CAERPHILLY, APRIL 26 2008
WELCOME TO THE DAIRYFIELD
I would like to extend a warm welcome to the players, coaches, officials and supporters of Caerphilly RFC to the Dairyfield for today's game.
As the season draws to a close I would like to congratulate the players and coaches for a very notable double over our near neighbours and rivals Llantrisant, eight very important league points in the space of four days and climbing a couple of places in the table, excellent results boys and four away wins on the trot the envy of every other side in the division! This is our last home game of the season, and our visitors today will be pulling out all the stops to try and secure a place in the top flight next season. With the corresponding game at Virginia Park back in December just being edged 16-10 in favour of the hosts, I'm sure they know today's contest will again be as competitive, and knowing our players and coaches they also will be just as determined to finish our home campaign on a high note, so I have no doubt we are in for another exciting afternoon of rugby.
I am hoping that our backroom team will again be back on board and in control of all 1st XV affairs next season. Discussions are currently underway. They are building up a very competitive squad. Some of our displays this season have been top notch, with lots of fine individual performances from the players, roll on next season! Good luck to our 2nd XV this afternoon against Pencoed in their District Cup game, and to our Youth side who are looking to clinch the league title over the next week.
Welcome to today's match referee Mr Steve Edwards and not only this afternoon's match sponsors Tubular Furniture, but everyone who has sponsored and supported the side throughout the season, thank you for you continued support and hopefully for next season as well.
Don't forget, just because the rugby is coming to an end we still need lot's of support in the close season as well, to carry out all those little jobs that our wonderful supporters keep telling me what should be done. Well, now is the chance to put those ideas into practice - look on the notice board for weekend maintenance teams, instead of lying on the settee at home getting fat! Help out and burn off some calories, after all the future of the club lies with many, not just a few! Have a great summer and see you all in September.


Adrian Tattersall,
Chairman

BITS OF BLACK AND BLUE
You have to take your hat off to the coaches and players for the way they’ve turned things round this year. We’ve been accumulating points like they’re going out of fashion and have ensured a mid table finish for the third year running. I already can hear the cynics – third year of mediocrity, or words to that effect, although funnily enough they’re far less vociferous of late. But they should look more closely at the seasons since we dropped out of the Premier. Have they forgotten that the team Dennis built dispersed to other top clubs where most are still performing?
He’s had to start from scratch and this last five months have shown that real progress has been made. Let’s not forget either that players don’t come to Llanharan for the money. We have no sugar daddy backing us. They are guys who want to work hard and succeed at what is a good standard of rugby. We are not there yet, but it won’t take much adjustment in the summer to build on the acknowledged achievements to date. It will be good news if we can keep the touchline team together to pursue that aim. There are many clubs that would jump at the chance of taking on Dennis our coach, while Colin is a top notcher in the making. And with Millsy, what you see is what you get, an honest and passionate and yes, sometimes ruthless pursuit of what is best for Llanharan, and he doesn’t cost us a penny. Without them we know that there would again be much disintegration of what is looking like a very good team in the making. With them, there are high hopes that Gareth Edwards and almost all the squad will be here in September. So let’s sign off our Dairy field campaign in good spirits with a win against championship chasing Caerphilly and, do you know what, the butterflies are already tingling in my stomach in anticipation of what I think will be a very good 2008/09!

What happened Last Season?
SEPT 9TH - LLANHARAN 26 CAERPHILLY 27 (19-15)
We failed to do ourselves justice in the second half after looking promising and establishing a lead before the turn around. We matched them for tries, four each, and our pack looked particularly strong up the slope and into the wind.. But we failed to make the most of good opportunities whereas their vital try had an added ingredient of luck as their second row kicked away the ball with a huge overlap. A wicked bounce came right back into their hands and it won them the game.
Our tries – Gareth Dyer, Alyn Lake, Sam Wahdan, Steffan Jones. Conversions – Ross Pearce 2, Michael Huckridge.
Caerphilly tries – John Griffiths 2, Geoff Godswen, Edward Lewis. Con 2 and pen – Dean Watkins.
Our team: A. Davies, G.Dyer, M.Huckridge, N.Morgan, Gary Williams, Ross Pearce ( Gareth Williams), A. Lake, O.Ford, L.Collins (O.Williams), G.Edwards (Capt), S.Wahdan, L.Davies (A.Ford), N.Allen, (G.Riggs), D.Quinn, S.Jones.
DEC 9TH - CAERPHILLY 7 LLANHARAN 24 (HT 7-18)
Our boys dominated the game, denying any prospect of the Green Army getting into it. An aggressive and synchronised defence kept the home team on the back foot throughout and our supporters had cause to be in good voice..
Caerphilly try – N.Gittings. Con – D.Powell.
Llanharan tries – M.Davies, R.Meredith. Con and pen 4 – R.Pearce.
Llanharan Team: M Davies G Williams N Morgan G Dyer E Frewen R Pearce C Burton A Ford K Worgan (D.Harvey 72) G Edwards (Capt.) R Meredith S Wahdan (A Llewellyn 78) E McLoughlin S.Jones D Quinn (N Allen 41)

