Having moved to Torquay in September 1986 where I still live, my travels back to the Principality were more business related and with both business commitments and family commitments watching the team and catching up with old friends has never materialised.
Recently I joined the Cwmbran Centurions and returned to the club for the second time in over 30 years sadly the first was for Tim Needs funeral a great player (and missed). Although the club had been destroyed by fire some time ago my arrival back at the ground bought many memories, but my first thought was how much smaller the car park was, and the bar were, it was like time stood still but in a good way. Then the faces of my fellow team mates and club members from over 31 years ago started to arrive, one by one and so the stories started to flow.
I started at Cwmbran RFC in the summer of 1983 when I had decided that I was going to switch clubs. I was approached by the then Cwmbran Coach - Keith Rowland, and after being invited to come along to the training sessions and play in some of the pre season friendlies I agreed to join Cwmbran. Having previously played at Talywain RFC the previous season, I felt that after various spells elsewhere, Usk, Pontypool Youth followed by a short spell down at Pontypool, I could start to enjoy playing at the club that my father had played for several decades before.
On arrival at the club, the welcome I received from not just the squad, but both the committee and members, this told me that this was the club to play for, with a good fixture list, and an annual fixture against Pontypool, a sense of direction and to cap it off a tour to Canada at the end of the season.
During the two seasons I played at Cwmbran I forged great friendships in particular with Nigel Cornes and Barrie Lewis. Due to work relocation in September 1986 the 1985-1986 season was my last, during this period we had climbed up though the Ansell's Monmouthshire League and I seem to recall in the last season a 20 match unbeaten run. The thing I remember most was an away trip to Pencoed RFC near Bridgend on New Years Eve. It was then I realised what a great squad comradery we had and that of the squad that day none of the days squad were married.
Now being a member of the Cwmbran Centurions I will certainly be making the annual pilgrimage from Torquay to support all the Centurion events and reminisce with the past players, committee and members of my era to rekindle old memories.
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