WRITING

For the last few years Dave Lewis (webmaster of Ponty Town website, unofficial Ponty rugby website and Pontypridd Photography, organiser of the Welsh Poetry Competition, founder member of the Ponty Curry Club, originator of the Ponty Bimblers, administrator of one of the biggest forums in South Wales, pub guide roving reporter, full-time IT and photography tutor, part-time poet, frustrated novelist and director of Web Design Wales) has felt he hasn't been doing enough with his time (we only get one go at it after all) and so he started writing the odd free column (only 'cos they won't pay me) for the Pontypridd Observer. Below are most of the ones we could find, plus anything else that might pop out from the dim and distant digital past...

 

Tourism Ponty Style
Published in Ponty Observer, June 08 - in response to a BBC article about tourism in Wales -http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7419272.stm -  I say tidy the place up for those living here first!

A recent review of tourism in Wales by our heritage minister said no tourist should leave without a "genuinely Welsh experience in its content, spirit and sense of place". So for Pontypridd would that mean a tour of the old Brown Lennox site, a photographic stop at the underground car park taking in that unique urine smell, a world class shopping experience up above in the precinct and a leisurely stroll around the charity shops?

The huge report claims Wales has relatively few cultural icons and sets out recommendations. It states: "A failure to heed these lessons and to learn from best practice will give Wales a lagging tourism economy and, increasingly, an unattractive visitor destination”. Really? But didn’t we have a fantastic party filled 2006? You remember the wonderful celebrations for The Old Bridge and the National Anthem don’t you? A whole year of fabulous hangover thanks to the Welsh Assembly, Welsh Tourist Board, RCT and the town council.

The minister also says Wales must "aspire to equal the best cultural tourism experiences in the world" and that culture was "fundamental" to tourism and should be a mainstream activity in all aspects of tourism development and marketing. Ok, how about ten pints of Magners, a Saturday night brawl, a kebab through bloodied teeth and a visit to A & E at Royal Glamorgan?

Far fetched? Take Northern Ireland. There's more tourism than terrorism in Belfast these days. In parts of the city where even the army feared to tread, camera-toting visitors are now bussed in. Companies set up by ex-republican and ex-loyalist prisoners offer firsthand accounts of the bad old days in their warring neighbourhoods.

Our minister also said that tourism had to capitalise on its assets and added that local community festivals and events in Wales make a significant contribution to local economies and "give visitors a sense of place".

Beguiling words indeed and whilst tourism is important what I want to point out to the minister is that some of us have to live here every day. Don’t we deserve a “sense of place” too?

 

Pool for Thought

Published in Ponty Observer, 30/4/8 - frustration at RCT spending £6 million on "doing up" other towns sports centres when Ponty doesn't even have a pool!

 

I read a story in the Rhondda Leader recently about how certain residents were less than happy when their swimming pool and sports centre was closed and also with the £6 million of RCT council tax money that has been spent on improving leisure facilities in the Rhondda. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Perhaps they should come to Ponty instead and enjoy our state of the art sports centre, Olympic swimming pool, gym, sauna and numerous function rooms?

What next? Will Cynon residents be complaining they don’t get a fair cut of the RCT pie? Will they be demanding a new airport, zoo, botanical gardens and ski lift in order to keep up with the Jones’s of the other valleys?

Well, I for one am fed up with friends from the BBC asking me if I know of any other locations they can use for post-nuclear Cardiff for the next Torchwood or Dr Who series.

“Why ask me?” I say. “You’re from Ponty aren’t you?” they reply in all seriousness.

It’s getting embarrassing. I’ll be telling them I don’t live in Ponty soon but “lower Porth”, or “southern Mervfa”. Ok, only kidding, but why are we always last to benefit from council spending when even a blind Dalek with it’s goo removed can see Ponty needs more than Taff Street dug up and left.