Wonderful night was Cyril Jones’s 60th bash in the clubhouse. What an assemblage of former players representing several generations of Llanharan rugby. This was a fitting tribute to Cyril, once so good that he was even mentioned in a Welsh selection meeting. Some of us tried to pick a team from names present and it wasn’t easy because in several positions there were several classy choices.
Here’s one we came up with: Rhys Williams, Derrick Preece, Steve Butler, Mike Thomas, Robert Williams, Cyril Jones, Mike Jones, Mog Davey, Tony Ware, Graham Green, Richard Evans, Glyn Llewellyn, Donald Brown, Trevor Worgan, Brian Mitchel.
They cover five decades but are all players who could have played in any era of the game, such was their ability – and we could have picked a separate XV of much the same calibre, so apologies to those left out.

You learn a lot following rugby, even some medicinal knowledge. The scuttling figure of the chairman crossing the car park just before the Fleur match carrying a glass of liquid had people wondering if it was a sweetener for the ref. Turns out it was hot water and peppermint for one of our poor players who had an attack of the trots. We were close to fitting him out with a diaper, but fortunately, the special drink did the trick. Won’t mention who it was to spare his embarrassment. Shy these city boys!

It took a lot of effort to get the field playable for the Beddau game and our labours were well rewarded. Our leader Rocking Roy James was forking away as usual and a gang of four forkers assisted. Average age of the four – 60 plus!
Of course, chairman Mog delivered his usual “We would have played on it in my day, I remember in Nantymoel in 1948…” He was greeted with the customary polite groans. But, of course, he was right. Mud baths were the order of the day in mid winter. However, the overall standard and nature of the game were entirely different in those far off days. You could and did quite happily kick the ball to touch from any where on the field and reduce the game to an endless sequence of scrums and line outs with the poor backs freezing out there in the cold rain. It was even the same at international level, the Arms Park a cabbage patch compared with the later National or Millennium Stadiums. And Clive Rowland’s Wales team even won an international at Murrayfield that involved over one hundred line outs! And we thought it was great.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the improved web site with a designated junior/youth page and a photo facility that allows for a changeable home page picture and regular additions to the Gallery. The latter was being achieved courtesy of my modest little Kodak and, damn, I was very pleased with things. Until that is, Richie Jenkins appeared alongside me in the Maesteg Celtic game with lens extensions on his lens extensions. The quality of his snaps is there for all to see and Richie has kept on providing like the true Black and Blue he is. That’s the old club spirit for you. The trusty Kodak will still be on standby though.
Also playing in Asda One east today
Bargoed , v Fleur de Lys , Newbridge v Blackwood, Newport Saracens v Rumney ,
Pontypool v Beddau , UWIC v Llantrisant
Keep up to date with news of the club on our highly popular web site –www.llanharanrfc.org – over 39,000 hits since last May

Have a nice Summer!
SUPPORTERS NEWS & VIEWS
Well, we finally draw a close to a disappointing season. We have managed to secure another season in the First Division so that is a positive. With all the negativity that is flying around at the moment I think that we should all resolve it in a good old fashioned knees up and sort our differences out then. Plus, we all get to have a drink, happy days.

I was going to write one of those song things that I have done for the past two years, but unfortunately I couldn’t think of anything, never mind.

Supporters Player of the Year Slips are flying around, so please fill one in and hand it in. Predictascore today, just 50p a go with a chance of winning £100 if you guess correctly. The shop is also open after the match, lovely new Samurai t shirts are – they’ll look lovely on holidays!!

Finally a warm welcome to Caerphilly. Congratulations on your season’s success but hopefully we’ll put up a good fight against you today. Hope to see you in the bar afterwards for a pint or two.

