Sport

Team of the week: Letterston AFC

Published

12 years ago

December 5, 2013

SITUATED in North Pembrokeshire and famous for Fish and Chips is one of the county’s largest villages Letterston.

This well kept village boasts two Pembrokeshire league football teams. The first team managed by Gareth “Gaffa” Thomas are currently sitting pretty mid table in the second division, with a Division Two cup semi final to look forward to.

At present the second string are high flying in Division Five and occupying third place. The manager Gary Scott has a wealth of experience and young talent to choose from and is excited at the prospect of being the first second team manager to guide the team to promotion. We here at the Herald are convinced that this new found form is due to the fact that they have the Herald as their main sponsor. Lets have a look at some of the key players from each team:

First Team Captain: Karl Hedley. Karl has had itchy feet over the last few seasons, hopping from Goodwick to West Dragons then back to Letterston. But this season after an early injury scare is back to full fitness and form. He is leading by example and bossing the midfield.

First team goalkeeper: David “Cheese” Lawrence. Signed from Goodwick this year in a merry goround that saw James Gwilt sign for Goodwick while Carl Woodhouse put pen to paper for Merlins Bridge. Cheesy commands his box and dictates what he wants from his back four. A great signing for the Letts, but yet to keep a clean sheet this season.

First Team Defender, James George: James joined from rivals Goodwick this season. The pull of playing for his home village was enough to leave Phoenix Park. Playing most of his games at present in the left back role he can also fill in at centre half and has had the odd game middle of midfield. “A great lad, and one of the in-form players”.

First Team Defender Michael “Lunchbox” Lawrence: Known as Lunch to his team mates he has had a bumpy start to the season. Letterston through and through and playing more than 10 years as a regular in the first team Lunch has found himself warming the bench for the first time in his career. At 30 years old last years player of the year is still an important part of Gaffa’s plans.

Second Team Captain: Nick Lawrence. Former first team captain suffered a major injury near on 10 years ago and never thought he would play again. Got back to form after a lengthy period on the sidelines. Nick the retired last season. After many a conversation with team mates decided 1 more year was a must. This slight, hard tackling centre half leads by example always.

Second Team Mid-Fielder: Bernard Hearne. The little Jack Russel. Always niggling at ankles, never scared of a challenge and always gives 110%. Guaranteed to wind up the opposition with a sly pull of the shirt or a word in the ear. Bernard would be welcome in any team as his work rate is second to none. If injury hits the first team midfield I’m sure Gaffa will be monitoring Bernard as a replacement.

Second Team Striker: Brian Mathias. Brian is one of three Mathias brothers that play for the Letts. Son of Derick and nephew of the late Wayne, Brian certainly carries the family tradition of being a strong player with a undeniable presence. After a spell in the first team at the start of the season he is now scoring for fun in the seconds and is on course to win the “Tony Evans” top goal scorer award for 3rd year running.

One from the Archive: Billy Robb: A charity football match was held in honour of Letterston’s most famous retired player. This testimonial match, herald in June this year, raised money for local charities. Billy is re-nowned throughout the county as being the past goal scoring machine of Letterston. Old team mates, and family members, turned out for the game and fun day. The ex-player’s impressive 600 goal tally was celebrated. Known for his straight talking ways, he will definitely be the legend that current and new players will aim to beat for many years to come.

Sport

Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club to hold next time trial event

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2026

Herald Sport

MEMBERS of Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club are being encouraged to take part in the club’s next Time Trial Series event.

The 20km bike time trial will take place at Herbrandston, next to the old school, on Sunday, May 17, starting at 8:15am.

The club says the event is open to members of all abilities, whether they are chasing a personal best, building confidence, or simply looking to take part in a friendly club event.

Those wishing to enter are asked to book their place through the Connect My Club app.

Parking at the start is limited, so members are being encouraged to car share where possible or allow extra time before the event.

Sport

S4C secures exclusive Barbarians v Wales double-header

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2026

Herald Sport

S4C will broadcast a live rugby double-header from Twickenham this summer, with Wales taking on the Barbarians in both men’s and women’s fixtures.

The matches will be shown live and exclusively on Friday, June 27, with the men’s game kicking off at 2:00pm and the women’s match following at 5:00pm.

Both fixtures will be available across S4C, S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and S4C Chwaraeon’s YouTube channel, with Welsh and English-language commentary.

Sarra Elgan will present the coverage, with Lauren Salter reporting pitchside.

Gareth Charles will commentate on the men’s match, with analysis from Ken Owens and Elinor Snowsill. Siwan Lillicrap will also join the team for the women’s fixture, with further members of the broadcast line-up to be announced.

Tomos Grace, WRU Chief Commercial Officer said: “We’re delighted that S4C will bring coverage of Barbarians v Wales at Twickenham to supporters across the country and beyond.

“This fixture is always a celebration of rugby’s spirit and tradition, and it’s fantastic that fans will be able to enjoy it free-to-air, with comprehensive Welsh-language coverage at its heart alongside English provision, which is hugely important for the game in Wales.

“We look forward to what promises to be a memorable summer occasion for Welsh rugby.”

Sue Butler, Head of Sports at S4C, said the broadcaster was pleased to have secured exclusive rights to the event.

She said: “We are delighted to have secured the exclusive broadcast rights to this double-header, bringing Wales together with the Barbarians for a special day of summer rugby.

“These fixtures promise a great Wales day out, and we’re pleased that S4C’s coverage will be available across all platforms.

“This agreement underlines S4C’s commitment to delivering premium live sport exclusively to audiences across Wales and the UK, in both Welsh and English, and to showcasing the very best of international rugby on a global stage.”

John Spencer, President of Barbarian F.C., said: “Barbarian F.C. and Wales have an intertwined history, with supporters of both teams enjoying the spirit and values of the game.

“This summer’s double-header against Wales is a hugely exciting fixture and the announcement that the matches will be on S4C, on free-to-air TV, broadcast by a national broadcaster, with huge rugby experience, is really important.

“We want to showcase the very best of rugby and having the fixtures on S4C will allow us to reach a large audience for what will be a great day of rugby.”

Fans will also be able to attend the double-header at Twickenham, with tickets available through Ticketmaster and England Rugby.

The coverage will be produced by Whisper Cymru.

Sport

Merlins Bridge U14s girls celebrate league title success

Published

5 days ago

May 12, 2026

Herald Sport

YOUNG footballers from across Pembrokeshire are celebrating after Merlins Bridge U14s Girls secured the league title in the West Wales Women and Girls League.

The team confirmed their place at the top of the table after an away victory against Carmarthen Stars, capping a memorable season for the squad.

Title-winning season

The achievement follows the club’s decision to enter the West Wales Women and Girls League at U14 level, giving the players the chance to test themselves against teams from across the region.

Coach Jan Bojanowski said the success was a proud moment for the players, families and club.

The squad is made up of girls from across Pembrokeshire, who have shown commitment throughout the season and continued to develop as a team.

Growing girls’ football

Merlins Bridge AFC said the title win reflects the strength of girls’ football in Pembrokeshire and the increasing opportunities now available for young female players.

The team’s success is also a boost for grassroots football locally, with more girls taking part and representing their clubs in competitive leagues across West Wales.

The players celebrated with trophies and the league cup after completing their title-winning campaign.