Brian Broome - football-mad and still going strong

Brian Broome is 66 years of age and is well known as a former footballer with ‘The Quarterdeck’ and St Ishmaels - and he is still going as strong as ever as a tough-tackling defender with Swansea Veterans and the Welsh Over 60s team which takes on England and Northern Ireland on an annual basis- and he has also played against Germany on one occasion.

Known to all as ‘Basil’ (Brush) or ‘Broomey’ he has also been an excellent golfer at Milford Haven GC (down to a four-handicap on one occasion), with three holes-in-one at the club, a win in the match play championship and success alongside his long-suffering wife Keri in mixed foursomes (but more of that later!)

Started out with Bernie – and ‘encouraged’ by Nipper and Tommy

Football was always his main sport although, interestingly, he didn’t start playing competitively until he was 21, when his old pal from Milford Central School, Bernie Armstrong, coaxed him to play at The Quarterdeck Club.

“I started training and it was ‘Nipper’ Picton who said there was only one place for me - and that was right back because my skill levels were low and I had no left foot, which is where I stayed until the club sadly folded, and Tommy Wood ‘persuaded’ me to join St Ishmaels.”

“Tommy was a great all-round sportsman and a Tish fanatic and I know there was no arguing with him and it turned out to be a great decision because I stayed with them until I was nearly 40 alongside other great characters like Mark ‘Dabbsie’ Davies, great keeper Jeremy Howells, Mario Rabiaotti, Billy West, Glyn Griffiths and Robert Cockburn.”

Two Senior Cup Finals – and the Pembs Vets are born

“We were always there or thereabouts, without a lot of silverware, but did reach the Senior Cup on two occasions, against Carew and New Hedges/Saundersfoot - but sadly lost them both. NHS were the top team of the time and we actually held them to 1-1 in the final as Jez (Howells) played a blinder in goal - but we went down 4-1 in the replay as NHS played at the top of their form.”

“It was just around this time that Bob Nelson helped start up the Pembrokeshire Over 40s team and I had a wonderful time alongside some of the biggest characters, and best footballers, who graced the game in our county.”

Great characters and fantastic trips

“These included the likes of Gerald Hicks, ‘Dabbsie; Steve James (what a keeper!)  Mike Lewis, Russell Murray, Jeremy Morris and Gary Stephens, Bernie Armstrong, Micky Algieri and Brian Morris, plus Mike Beavis on a few occasions!”

“We played in the Welsh Veterans’ League and more than held our own as our matches took us along the M4 corridor and even further afield, and the bus trips, with Bob Nelson as driver, were a highlight with so many amusing walks down ‘Memory Lane’.”

Joining the Swans ‘old-timers’

Eventually the team found it hard to maintain so much travel and folded so Brian joined Micky Algieri in playing for Swansea Veterans, which means even more travel because their journeys for away matches stretch to Exeter, Barnstable and other clubs in the South-West of England.

“It’s nice that Micky and another Pembrokeshire player in Robert Seago and local Swans like Cameron Medwin (whose father Terry played for Tottenham Hotspur), are involved - but because I currently find it hard to attend training because of my work at Hinckley Point I have stepped down to the second team - and enjoying it there too when work commitments allow.”

Welsh international matches follow and a coveted Welsh cap

It was after playing for Swansea first team in a cup match against old rivals Cardiff, that he was approached by Bob Drew, a Welsh regular, who asked Brian if he was prepared to play in the Welsh set-up and Brian said he would be delighted.

“I attended a training session and two weeks later I was in the side, very proud to be wearing my Welsh Jersey at over 60s level, alongside Mr Algieri, of course.”

To qualify for the coveted Welsh cap a player has to compete in ten matches and it took Brian three seasons to qualify, and that cap now takes pride of place amongst his mementoes.

Golf success follows

It stands alongside his trophy for winning the match-play competition at Milford Haven Golf Club on one occasion.

“I battled my way through to the Club Championship final where Lyn Rees was waiting for me as someone held in huge regard across Wales, let alone Milford, but I battled through 35 holes to win by a 2 and 1 margin.”

“It was a great moment and along with that I am proud of the fact that my wife Keri and I have won the Peggy Darlington Mixed Pairs Cup three times after she took up the game on the old ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ principle - and has since gone one better because she won it a fourth time with fellow golfer, Liam Eva.”

Their family is completed by daughter Lauren and son, Connor, who used to be competitive swimmers, clearly adopting the sporting nature of their parents. Connor also enjoys time on the course, playing with a handicap of 7.9.

Three singleton holes – one on a par four!

Amazingly, Brian can boast of having three holes-in-one at Milford Haven Golf Club, two on the par-three short holes, the fourth and the sixth, both just under 150 yards each, and known as the ‘Valley Hole’ and ‘The Pit’.

But it is his third success that is most interesting because it came at the par-four ninth hole (317 yards) where he was playing a friendly round with old chum ‘Spike’ Anderson.

“I hit what I thought was a pretty good shot to what is a blind hole but when we reached the surrounds to the green there was no sight of it so I jokingly said I had better look in the hole - and when I did there it was!

(Editor’s Note: When we jokingly suggested it might have been wickedly placed there by an earlier golfer or a passing seagull, he quickly countered that the thought did enter his head but there was no-one playing anywhere near them - and so we can credit him with his success!

And finally . . .

Brian isn’t playing now because of work but says that once he retires after his stint at Hinkley Point he will take the game up again - and his remaining football ambition is to keep fit enough to play again for Wales’ Veterans - this team at over 70s level.

PembrokeshireSport.co.uk must say we enjoyed a sporting reunion with Brian ‘Basil’ Broome some 50-odd years after he was a pupil at the old Milford Central School, and knowing him for so long we can only say that we wouldn’t bet against him achieving either ambition.

We wish him every success because he typifies what sport in our county is all about because he just loves being involved and a chuckle is never far away in chatting to him!