Pob Lwc LLan
Beth
SPOTLIGHT ON CAERPHILLY
When Caerphilly were beaten at home by Beddau in just the second game of the season, few of their supporters would have dared guess that they would be leading the table as the campaign approaches its closing stages. They have been making steady if unspectacular progress ever since, perhaps the 5-0 win at Sarries the ultimate in their ability to grind out wins. The draw with Pontypool keep the honours chase wide open, but our visitors know that nothing but a big win today will suffice, as their rivals still have two games to play.
Formed in August 1887 with their first game against St Andrews, a Cardiff club, the following October, the Castlemen enjoyed a sensational rise through the ranks to premiership status in more recent times. Their achievements in this remarkable era would have brought a smile to the faces of such legendary stalwarts as Fred Brooks and Gordon Thomas who each played over 600 games for the club before loyalty became the exception rather than the rule as the game underwent unprecedented change. In consecutive years from 1994 they took the runners up spot for three promotions that took them to the heights, a certain Chris Davey the mastermind behind it all, but of course they accompanied us down to the first division in 2005. Like us, they have since been faced with a major reconstruction job and it has been one of only modest success, like us registering two mid table finishes.
Their fighting spirit was well illustrated when in 1997 the WRU creamed off the top clubs for a premier league. The Caerphilly club was not to be denied, topping the new first division at the first attempt. They actually won ten and lost eight in their return to the top flight in 1998/99. It’s been a bit of a struggle ever since although they did manage tenth in first year of the newly constituted premiership.
It is cup rugby that has provided the Castlemen with most excitement in recent times. In 2004 at the Millennium they lost the final of the Konica Minolta cup 36-13 to Neath having seen off Aberavon and Swansea on the way. This highlight followed their progress to the Parker Pen cup final in 2003 where Christian Ferris’s men fought bravely but went down 40-12 to Castres at the Madjeski Stadium.
So it’s not been all gloom for the Green Army who have seen their Virginia Park ground, first occupied in the late 1950s, transformed from an open field to an impressive stadium. Other nicknames have been the Castlemen and Cheesemen in recent times, but they have played under the banner of Jackdaws, Harriers, Harlequins and Premiers in their time.
They’re under the watchful aegis of that wise old campaigner Gordon Pritchard these days, and Phil Ager has been on the coaching staff although he is Bedwas bound next year, and will be replaced by Mathew Lloyd as forwards coach.
Asda First Division (East) 2007/08

P W D L BP Pts
Caerphilly 21 16 2 3 9 77
Pontypool 19 15 2 2 11 75
Blackwood 19 12 2 5 10 62
Bargoed 19 12` 0 7 11 59
UWIC 20 11 2 7 6 54
Newbridge 21 9 2 10 5 45
Llanharan 20 8 1 11 8 42
Rumney 20 7 2 11 7 39
Beddau 21 7 0 14 6 34
Newport S 18 7 0 11 4 32
Llantrisant 19 4 0 15 9 25
Fleur DL 19 3 1 15 5 19

ASDA FIRST DIVISION EAST 2007/08
PLAYER APPEARANCES
(Max 20 Cup 3)
Player Total
Start As rep
(r) Points Tries
(t) Con
(c) Pen
(p) DG
(dg) Cup
Ford.A 19 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Thomas.L 19 19 0 35 7 0 0 0 3/1t
Harris.J 19 18 1 35 6 1 1 0 3/1t
Thomas.D 18 18 0 25 5 0 0 0 3/7t
Worgan.K 18 12 6 5 1 0 0 0 3
Myatt.J 17 16 1 20 4 0 0 0 2
Jones.J 16 16 0 10 2 0 0 0 2/1t
Edwards.G 16 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
Worgan.G 16 14 2 132 0 19 31 0 2/2c1p
Beasant.C 16 12 4 5 1 0 0 0 3/1t
Davies.L 15 15 0 5 1 0 0 0 2
Frewen.E 15 13 2 0 0 0 0 0 2+1r/1t
Jones.G 14 13 1 29 1 3 6 0 3/2t1p1c
Williams.G 13 11 2 10 2 0 0 0 1+1r/2t
Llewellyn.A 13 9 4 10 2 0 0 0 2+1r/1t
Eaves.N 12 10 2 5 1 0 0 0 2
Davies.A 12 7 5 5 1 0 0 0 3r
Pearce.R. 12 6 6 41 1 2 8 1 1r
Connors.J 10 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
Williams.O 10 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 3r
Allen.N 9 5 4 5 1 0 0 0 2r
Phillips.R 9 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shalton.G 8 8 0 5 1 0 0 0 3/1t
Rees.E 8 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
Stamatakis.C 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Raikes.G 5 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1+2r
Curnell.S 5 1 4 2 0 1 0 0 1r/2c
Dyer.G 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
King.C 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1
Blowers.L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Burton.C 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gould.N 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Price.R 2 1 1 5 1 0 0 0 0
Thorne.L 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Harvey.D 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hopkins.C 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
McLoughlin 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pincher.A 1 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 0
Roberts. N 1 1 0 8 0 1 2 0 0
Cross.T 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Quinn.D 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Leather.K 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2r
Morgan.N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Penalty try 5 1