| Lads you played with in school who just never made it 22:28 - Jun 28 with 6692 views | KeithHaynes |
I’ll start with a Haverfordwest lad Gordon Thomas. What a footballer.
Came from a big influential local rugby family. He had exhilarating pace and ball control, head and shoulders above anyone at our school at the time.
Man Utd offered him youth terms, apparently his dad, who was as tough as they come and a real gent once you knew him said if you join them and don’t play for Llanelli at rugby we are done. I have to be honest I can see his point, if you kicked a ball in school you would be humiliated, he was definitely my type of bloke. Gordon turned Man Utd down and broke his leg badly in his first game for the scarlets, he was an outstanding athlete.
And never played again.
Was big mates with Haverfordwest lad Peter Morgan, Llanelli and British Lions. On retirement Peter ran a bloody good chippy in Prendergast in Haverfordwest. Lovely chap too, always went there after a few jars in the Bull.
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:48 - Jun 28 with 4792 views | raynor94 |
I played in Olchfa school early seventies with a boy called Martin Pass superb control and a great dribbler, maybe lacked pace.
But one I thought would make it |  |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:49 - Jun 28 with 4784 views | KeithHaynes |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:48 - Jun 28 by raynor94 |
I played in Olchfa school early seventies with a boy called Martin Pass superb control and a great dribbler, maybe lacked pace.
But one I thought would make it |
Decent passer though ? | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:52 - Jun 28 with 4772 views | raynor94 |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:49 - Jun 28 by KeithHaynes |
Decent passer though ? |
Yes, a real all rounder | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 23:34 - Jun 28 with 4727 views | Cleddau |
I remember Gordon well when he played for Clarbeston Road and I was with Monkton Swifts, can't say he impressed me that much. Geraint John (WRU) was goalie in that team.
He was a good High Jumper though. |  | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 23:43 - Jun 28 with 4710 views | KeithHaynes |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 23:34 - Jun 28 by Cleddau |
I remember Gordon well when he played for Clarbeston Road and I was with Monkton Swifts, can't say he impressed me that much. Geraint John (WRU) was goalie in that team.
He was a good High Jumper though. |
Was that post the leg break at 19 ?
Would have been around 1980 when his leg was broken. After that I’ve no idea where he played. Obviously at Clarby with ginge and co, he was a gobby bloke 😂 Swifts were decent but not sure when you played for them.
I was at Merlins Bridge for three seasons latter days of Derek Thomas, or Roberts ? and Tally. Then my demise at Crundale and Camrose ensued around 1984.
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:03 - Jun 29 with 4657 views | Treforys_Jack |
Slightly different to what you asked but, I was in the same class as Detective Inspector Hough and was amazed he made it as a professional. He was a bloody good player but far from the best in the year, nice guy as well to be fair. I think a very large percentage of the lads who went on to scholarships or whatever it was a the time came from Pentrehafod school. |  | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:06 - Jun 29 with 4650 views | KeithHaynes |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:03 - Jun 29 by Treforys_Jack |
Slightly different to what you asked but, I was in the same class as Detective Inspector Hough and was amazed he made it as a professional. He was a bloody good player but far from the best in the year, nice guy as well to be fair. I think a very large percentage of the lads who went on to scholarships or whatever it was a the time came from Pentrehafod school. |
Was decent for the swans as was des trick ( DS )
Surely they both have retired now ?
I think Keith Walker is close if not gone already.
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:14 - Jun 29 with 4627 views | Cleddau |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 23:43 - Jun 28 by KeithHaynes |
Was that post the leg break at 19 ?
Would have been around 1980 when his leg was broken. After that I’ve no idea where he played. Obviously at Clarby with ginge and co, he was a gobby bloke 😂 Swifts were decent but not sure when you played for them.
I was at Merlins Bridge for three seasons latter days of Derek Thomas, or Roberts ? and Tally. Then my demise at Crundale and Camrose ensued around 1984.
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This was 1977, before his leg break. I moved on to Pembroke Boro for a season and a bit, then finished with football and switched to Athletics with Cleddau AC at Prendergast, who I stayed with till the mid-80s before leaving the area and moving on to bigger clubs.
I assume Gordon is still sports editor with the Western Telegraph. | | | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:20 - Jun 29 with 4620 views | KeithHaynes |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:14 - Jun 29 by Cleddau |
This was 1977, before his leg break. I moved on to Pembroke Boro for a season and a bit, then finished with football and switched to Athletics with Cleddau AC at Prendergast, who I stayed with till the mid-80s before leaving the area and moving on to bigger clubs.
I assume Gordon is still sports editor with the Western Telegraph. |
I haven’t spoken to him mate for years, I left the town around 1986. Gordon would have been about 15/16 when you were up against him. Not bad if that was mens football. I loved the sporting opportunities at Harford for sure, played rugby for a few sides. We must have met in the past especially around the first division days when the original FOSCFA was formed at Pembroke Borough ?