Here’s a radical idea, albeit a very old one! RCT builds a brand new sports centre and swimming pool on the old Brown Lennox site. At least then we are in the running next time £6 million of our money is dished out very near to the home of the leader of the council for refurbishment. Reminds me of when Cefnpennar was the centre of spending in RCT and Charlie Dimmock came to town, but that’s another story.

Now much as I like Billy Piper and Catherine Tate popping into Clwb-y-Bont for bottles of wicked strength cider I’d prefer they came to town to enjoy our other leisure facilities – namely a swimming pool and nice hot sauna – I’m free Tuesdays…

 

 

Committees

Published in Ponty Observer, 3/4/8 - anger at certain small-minded people in the local council...
 

Hands up who loves Wales? No, not the recently crowned Grand Slam champions, not the country of daffodils or male voice choirs. No, I mean Wales – the concept, the idea, the vision. That thing that really defines us all – committees.

Wasn’t it a committee that voted our politicians a huge pay rise for extra workloads? As one nobody commented a few weeks ago “…our workload has doubled…”. Which seeing as politicians only work about half a year, by definition must have meant they only worked a quarter of a year beforehand. And all that for £47,000.

The most famous committee in the world – the WRU, got rid of the Celtic Warriors, ripped the heart and soul out of the whole country yet weren’t responsible. It wasn’t me they all said. It was the committee that done it!

Then there is my favourite. That age old Welsh thing of being a big fish going around in ever decreasing circles until you disappear up your own working party in a small pond. Far better than making a difference. Far better than stretching yourself, or mucking in with the masses … why not sit back, comfy in your air-con office and empire build.

Take the Welsh Poetry Competition. A high profile, hugely successful, international poetry competition, originated in Ponty but already attracting interest amongst over a hundred UK writing circles, numerous global Facebook groups, known from Santiago to Scotland. Soon to be promoted in the world famous Hay-on-Wye literature festival and aiming to be the biggest poetry competition in Wales. You’d assume any fish, regardless of the size of their stagnant pool would leap at the chance to be involved in such a prestigious event wouldn’t you? Any takers? Maybe someone will form a committee to think about it?

Meanwhile we have a new signs in town, telling us who we’re twinned with. Do they do inertia in Germany? Then of course I hear that our local police force budget is to be cut while the politicians in Cardiff get a pay rise. Does anything make sense these days?

Maybe the constabulary should stop work to form a committee too? Maybe we all should? But then again, who’ll decide that? Think about it.

 

Fishing for Success
Published in Ponty Observer, 22/11/7 - in response to a personal attack by a WRU member...

What is the biggest sport in Wales today? Fishing of course. Only a simpleton would say otherwise. But before we consider the glow of the dawn, the line arching into the water, lets just clear up a few things from my last column.

The intentional overuse of the phrase “Sack the WRU” and the clear summing up was obviously meant to highlight the main problem in Welsh rugby and to throw light on the solution. The WRU board can only be got rid of by the clubs, so it is therefore their responsibility.

Ok, fishing then. Many will believe that the WRU rod has been in the water for some time now, waiting to snatch a big, fat, juicy coach to lead Wales forward to victory in the next RWC, but I see it in a different way - the way of the Graham Henry beach-front retirement home, the Steve Hansen property portfolio plan or the multinational chain of stylists known to one and all as Hair by Scott. I would never go so far as to suggest that Mumbles is now owned by Mike Ruddock or that from now on all caravans sold in Wales will be by Gareth Jenkins Inc. but I do believe that Mr Gatland, great coach that he is, someone who will no doubt bring huge short-term success to Wales, has really been the one dangling his worm in the WRU pond.

And as usual, they have fallen for it hook, line and sinker. According to Mr Pritchard from last week, “The WRU structure is the envy of the rugby world…”. Mmm? Perhaps it was this “great” structure that delivered defeat against Fiji? I’ll let the readers work that one out.

