Spring Sporting Snippets
Next goal wins!
If you wanted proof that a touch of good humour and genuine camaraderie still exist in local football then the end-of-season division one football match between Hundleton and Merlins Bridge would provide it.
Respective managers Mark Powell and Bernie Armstrong were real rivals in their playing days but always stayed good pals off it, as it should be in any sport.
At one stage, Bernie’s Bridge Boys were 10-0 up and when they added an 11th goal ‘Powie’ raced across the pitch, to the amazement of the referee and players, and shouted to Bernie,
“Why don’t we play next goal wins? Like we did as kids!”
Bernie, the ref and players almost collapsed with laughter but it was a good job that Mr Armstrong didn’t jokingly agree because Hundleton grabbed a late consolation goal to lose 11-1.
Nice try though ‘Powie’!
Mark Powell is always up for a bit of banter
40 winks under the Johnston stars!
When Johnston beat West Dragons in the Senior Cup Final there was understandably a great celebration for The Tigers and their supporters which went on late into the night with their greatest fan Angie at the Railway Inn.
Tigers’ manager Russell Murray was there with wife Tracey and, sensible people that they are, resisted the temptation to join Russell’s young charges when they went back into Haverfordwest in the
early hours. They were going to call a taxi but Natalie, the kind-hearted barmaid at The Railway, offered them a lift home after she had nipped over to the Neyland Road to get petrol.
All went well until they drove back towards Johnston when they were amazed to notice a pair of legs sticking out from the grassy verge – and when they stopped to investigate were soon joined by the police and an ambulance, who had been called by some other eagle-eyed motorist.
Had someone been knocked down or collapsed ill was their initial thought but fortunately it was a far simpler solution since the legs belonged to a Johnston second-teamer who had so enjoyed his evening that he had decided it was time to have 40 winks on the way home!
So all’s well that ends well and I won’t embarrass the youngster by naming him – but it will be a long time before he will be allowed to forget his sleep underneath the Johnston stars!
Russell Murray finds a Tiger sleeping in the hedge!
One old gentleman caught in a lavatory
News next of a local sports writer who recently paid a visit to Withybush Hospital and caused a little bit of chaos when he popped into a toilet near the main entrance for a wee before leaving. He thought it was an unusual gents’ loo because there were no latrines there so he shrugged his shoulders, went into the WC and was soon back out – only to find there were three ladies waiting to use the toilets!
It was a red-faced gentleman who mumbled his apologies and charged out of the door, straight into the clutches of Angle AFC’s long-serving sec Mike Hughes, who said he would contact ‘Sporting Snippets’ unless our reporter friend phoned us to own up.
Of course, we wouldn’t dream of revealing the name of the Ladies-Loo user but Mike Hughes would be delighted to tell you who it was if you contacted him!
Was Russell nervous?
Coming back to Johnston for a moment longer, they played brilliantly to earn a place in the West Wales Cup Final as they beat Morriston Olympic at Stebonheath Park, Llanelli.
The Tigers did well to hide their nerves but manager Russell Murray hinted that he might have a few when he was asked before the start about having a team picture taken before kick-off.
“Shall we have it just before we come out to start?” he asked – and the long-suffering photographer reminded him that they would still be in the changing room at that time.
Both had a chuckle but it was Mr Murray who had the last laugh when his team won on penalties and the same camera man wanted a post-match picture of the team celebrating!
Fantastic memories
And finally with Johnston, their winning of the West Wales Cup at the Liberty Stadium was epic and one of the enduring memories of the evening was the wonderful support from Johnston itself but also from around Pembrokeshire, too.
One would have thought that Penlan Club, being the Swansea-based side, would have had the majority of the support but not a bit of it. The Tigers said afterwards how the noise from their supporters in the stands was a real tonic and leading the way were their ladies, who included Fran James, the wife of former player and manager Richard James.
In the Senior Cup Final, the West Wales semi-final and final she had made heaps of black and amber rosettes to sell for club funds – and there was no denying her if you were from this county. So well done the Johnston WAGS – and thanks Fran for all three rosettes, which I wore on pain of torture if I didn’t!
Fathers and Sons
West Dragons’ manager Nigel Delaney played at the heart of defence alongside talented young son Scott when the Dragons were edged out by Johnson in the Senior Cup and as we chatted afterwards we wondered if they were the first father and son duo to appear together in the Senior Cup Final.
I must admit that I thought they were but I was soon put right by Robbie Thomas and Robbie Cockburn, both of St Ishmaels, who reminded me that their club had previously played in the Senior Cup Final and included Mark ‘Dabbsie’ Davies, who was a real handful in midfield, and his son Adam, who was a powerful striker.
So well done to the Delaney and Davies duos – and if there are any other fathers and sons who played together on Pembrokeshire Football’s big day then let us know!
Mark Davies and his son Adam.
Only SIX hours late!
And finally, we return to absent-minded sports journalists because one Pembrokeshire pundit recently arrived at a darts exhibition six hours late.
Terry ‘The Bull’ Jenkins and Andy ‘Pie Man’ Smith played at lunchtime on a Sunday in a marquee at Narberth RFC, showing their darting skills as they took on each other and local darts players – but missing was one invited sport writer who missed a real treat.
When he turned up at in the evening he was astounded to see a local darts competition about to start in the main club room – and realised that when he had logged on to The Otters’ official web site he had totally misread the details and assumed that the 7pm start for that event referred to the exhibition matches. So now he owes Ann Lonsdale, who does a wonderful job as stewardess at Narberth RFC, a huge apology – and has resolved to make more detailed notes in his diary in the future!