St Helen's Stories - Softcover

Bevan, Alun Wyn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1843238276 ISBN 13: 9781843238270

Publisher: Casemate Publishers, 2007

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A celebration of a century and more of sport at St Helen's, Swansea.

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Review:

For anyone born within a bus ride of St Helens in Swansea, this is a wonderful trip down memory lane, touching on the sporting events, both rugby and cricket, and the players who have graced its magnificent playing surface. No association is too perfunctory for the author, even the Harlem Globetrotters get a mention for their visit in the 1960s and a tennis player, Donald Budge, for appearing in a professional tennis competition there. The author even managed to include Don Bradman because he played there in 1930 and 1934. Andrew Hignell contributes an historical overview with the ground being built on a sandbank in 1872. With only some 35 centimetres of soil covering that, it explains the fast-drying surface that allowed cricket and rugby to be played there when postponed elsewhere. Swansea Corporation bought it in 1939 and have administered it since. Since 2003, with the advent of regional rugby and the formation of the Ospreys, rugby fixtures have migrated to the Liberty Stadium but the Glamorgan cricket team and Swanseas premiership side still play there. Bevan moves consecutively through the characters and events, beginning with W. J. Bancroft, Billy Trew, the James Brothers and coming up to Davies and Tanner in 1935 and their role in the defeat of the All Blacks. Post war, we have Glamorgans county championship of 1948 and the victory over South Africa in 1951. We go through the 1950s, a rich vein, Gilbert Parkhouse, W. O. Williams, Dewi Bebb, and then into the 1960s with the top cat, Clive Rowlands. There are insights into all these events plus fuller interviews with some players, but Bevan never loses the pleasure of having been there and refereeing as well in some rugby matches. The famous victories and events are included � Gary Roberts six sixes in 1968, defeat for the Australian tourists in 1964 and 1968 and for their rugby counterparts in 1966 and again in 1992 � not a venue for Aussies. Matthew Maynards century on debut achieved with 3 consecutive sixes in 1985. Well and obviously enjoyably researched, it follows the pattern of his Stradey Stories in 60 short chapters. One could be churlish and criticise it for its lack of objective analysis, but as a local history and aide memoir, it will find a place on the bookshelves of the sports lovers of south west Wales. Geoff Edwards It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council

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