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:32 - Jun 29 with 4597 views | Robbie |
Different direction of topic , but back in the day playing in a Sunday morning friendly at Ashleigh Road ended up marking Dean Saunders , he was a whippet on the wing then .
To make matters worse for me , Roy Saunders , also playing and running the show for the opposition from midfield was encouraging his son to skin me at every opportunity . | | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:37 - Jun 29 with 4586 views | KeithHaynes |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:32 - Jun 29 by Robbie |
Different direction of topic , but back in the day playing in a Sunday morning friendly at Ashleigh Road ended up marking Dean Saunders , he was a whippet on the wing then .
To make matters worse for me , Roy Saunders , also playing and running the show for the opposition from midfield was encouraging his son to skin me at every opportunity . |
Dean Saunders ?
He didn’t make it then 😉😂 | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:38 - Jun 29 with 4583 views | Cleddau |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:20 - Jun 29 by KeithHaynes |
I haven’t spoken to him mate for years, I left the town around 1986. Gordon would have been about 15/16 when you were up against him. Not bad if that was mens football. I loved the sporting opportunities at Harford for sure, played rugby for a few sides. We must have met in the past especially around the first division days when the original FOSCFA was formed at Pembroke Borough ?
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No, this was in the junior/youth leagues but I did play a few games in the Pembs senior league after the youth fixtures were wrapped up. Pretty sure Gordon came to Pembroke Boro around the time I finished.
I left Pembs in 1987 and yes, I often travelled on the coach to home games in the Div 1 days. | | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:45 - Jun 29 with 4574 views | KeithHaynes |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:38 - Jun 29 by Cleddau |
No, this was in the junior/youth leagues but I did play a few games in the Pembs senior league after the youth fixtures were wrapped up. Pretty sure Gordon came to Pembroke Boro around the time I finished.
I left Pembs in 1987 and yes, I often travelled on the coach to home games in the Div 1 days. |
Then we do know each other in a way 😉 Some memorable trips, I was young then mind 😂
You will remember the Harford lads, punks etc who used to travel. Man Utd away or Liverpool maybe, Leominster I think it was on the way back 😳
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 01:18 - Jun 29 with 4545 views | Robbie |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:37 - Jun 29 by KeithHaynes |
Dean Saunders ?
He didn’t make it then 😉😂 |
45 years later , I have forgotten about it , does not fester any more, long gone . [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 1:24]
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 05:57 - Jun 29 with 4486 views | Dr_Winston |
James Thomas.
I know he "made it" to a certain degree but I always wonder how well he could have done if injuries hadn't taken their toll on him. I certainly believe he was capable of scoring goals at a level higher than he did for us. |  |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 07:07 - Jun 29 with 4445 views | Fireboy2 |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:03 - Jun 29 by Treforys_Jack |
Slightly different to what you asked but, I was in the same class as Detective Inspector Hough and was amazed he made it as a professional. He was a bloody good player but far from the best in the year, nice guy as well to be fair. I think a very large percentage of the lads who went on to scholarships or whatever it was a the time came from Pentrehafod school. |
A bit diiferent to the topics heading but whilst I was in hafod dai d'auria was there, he did well for the swans and went onto have a decent career. [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 7:18]
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 07:15 - Jun 29 with 4438 views | STID2017 |
Jay Davies ( Morriston lad) from same era as Chris Coleman.
Could have been a big player so I am told, all went wrong in his teens? |  |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 07:53 - Jun 29 with 4399 views | 1462jack |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 07:15 - Jun 29 by STID2017 |
Jay Davies ( Morriston lad) from same era as Chris Coleman.
Could have been a big player so I am told, all went wrong in his teens? |
I knew Jay when I was a kid lived opposite my uncle ( played welsh league with morriston town) from what I remember mental health got the better of him |  | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 08:06 - Jun 29 with 4379 views | OptimisticJack |
On a similar line back in the mid 80s Swansea City youth had a team of youngsters in the Swansea Sunday League - incredible really.
One particular match I played against them and marked a young centre forward called Jeff Griffiths. I thought he was quite a player.
Good feet and excellent in the air.
Watched out for him after that and really thought he would go far. Unfortunately he didn't make the grade.
He is now a taxi driver in Swansea. [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 8:27]
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 08:48 - Jun 29 with 4331 views | STID2017 |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 08:06 - Jun 29 by OptimisticJack |
On a similar line back in the mid 80s Swansea City youth had a team of youngsters in the Swansea Sunday League - incredible really.
One particular match I played against them and marked a young centre forward called Jeff Griffiths. I thought he was quite a player.
Good feet and excellent in the air.
Watched out for him after that and really thought he would go far. Unfortunately he didn't make the grade.
He is now a taxi driver in Swansea. [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 8:27]
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I remember playing against them | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 09:08 - Jun 29 with 4314 views | pencoedjack |
Adrian Davies not sure he didn't make it as he went on to play fly half for Wales.
Played for Welsh schools in football, rugby & cricket, offered professional contracts at Leeds & a few other clubs I believe.