And so this brings us neatly back to structure, or lack of it and whether there is money for central contracts or if benefactors should be involved in regional rugby at all. No money eh? The mystery deepens. We have higher than ever ticket prices, a share in RWC revenue, merchandise, corporate hospitality, pop concerts, football matches and Monster Truck displays yet we can’t afford central contracts? Between 1999 and 2006, the Millennium Stadium generated a colossal £750m for the Welsh economy principally in and around Cardiff and during the 2006/2007 financial year the WRU had an income of £44 million. During the year to 31 May 2007, more than £11m was paid directly to the four regions. No money?

Anyway, back to reality and the mere £1m for Mr Gatland that the WRU have found under the “boilie” tray. I wonder if we’ll see them on telly all week telling us it’s “Messiah Part II – the return of the Cup” or whether the clubs will be brave and do as me and my friends in the media have been begging them to do for many years - dig out the “maggots” and feed them to the fish.

 

The Master Plan

Published in Ponty Observer, 1/11/7 - further outrage at WRU bullshit...

Well, the Rugby World Cup is over for another four years and the Welsh rugby team still haven’t won it. In fact, some would say they never will unless there is a revolution in our National sport.
 

So here are my humble suggestions to improve our game and give us a chance of competing in the next tournament:
 

One, sack the WRU.
Two, central contracts.
Three, summer rugby, which means less people lost to football and bad weather, more fans encouraged to support the game (including women), BBQ's, drinking outside as well as in, a more relaxed atmosphere and family days out.
Four, 5 or 6 teams or regions (including a valleys region of course).
Five, the Celtic League starts and finishes.
Six, the European Cup starts and finishes.
Seven, the Six Nations starts and finishes.
Eight, get Argentina and/or Georgia added to make it an 8 Nations.
Nine, sack the WRU.
Ten, get a professional board in with an elite performance director.
Eleven, have coaches, referees and fitness coaches graded, assessed etc. so they are all pushing standards upwards and more importantly pushing standards in the same direction.
Twelve, have the smaller clubs domestic season covering the Celtic League & European Cup and no rugby during the 6 Nations so the “real” fans can support Wales.
Thirteen, sack the WRU.
Fourteen, get the Irish and Scottish on board first, then persuade England and France next.
Fifteen, limit foreign players to two per region.
Sixteen, encourage the regions to select only current/future Welsh players instead of has-been’s or non Wales-eligible players in league matches.
Seventeen, sack the WRU.
 

Mind you I could be wrong, look at what the glorious WRU are already doing and have done for the last umpteen years, and will probably continue to do for the next umpteen years…
 

One, they currently have no coach or procedure in place for getting one when they lose one.
Two, they have winter rugby with it’s cold, it’s injuries, it’s unattractive, boring, over-televised product.
Three, they have no region from the most talent-rich, populated part of Wales.
Four, they have disenfranchised fans from said region
Five, there doesn’t seem to be a professional anywhere near the WRU.
Six, we have a crazy, disjointed, chaotic season structure.
Seven, we have far too many overseas players on a pension plan in too few teams.
Eight, we are not nurturing young talent.
Nine, there are no central contracts resulting in uneven distribution of players amongst the top 4 clubs.
Ten, we don’t have regions, we have 4 clubs.
Eleven, there is no 4 year plan to win the RWC.
 

Mind you, I blame the clubs. Why? Well, because there is a WRU committee meeting coming up soon and when it’s over none of the above will have changed.
 

 

Johnny’s Bike

Published in Ponty Observer, circa Oct/Nov 07 - my mate John wanted to sell his mountain bike... (Ok, frustration at Gareth Jenkins taking Wales back into the stone age and lack of vision/investment by WRU)

Johnny Wride, the Peter Pan of Cilfynydd Rugby Club, is selling his mountain bike. “So what?” you say.

Well it seems that while Rugby World Cup fever grips a nation evil developers are plotting, or should that be planning, to move Ponty RFC from their “House of Pain” to Ynysangharad Park. Sardis Road has of course been the home of our brave warriors since 1974 when they moved from the Park to the new stadium. The phrase “a good week to hide bad news” springs to mind but hang on a minute…

What has this got to do with Johnny’s bike? Well, he often cycles to Sardis to watch Ponty of course. He can’t be done for drink driving, just drunk in charge of a GT4000, full Shimano kit etc. But if Ponty move he’ll have to walk and sell his beloved machine.

