistant manager, as well as coaching Angle’s under 14 team.

Family matters

That Scott should be hugely involved in sport should come as no surprise because his father Roy was one of four brothers alongside Huw (goalkeeper), Terry (a top goal scorer) and Tony (full back) who served Angle so well for many years - whilst mum Dawn is rightly regarded as the club's No 1 fan and most vociferous supporter on match days, and sister Jess played rugby for Haverfordwest before leaving the area to work.

Junior football at Hundleton

"But I started my football with a Hundleton Juniors team that was coached by Stuart Harrison because we didn't have any junior football in Angle, followed by Steve Phillips and Kim West up to under 16 level.

"We did quite well because at under 12 we reached the final for our age group and caused a bit of a surprise by beating Hakin 2-1 at Monkton Lane.

"We also reached the under 14s final against Milford United at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium and dominated possession but Josh Smart got the ball three times for Milford and sped through to find the net three times whilst we failed to turn our territorial advantage into goals!

"Then in the under 16s we took on a very strong Camrose outfit at Marble Hall and were edged out by the only goal of the game, which disappointed me because I knew it was going to be my last match for Hundleton."

Back home at Angle for some historic moments

Scott signed for his home village for senior football and by the time he was 18 he was first team captain and sometimes the family theme was continued since his cousins Chris, Gareth, Josh and Sam were also involved aa the club achieved its long-term aim of first division football - but also reached the semi-final of the Senior Cup as a terrific bonus.

""We were thrilled to beat old rivals Pennar Robins by 2-1 in the quarter final but sadly our last-four match, the biggest match in the club's history, was delayed because of controversy from another match and we missed out playing at the Conygar Bridge Meadow - but we had a smashing welcome at Marble Hall against Goodwick United.

"At half time we were level 1-1 but then a soft goal saw us lose 2-1 and our golden chance of a final place was gone!"

Rugby at Crickmarren

Scott also turned his sporting skills to Pembroke RFC from the age of 12 and made his debut as a gangly second row against old rivals the Quins where he scored the Scarlets' early try and thought rugby was easy - but then the Quins stormed back to win 50-5 and Scott understood the harsh reality of over-confidence!

He eventually switched to centre and went on a great youth tour to Belgium before making it to the first team under Clive 'Tosh' Rowlands and then Ossie Boswell.

"I once played in the youth sevens at Crickmarren which went on until very late on a Friday evening, despite suffering a leg injury, and then the next morning I had to take pain killers because I found out I had been picked to make my first-team debut that afternoon at Cefneithin!”

But rugby inevitably was clashing with football and eventually Scott returned to Angle and has been playing football ever since.

Battling at cricket paid off

In cricket Scott also began playing at Hundleton in an under 13s team well coached by Nigel Arthur and although he enjoyed bowling he didn’t manage a single run from his first ten visits to the crease - but battled on and practised hard.

It began to pay off in a local derby against Pembroke where Scott not only claimed for 4 for 17 but scored 19 not out, which thrilled him to bits - as Scott Arthur smashed the ball everywhere from the other end.

"I made the first team at 15 where Jonathan Williams, Chris Stapleton and Nigel Arthur were key players - and hit my first half century playing against Narberth Seconds in a match where 'Taffy' Williams made me play, rather than turning out in a late-season rugby match for Pembroke.

Playing well at Carew

"Then I decided to try my luck at a higher level with Carew and was made very welcome there, gaining my first three-figure score at Burton on the hottest day I can remember, after coaching Lamphey under 14s in a football tournament at Tenby until lunchtime.

"In a good spell I also scored 83 at Hundleton and 56 not out in the next match against Saundersfoot, and I can't wait to start playing cricket again in the 2017 season."

But rather than sit around for this campaign, just feeling sorry for himself, Scott offered skipper Dai Rees his services as scorer and of course it was gratefully accepted.
"I've been involved ever since," Scott told us, and it’s the next best thing to playing.”

But he’s already itching to get back into the action in cricket and football and we wish this modest, likeable and able sportsman a speedy return to his playing days because he represents all that is best in Pembrokeshire Sport!