GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU ALL and a special welcome to our North Walian visitors. Once again the elements were against us last Tuesday and according to the forecast for today the rain will again will be with us for the umpteenth time and it will be a miracle if the conditions are favourable. Miracles do happen, however, and let’s hope that today’s game is up to the usual standard of entertainment when both our teams play each other.

In our Premier Cup match at Wrexham last week, due to circumstances beyond my control, I inadvertently eavesdropped on our Assistant Manager Ray Davies’ pre-match team talk to his players, and I must say, it was extremely uplifting and emotive. Ray not only raised the spirits of the lads and motivated them but advised them on what tactics to adopt against a side of a standard that we are not accustomed to. Our Manager must have earlier given his team talk, and having also heard Tomi a couple of years ago, I can assure you that it must have been equally effective. The role of the manager over the years has evolved dramatically, I think, and requires a lot of preparation. Last week, for example, when we had no game, Tomi gave up one of his very infrequent Saturday afternoons off to travel to Caersws to assess the home side against Flexsys Cefn Druids, whilst Ray Davies finishing an early 6.00am to 2.00pm shift, then immediately proceeded to Caerleon to run the rule over our opponents last Saturday.

All this activity is very important in the manager’s repertoire so that the strengths and weaknesses of opponents can be assessed and an action plan formulated and presented to the players. In preparation for our game at Wrexham, I understood that in the previous week the Robins had spent a considerable amount of time practising corner kicks. I assume that this was due to the fact that we would be under considerable pressure for long periods in the game and that corner kicks would be inevitable. Well, I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not but all three Wrexham goals came from corners and it was noticeable that they varied their corners from one to the next. That is what preparation does for you.

You may recall that I referred in a recent programme to the camaraderie that exists between the sporting organisations of this town and how the support is interchanged between the various sports. Once again today our Match Sponsor is orientated towards the game of Rugby Union and quite a number of his guest are through and through protagonists of the oval ball game. The proprietor of the Carmarthen Decorating Centre, Raymond Williams, has strong rugby traditions in his parentage, for his father, Les Williams, is no less than Vice Chairman of the Welsh Rubgy Union, whilst Barry Evans, who is also a guest of the match, and a proprietor of the Denzil Evans Toyota Garage is an enthusiastic sponsor of the Glamorgan County Cricket Club. So we do indeed have a fine cross-section of sporting enthusiasts supporting our club.

FINALLY, may I end on a sad note by referring to the passing of Ken Payne, father of Colin, one of our Committeemen, and father-in-law of Jan who, of course, is Secretary of the Ladies Committee. Ken was a popular member of our Social Club and he will be sadly missed. We extend our sympathy to Colin and Jan.

A GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU ALL and a warm welcome to our visitors from the English borders. It is always a pleasure to have them at Richmond Park, if only to reciprocate the excellent welcome we invariably receive when we visit Llansantffraid. Well, you must have all enjoyed the goal feast at Richmond Park a fortnight ago against UWIC and the sad thing about that was that the cameras were not in attendance on that occasion. Had they been and with some of the spectacular goals on show we could again have had four candidates in the frame for Goal of the Month.

With the Club enjoying a high profile in the press and the media as a result of our elevated position in the League, pressure has been put on our manager to give his views on our championship chances. Well, true to form, and in his wisdom, Tomi has side-stepped any title talk and refuses to be drawn about making any predictions about the championship. Quite right, Tomi, there’s a long way to go but after saying that, it is my opinion that we do indeed have a championship winning squad!

Last Friday, we visited Port Talbot for the first time in the LoW and it is most gratifying to report on how the Club has worked so superbly to improve their facilities at the Victoria Ground. We were there last year in a Welsh Cup match and I can assure you that the ground is unrecognisable now to what it was just a short while ago. The club’s elevation to the LoW is the sole reason for this transformation which illustrates what our Premier League is doing to football in Wales and, of course, the new UEFA licensing procedures still in their blue print stage, may improve standards further in due course. I often feel slightly dismayed that the approach of some members of the FAW to the LoW is not as positive as one would wish.

On Wednesday night I was a member of a group of officials that represented the Club at the Carmarthenshire Sports Councils’ Awards Evening at the Stradey Park Hotel. We had been nominated and short listed for the Team of the Year Award, but it was not to be on this occasion as the winners were Brynhyfryd Bowls Club from Llanelli. There are no sour grapes here as in fairness to that team, they have had a tremendous record last year winning the Welsh Cup and other outstanding honours. The game of bowls might not attract the high attention of Rugby Union and Association Football , so all credit to the club for their achievements.

You will note that our guest writer this week is Phil Dillon of the Evening Post. Surrey born Phil’s first journalistic assignment was with the Rhondda Leader and appropriately he reported on Ton Pentre’s progress in the LoW. He moved on to the Merthyr Express as the Sports Editor and covered Merthyr in the Dr Martens League, when Colin Addison was manager. Next, he became a Sub Editor at the Evening Post in Swansea. He was then promoted to the Sports Desk where his knowledge of the LoW will now prove a great asset to us. Phil also reports on Swansea City matches in the Nationwide League from time to time.

Enjoy today’s game.