Anyway back to the rugby. Wales have done well haven’t they!? Well, no actually they haven’t. They seem forever caught in two minds. One wants to frantically throw the ball around like its a game of pass the parcel in the former Yugoslavia and the other seems to want to select Stephen Jones, have his babies and live happily ever after down in Dingly Dell under the dumber and dumber tree waiting for Scarlet apples to drop on their heads. And while we’re at it why play James Hook out of position? Is it to make him look silly and undermine his confidence? He’s an outside half or nothing for Tasker’s sake!

So as Cardiff Blues look to have a nice new super-duper stadium we have to avoid molehills in the Park? There’s enough apathy regarding the Welsh rugby team in this abandoned, over-populated and talent-rich part of Wales but now it seems our only solace – our fantastic Premiership team - is to be relocated to make way for approximately 100 flats, 54 houses and a small swimming pool.

I suppose an Ospreys-type stadium could be built on the Brown Lennox site and we could keep our Park full of trees instead of cars, coaches, ambulances etc. but unless a suitable alternative is found for the rugby club it’s the end of Ponty as we know it. They’ll want a road through the Park next – mark my words!

So while the real international rugby fever is mainly garlic or kiwi-fruit flavour and our Sardis Road clubhouse has finally been painted peach to match Johnny’s bike I’m thinking of taking up cycling and heading off round the world to Auckland. At least they don’t want to down-size their rugby ambitions there.

How much do you want for that bike John?

 

Ducks In A Row

Published in Ponty Observer, 12/7/7 - on thinking Wales a laughing stock for allowing this shit to happen...

Let me run this thought grenade past you guys. I want to start an initiative. I want to initiate it in fact. Or at the very least set up a working party to look into the feasibility of setting up an initiative. That is, once our committee of like-minded facilitators is set up (or initiated) and we’ve outlined a way ahead for our new initiative. But I guess that goes without saying.

Anyway, to the crux of the matter! I’m going to cut straight to the chase and go for it (if the committee deems it acceptable of course) and kick off my initiative. Yes, straight away. Now. Without further ado…

Mmm? Wales. And the Welsh…

Firstly, don’t get me wrong, I love Wales and even love most things Welsh (especially Katherine Jenkins, Cerys Matthews and Catherine Zeta Douglas). But let’s be honest we are hopeless when it comes to making decisions. Scotland are going to have smaller class sizes – done! Even Gordon Brown has decided to choose a radical new cabinet. Wales’ is toying with the idea of setting up a committee to look into whether we should ban plastic bags… Mmm? This sort of inaction and indecision in our so-called government makes us the laughing stock of the Western world (Italy aside). People will be saying the WRU or the people responsible for cleaning up Ponty baths are doing a good job next!

So that is why I’m going to start an initiative. It will be bold. It will be direct. Efficient even? It will get things done. Achieve results!

I’m going to set up an initiative whose job it is to oversee other initiatives! There! How about that one?! I’ll get government funding, yes you the taxpayers will pay. I’ll have more public money to give to my cousin’s uncle’s sister who’ll design me a website describing my new initiative. I’ll pay my friends (out of your taxes again) to work for my initiative as well as have a well-paid board of directors to sit yearly in a posh Cardiff hotel, all expenses paid with wives, girlfriends and mistresses flown in, given free wine in order to assess the effectiveness of my initiative. Of course if they decide that the initiative isn’t working (i.e. the wine was crap) we simply re-brand it, get another website designed by my dog and start all over again.

