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There are still stars on the national and local scent to gladden your heart
After a few recent rants by web manager Mark Vincent and I, over some sporting icons not being quite what we think – in other words they are either cheats or liars - we asked a few local sports people who are above reproach (we think!) for their top ten sports people and a selection is printed below for your enjoyment.
Some look at top players whilst others deal with local choices (and of course Bernie Armstrong picked both!) We didn’t have any from ladies in sport and would especially like to hear from you.
If you want to select a top ten of anything to do with sport then press our ‘Contact Us’ button – and get writing!
Trefor Evans (Antur Insurance Pembroke County Cricket Club Chairman)
Lee Trevino - Showed that golf could be played with a smile. A great player and wonderful sportsman.
Mohamed Ali - He transcended all sport – he really was ‘The Greatest’!
Gareth Edwards - Could have been the best in many sports, but chose to be the best at rugby!
Pete Sampras - The complete tennis genius – a pleasure to watch
Ian Botham - Could win a game with bat or ball – and always entertaining for the crowds
Pat Jennings - My hero – a true goalkeeping ‘great’
Pele - The first global footballing star – and an amazing ambassador for the game
Jimmy Greaves - The greatest goal scorer the game has ever seen – bar none
Barry John - He really was ‘The King’ so say no more
Jack Nicklaus - A golfing genius and gentleman - perhaps now his wonderful golfing records will not be broken after all!
Local Legends Top Ten – John Donnachie (Local sports lover)
Frankie Donovan - Played in the 1948 Olympics – a great player and wonderful coach of youngsters – what a great man he was for football in our county.
Des Shanklin – A real ambassador for Pembrokeshire and Wales – with Pembroke Borough and now Haverfordwest County – and Welsh Chairman, Treasurer and President.
Jonathan Thomas - 50 Caps for Wales in rugby and as modest as they come. Showed that dedication pays off and a great example to youngsters in the game.
Mark Delaney - Played for Goodwick, Carmarthen Town, Cardiff City, Aston Villa and Wales – and would still be there but for injury as a classy full back. Now coaching and someone Pembrokeshire can be very proud of.
Simon Davies - Played for Peterborough, Spurs, Everton, Fulham and Wales – all with typical determination and style – and still going strong today with his non-stop running. Like Mark, a great ambassador for the game whom youngsters can look up to.
Barry Wood - A very fine all-round cricketer who oozed class with his batting could bowl spin or pace with seeming ease. Barry was also a very fine badminton and hockey player.
Eddie Oliver - A tireless worker in local football who was a very good referee Hon Secretary of the Pembrokeshire League for many years. Eddie still assesses referees today.
John Deason and his team - The Sport Pembrokeshire team has always tried to encourage people to take part in sport and they deserve great credit for all that they have done over the years.
Danny Thomas - Another character involved in local footballer who, after many years as a player became a referee and is now president of the Pembrokeshire Referees’ Society, and represents them in West Wales, too.
Viv Hay - Another wonderful character who is still going strong at 92 and has served Pembroke Dock Quins for almost all his life, as well as the county club.
Brian Hawkins – Hon Secretary, Manderwood Pembrokeshire Association Football League
Gareth Edwards - best scrum half in the world
Ian Rush - what a goalscorer
John McEnroe - always gave it everything and could be entertaining at times!
Steve Davis - less boring now then when he played snooker but still world class.
Diego Maradona - Excellent footballer
Peter Scudamore - won me a lot of money and one of the most successful jockeys - lost me quite a bit as well!!
Ian Woosnam - Welsh Golfer and one of the best
Kenny Dalgleish - after watching him play became a Liverpool supporter
Ian Botham - Best All rounder in the World by a mile.
Merv Hughes - What a moustache and was one hell of a character.
Some odd choices, perhaps, but these are the ones I would love to see play their sport.
Richard Fanus & Adge John (Local sports lovers)
Pele – Brazilian Footballer
Tiger Woods – Top Golfer
Roger Federer – Tennis Player Supreme
Mohamed Ali – Best Boxer Ever
Gareth Edwards – Welsh Rugby Player
Lance Armstrong – Superb Cyclist
Sir Garfield Sobers – Ace Cricketing All-Rounder
Sir Steve Redgrave – Olympic Rower Par Excellence
Brian Phelps – Welsh Diving Champion
Michael Shumaker – Grand Prix Racer
Derek Brazil (Manager of Haverfordwest County AFC)
Mick Brazil - My dad and a great influence. Trials with Blackburn (but was homesick),
Shamrock Rovers and boxed for Ireland.
Zico - The great Brazilian in World Cup 1974 & 78
Mohammed Ali - Really was the greatest
Ruby Walsh - A fellow Irishman and a great jockey
Bjorn Borg - Top tennis player – five Wimbledon’s on the trot.
Brian O’Driscoll - Great player for Ireland and the Lions
Tiger Woods - Still a great player, even though ....
Diego Maradonna - Another flawed genius but I loved watching him when I was young
George Best - Same again – but everyone wanted to be George Best when we were kids.
Alex Ferguson - Spent six years with him – great manager. Years on – still remembered my mum and dad
Bernie Armstrong’s Top Ten Footballers (Played With):
Talfryn Harries (Fishguard Sports)
The best keeper I have seen locally – he commanded his box, never seemed to miss a high ball and was good on the ground for a big man.
Steve Summers (Fishguard Sports and Goodwick United)
When he joined us at Fishguard in 1986 he scored 60 goals – and never really stopped banging them in during a long career.
Keith Gardham (Fishguard Sports)
As classy a midfielder as could be. When he came to Pembrokeshire we were amazed at his skills – he controlled the midfield with style.
Dai Scoble (Quarterdeck)
I played in the same side as Dai when I was a youngster and he really impressed me with his dribbling skills. He just dropped a shoulder and was round opponents in a flash – brilliant!
Micky Ellis (Merlins Bridge)
He had the best lefty foot in the business, drifted past players as if they weren’t there and scored lots of goals, especially from headers!
Tony Jones (Merlins Bridge)
Tony was an outstanding defender, in the air and on the ground. He was a hard man on the pitch but a gentleman off it.
Ade Haworth (Fishguard Sports and Merlins Bridge)
What a midfielder Ade was, with the ability to run and tackle all day, use the ball intelligently and score goals as an added bonus
RV Jones (Fishguard Sports)
Another midfield dynamo with one of the hardest tackles I have seen. RV never shirked winning the ball and a great man to have in the same side.
Colin Fawcett (Milford United)
Colin was a fantastic player with all the skills at his disposal. He was not only creative but had a high work rate – and another good goal grabber.
Paul Bowen (Quarterdeck)
As a young lad Paul was my inspiration because he showed me how to score goals. He just knew where to be at the right time and gave me lots of good advice I have never forgotten.
Joe Merry (Goodwick United)
Joe was so cool in defence with his ability to read the game and his tackling and distribution was immaculate – he was a wonderful man at the back.
Played Against:
Mark Ashman (Pennar Robins)
I played against some great keepers but Ashie was the best. He was in total command of his area and was deceptively good on the ground for a big man – and a great character.
Paul Blunsden (Monkton Swifts)
A great club man and gave 100% on the field, he was strong in the air and never gave an inch. You always knew you had been in a battle with ‘Blunnie’!
John Codd (Johnston)
I never played against big John Codd without getting a few bruises! He was a huge competitor but he was always great after the game. A real star!
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