Brainy as well & always had the smartest looking bird in school. |  | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 11:25 - Jun 29 with 4220 views | Kilkennyjack |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 00:03 - Jun 29 by Treforys_Jack |
Slightly different to what you asked but, I was in the same class as Detective Inspector Hough and was amazed he made it as a professional. He was a bloody good player but far from the best in the year, nice guy as well to be fair. I think a very large percentage of the lads who went on to scholarships or whatever it was a the time came from Pentrehafod school. |
Quite a few in this category.
Got to play at Swans, but God knows how.
One well known Swansea League player even had a trial with Swans at 31.
1990s.
From Mynydd Newydd to the Vetch - and then fairly rapidly back again ….😳 |  |
| Beware of the Risen People
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 12:28 - Jun 29 with 4178 views | Jack11 |
Not sure if anyone knows of it or played in it, but this topic takes me back to the Ian Rush football tournament held annually in Aberystwyth.
I came from nearby and we’d have a team in it every year so was lucky to play in it a few times. More due to geography rather than technical ability but hey ho. Anyway, every year there’d be amazing teams, youth sides from many of the big international sides. Some of the players made you feel like you’d literally never played the game before, on a totally different level. Couldn’t tell you if many or any went on to achieve anything in the game except one who sticks in the memory.
One year, played against a young gobby striker who gave me the absolute run around and scored four. Remember him being called Mikey on the pitch by team mates and coaches and it was and still is no other than Michael Owen.
From our team, we had a player who got scouted by West Brom and a few others, and it was interesting because he was not our best player. He could hardly do any keep ups and didn’t have a trick to his name but was a phenomenal athlete. He went to Oxford on YTS but did his Achilles in his second year and that was that.
Thing is these days I think scouts look at players differently particularly if they are small but good technically. We had this chubby farmer kid whose skills and touch were as good as anything you’d see but he was not great athletically and arguably these days he might get a trial. Back in the early 90’s though at youth level in the UK, they weren’t interested in much other than athletic ability. | | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 13:01 - Jun 29 with 4128 views | Treforys_Jack |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 08:06 - Jun 29 by OptimisticJack |
On a similar line back in the mid 80s Swansea City youth had a team of youngsters in the Swansea Sunday League - incredible really.
One particular match I played against them and marked a young centre forward called Jeff Griffiths. I thought he was quite a player.
Good feet and excellent in the air.
Watched out for him after that and really thought he would go far. Unfortunately he didn't make the grade.
He is now a taxi driver in Swansea. [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 8:27]
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Yes I remember them, think it was only a season they were in it. They were 3 - 0 up against us at halftime and we came back and beat them 4 - 3, Tommy Hutch was on the line with them, he went mental. We all had showers got changed and on the way back to our cars, he still had them sat in a circle absolutely battering them, about losing to fat unfit pub players. He was apoplectic fair play. | | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 13:48 - Jun 29 with 4069 views | Flynnidine_Zidownes |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 12:28 - Jun 29 by Jack11 |
Not sure if anyone knows of it or played in it, but this topic takes me back to the Ian Rush football tournament held annually in Aberystwyth.
I came from nearby and we’d have a team in it every year so was lucky to play in it a few times. More due to geography rather than technical ability but hey ho. Anyway, every year there’d be amazing teams, youth sides from many of the big international sides. Some of the players made you feel like you’d literally never played the game before, on a totally different level. Couldn’t tell you if many or any went on to achieve anything in the game except one who sticks in the memory.
One year, played against a young gobby striker who gave me the absolute run around and scored four. Remember him being called Mikey on the pitch by team mates and coaches and it was and still is no other than Michael Owen.
From our team, we had a player who got scouted by West Brom and a few others, and it was interesting because he was not our best player. He could hardly do any keep ups and didn’t have a trick to his name but was a phenomenal athlete. He went to Oxford on YTS but did his Achilles in his second year and that was that.
Thing is these days I think scouts look at players differently particularly if they are small but good technically. We had this chubby farmer kid whose skills and touch were as good as anything you’d see but he was not great athletically and arguably these days he might get a trial. Back in the early 90’s though at youth level in the UK, they weren’t interested in much other than athletic ability. |
I had a similar experience coming up against a future superstar. Our side went out to holland for a tournament, like a round robin thing. I was about 14/15. We absolutely smashed the host club, think it was Maastricht, there was an African side we beat and an Italian team. We went into the last game on a winning run thinking we were sh1t hot and found out last minute it was Feyenoords youth team. Anyway they just knocked it around us for fun, they could have scored a hundred if they wanted to, they were 7-0 up within 20 minutes and just kept the ball for the rest of the game. In the end the ref blew up 20 minutes early because he felt so sorry for us. Years later I found the programme for the tournament and found out I had been playing against a certain R V Persie. Glenn Loovens was also in the squad and another player who went on to play for Holland who’s name escapes me.
It was the most demoralising experience I’ve ever had on a football pitch. | | | |
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