But that’s not all. We will have… wait for it. Pencils designed. And stickers. We may even push the boat out and have Frisbees, badges and leaflets. In fact I plan to spend eight million quid of taxpayers money on our leaflets. We’ll translate them into the most obscure dialect David Attenborough can find in Papua New Guinea (just in case they join the EU see) and Bob’s your uncle! Well actually he’s not. He’s mine, and also the director of the largest pencil making company in China, but that’s another story…

Anyway, I confidently predict that if all incentivised parties involved in our initiative can bring to the table a new and innovative approach we can impact positively in a mission-critical way and leverage our assets to sort out Wales in a jiffy. In a nutshell we’ll soon have all our ducks in a row. Now that’s worth thinking about!

And always remember – the bigger the gorilla – the more fleas he has! Need I say more?

 

Pushing Ponty
Published in Ponty Observer, 2/5/7 ? - lack of joined up thinking by quangos in Wales (this particular dig at The Pop Factory. I could have said more but was waiting for the police investigation...)

The Full Ponty kicks off again over the Whitsun bank holiday and whilst everyone welcomes an occasion such as this which puts Ponty firmly on the international music map let’s hope this years’ organisers are slightly more aware of what makes a good festival and the mistakes of last year are not repeated.

Firstly, after all the fuss, letters, complaints, protests, thousands of posts on the Ponty Forum and threats of legal action we hope the organisers will not be thinking about ruining our wonderful cricket pitch again.

And secondly, let's hope everyone who visits our small town haven gets to experience a very warm valleys welcome.

Headlining the event this year are local Ponty boys - the Lost Prophets - who for the uninitiated have a huge global fan base, as well as a host of other established and up and coming bands.

So, Ponty people, just like the Tom Jones gig we must all remember that thousands of music fans will be coming to town from all over the world. It is our duty then to show these fans a good time can be had in our little town. A good ole valleys welcome with the streets cleaned, pubs given extended opening hours, a healthy police presence and maybe the town council investing in some flowers to pretty the town and Old Bridge up perhaps? Shame we haven’t got the promised pedestrianisation of Taff Street yet but never mind we could still close Taff Street off for the day and have craft stalls, hippy t-shirt shops, food bars, postcards, posters and photographs to promote Ponty and the valleys the length of town. RCT could join forces with the organisers of Caerphilly’s Big Cheese, we could even send delegates to Glastonbury for a weekend, all expenses paid, contraceptives included…

Sadly though, we the local population have a huge responsibility to promote the town ourselves because of a severe lack of promotion of our town by The Pop Factory who, so far, have not even bothered to link from their website to a single site in Pontypridd, in particular the hugely successful Pontypridd Town website which got over 700,000 hits in April, the Chamber of Trade website, the University of Glamorgan (students like music don’t they?), Coleg Morganwg, the rugby or football teams. They don’t even list places to stay in Pontypridd or nearby but just have a link to a Welsh Tourist Board site that by it’s own admission cares only for the Yen and US Dollar.

But whatever the powers that be decide to do or not to do let's hope they don’t forget the people who live in town. Maybe this year our children can be allowed access to the swings in their wonderful War Memorial Park? Maybe the council will protect the cricket pitch? Maybe the music promoters will provide and encourage plenty of fringe events, like the excellent Mike Peters and Amy Wadge in Clwb-Y-Bont last year? And maybe this year we’ll have more than a scrawny giraffe costume walking through town to keep the ticket-less happy for the big day?


Where have all the students gone? Far, far away!
Published in Ponty Observer, 15/2/7 - anger at Glamorgan University telling students not to come to Ponty town centre and the powers that be in RCT not reacting to this!

Do you know, I'm sure I heard someone say that Pontypridd is a University town!? How strange then that we don't see many students around town!

When was the last time you noticed any book clutching, academic, types gathered around the organic food counters in our supermarkets, or sifting through the clothes rails in the charity shops in search of that rare piece of vintage clothing.

An even rarer sight these days, as rare as a Ponty rugby supporter in a Blues jersey, would be to see a lesser spotted, trendy, scarf wearer in a Ponty pub on the weekend.

So I did some research and it seems that the University has 21,326 students and 16,102 of them of them are actually Welsh! In a message from Professor David Halton, Vice Chancellor on the University's website he states that Glamorgan wants to build on "…its commitment to the regeneration of its local region…" Hm!? Think about it. Exactly how many of these 21,326 students do we see in town? We do sell lentils don't we?

Maybe Glamorgan's students don't like us much or are told not to come into town by the Students Union? Maybe they are directed to the high prices of the city centre and told trains don’t run north of Trefforest?

Of course, students today are far different creatures to what they used to be. I can still remember the first time I ventured outside my digs in Roath and walked up the dustbin crowded street, dressed in curry stained jeans and Peter Gabriel tee shirt, as I made my way to the local corner shop in the hunt for past their sell-by date vegetables for my cawl and a few bottles of cheap sherry.

Ah! Yes, how times have changed. These day's students have iPods, trendy haircuts and some even own their own shower gel! The posh ones have designer gear, pizza deliveries and taxi's home from Cardiff. No walking up the A470 with a stiff thumb for them!

Anyway, my point is this. Business in Ponty should be booming. Pubs and clubs should be bursting at the seams on the weekends.

OK, so how do we encourage this multi-million pound trade into our midst? How do we get students into town? Yes people, think students - think cash tills!!!

Firstly, we have great places for such an influx, Clwb Y Bont and Globetrotters stand out, but a whole host of other great pubs like the Market Tavern, Llanover etc. would surely love some student cash. I'm sure these drinking dens would be ideal radical hippy hangout territory! Let's tell the students this at Freshers Fayre, i.e. promote Pontypridd and what it has to offer.

Secondly, we ask, write, shout, email, embarrass in the newspaper’s the Town Council, Town Forum, Chamber of Trade, RCT, local town councillor, Ponty's AM, Ponty's MP etc. to get in touch with the powers that be and the Students Union and have them promote the town and all it's glories - past and present.

Having said that, it is plainly obvious that the University isn't listening. Indeed, by looking at various pages on the University website it is clear they are promoting Cardiff (there's even a photo of Caerphilly Castle on one page!) ahead of Pontypridd. This is totally unacceptable. Just the other week Clwb Y Bont put on a free bus from the University so students could watch some superb young bands - no-one turned up! Were they nobbled we ask ourselves!?

So come on everyone! Let's try to put this right. Ponty needs the students and the students need Ponty. Lets welcome them into our shops, pubs, and into our local community and stop them being shunted south to Cardiff and mediocrity.


Christmas Shopping
Published in Ponty Observer, circa Dec 06 - wondering what all the fuss is about...

Is it me or is Christmas shopping like three days and nights with a sex-starved Danish nymphomaniac? Something that only happens to other people.

Maybe it’s my age? Maybe I’ve got no one to buy for? Or maybe I’m just a grumpy old man now that I’ve reached forty.

OK, I love Christmas, it’s a time for family, for friends and of course the children. Ah yes, the children… those cute little things that all too soon learn that if they cry and scream loud enough when the Nick Jnr. advert for Barbie in her horse drawn carriage with matching pink princess accessories comes on the telly then more often that not the said items will find their way into her bedroom a month later even though their Daddy said there was no way on earth they were having that crap this year! Thank God for second mortgages.

But apart from the kids I don’t seem to buy anything in the shops anymore. I buy things online all year long of course, mainly ‘cos they’re cheaper, they get delivered to my door, I save on petrol and car parking charges when I go to Cardiff (I walk to Ponty in case you were wondering) and I don’t have to put up with either the over-the-top salesman approach when I’m casually browsing or the apathetic teenage sulk and bad manners from youngsters who have better things to do with their Saturday afternoons when I do need assistance… I think I am a grumpy old man you know!

In fact, for the last few years, I find I’m buying more and more online, I’m losing the art of conversation, of social interaction and even losing those afternoons when I simply must go to the pub to catch up on the rugby scores while she tries on another dress. Come to think of it I don’t even know what dress size I am anymore! (Joke).

So this year I’m going to make a conscious effort to Christmas shop. I’m going to endure the hordes, add my pollution pumping metal box to the lines of red tail-lights, pay extortionate car parking fees, jostle with the crowds, fight over DVD’s in the bargain bin with the other sad shoppers, buy a jumper that’s three sizes too big for me and one I’d never be seen dead in even if I did understand what fashion was all about.

I’m going to consume things. Things I don’t want, things I don’t need. In fact I’m going to buy things for other people that they don’t want, that they don’t need and will end up in the same drawer under the bed as my hideous sparkly Reindeer jumper.

Yes, I’m going to rejoice at the traffic jams, not moan about the rain, the wind or cold weather, I’m going to spend hour after pointless hour in queues, I’ll smile at everyone I meet, no matter how rude they are… Mmm? Then again.

Perhaps I’ll do my Christmas shopping in Denmark this year?


Wales, Wales, Wales

Published in Ponty Observer, 23/11/6 - how corporate hospitality has ruined rugby...

Whatever ever happened to the singing in the Old Arcade, the smell of sweat and stale beer, the sheepskin coated crowds that packed the bar, and the signed photo of Barry John hanging on the wall like a Greek god surveying his proud army? Whatever happened to a Valley-man's dreams?

The customary gallon of Dark and three pasties before kick off has now become three Bitter's, a tonic water for the missus, and a healthy tuna salad sandwich. Once, there were swaying men in camel-skin overcoats, standing nine foot two in their beards, who would wave their "Children's Enclosure" tickets at the little man on the turn-style, or offer him a fiver and a wry smile. Now, the pubs are packed with "youth players", all bulked with muscle from a supplement tin, fake tan faces, and more gel on their hair than Charlotte Church.

In Cardiff there are so many bars to choose from that you'd need a mobile phone to find a mate. The once great Albert is turned into some sort of metal and plastic cesspool of haircuts and fashion accessories, probably as a tax dodge for the new sponsors of our National team. There's even a Hard Rock Café in Cardiff where the drinks are the same price as the t-shirts. And we call this progress.

And the once heavily over-populated East and South enclosures have made way for stands where English company executives sit with wives or mistresses, blanket at the ready. The singing now is gone too - no matter what they say on the TV! We know they, the media, and the money-men, those men in suits, have killed our soul - our money diverted to pay for tickets for various celebrities no-one has heard of.

I remember days like when me, Gas and Noel were youngsters. We were in town with Tom Sawyer, who'd ripped the lining of his jacket, just so he could smuggle us in some Barley Wine. And to make sure he wasn't spotted he draped a big Welsh dragon flag over his back - very Notre Dame. Served at fifteen in The Cambrian (anyone remember it?) we were, or "we woz" as they say in Kai-diff.

And after the match, Brains Dark sloshing our virgin bellies, warm, with the result in our favour, we'd get off the train, and face the biting cold awaiting us on Ponty's train platform of pain. There'd be bodies lying everywhere - some huddled, some shivering alone, most dazed and confused. Then, with the day's work done, we'd cure our hoarse voices with a night-cap, a few whisky's in the Half Moon, before staggering across the road to The Greyhound for a few more. Whatever happened to those old men that used to sing in the corner of The Greyhound? I used to get served because I always ordered a pickled egg as well as my pint. "Good value this youngster see! Look after 'em now and they'll be back when they're older" I used to hear them say. We do go back... but things have changed now.

Finally we'd make our way through Taff Street. Dodging staggering men in bobble hats, two steps forward, one step back, one step into the road. We carefully negotiated the chip wrappers laid out before us along the worn out pavements. Leading us to sanctuary like some modern day yellow brick road, back to the Llanover Arms, a quick shout at Winnie in the bar before bedtime.

Whatever happened to the real rugby supporters? Can they even afford to buy a ticket now? Do they even go to the match anymore?

 

 

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