Sport

College back to winning ways

Published

10 years ago

February 26, 2016

Pembrokeshire College FC: Pictured at a previous fixture

Pembrokeshire College 1st XI 3

NPTC Group Neath 1st XI 0

VALERO sponsored Pembrokeshire College First Team entertained high flying Neath College on a crisp sunny winter’s day at the Bridge Meadow Stadium. After a disappointing start to the year, Pembs College were desperate to get back into winning ways for 2016.

The first 15 minutes saw both teams settling in to the run of the very bobbly surface, which is understandable after the horrendous weather that has befallen and much of the play was centred around the middle third with both teams battling for the that first break.

Indeed, it finally fell with Pembrokeshire when Alfie Stottor threaded a superb ball in behind the Neath defence for Jordan Kilby to run on to leave himself 1 on 1 with the keeper, but he scuffed his shot wide. Stottor came close again soon after this and he indeed was instrumental in breaking the deadlock on 22mins when he crossed the ball with the outside of his boot from the edge of the 18 yard box and the ball curled away from the keeper onto the head of Dan Raicu running in from the right, who met the ball brilliantly and guided it into the roof of the net.

The half continued with both teams creating opportunities and sharing an equal percentage of possession, with the Pembs midfield duo of Kilby and Ben Aldred continually breaking forward in support of the strikers Stottor and Louis Thompson and it was the home team that went in at half time with a slender lead.

The second half was poised for more of the same with Pembs starting to nudge ahead in the possession stakes. Nathan Annesley-Rees saw his header fly just over the bar and on 70 mins Thompson saw his shot from the edge of the box fly just over the bar.

This sustained period of Pembs pressure resulted in a corner which Fraser Finlay drove into the box, tight to the near post and the ball went in off a Neath defender, though Finlay is deservedly credited with the goal.

Finlay should have made it 3-0 when he was put through on goal by Stottor, but his uncharacteristically poor first touch saw the ball roll towards the grateful oncoming Neath keeper. Neath mounted the odd counter attack, which was brilliantly dealt with by the solid back 4 of Matthew Dickinson, George Taylor, Annesley- Rees and Jacob Knox, and this enabled Pembs to continually pressure Neath until the inevitable third goal came from the boot of Stottor who fired his shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

In the final five minutes the ‘keeper made two superb saves from Kilby and Stottor to keep the score down to a more respectable 3 nil and a well-deserved and much needed win for Pembrokeshire College.

Pembrokeshire College Football Academy are indebted, as always, to their main sponsors Valero and are very grateful to Haverfordwest County AFC for providing the superb Bridge Meadow Stadium and also to the match officials Helmut Reinhardt, Gareth Elliottt and College Sports student Oliver Robinson, who is also a qualified referee.

Squad:

Tyler Pickering, Matthew Dickinson, Nathan Annesley-Rees, Will Bateman, Jake ‘Leon’ Luby, Alfie Stottor, George Taylor ( C ), Jordan Kilby, Louis Thompson, Ben Aldred, Jacob Knox, Dan Raicu, Fraser Finlay, Donovan Griffin,

Sport

Haverfordwest RFC names Team of the Week

Published

1 minute ago

December 14, 2025

Herald Sport

HAVERFORDWEST Rugby Football Club has announced its latest Team of the Week, celebrating standout performers from across the junior age groups following another busy weekend of fixtures.

Players from the U7s through to the U16s Eagles have been highlighted for their work rate, teamwork and commitment on the pitch, with coaches praising the effort shown by all who took part.

The club said the selections recognise not only individual performances but the dedication shown by players at training and during matches throughout the season.

Parents and supporters were quick to share their congratulations online, with particular praise for U12s players George Bentley and Tom Wheeler, who impressed during their fixture.

Team of the Week – 14 December 2025

U7s: Ollie Bromham & Arthur Slee
U8s: Theo Headland & Lyla Phillips
U9s: Theo Canton & George Thornton
U10s: Rhys Davies
U10s Eagles: Frankie Campbell
U11s: Griff Jenkins & Ollie Edwards
U12s: George Bentley & Tom Wheeler
U12s Eagles: Cyra Ellis
U15s: Logan Keane
U16s Eagles: Laura Cichon

Coaches thanked players and families for their continued support as Haverfordwest RFC moves through the winter fixtures, saying the positivity around the club remains a key part of its success.

Sport

Bluebirds’ European Journey Continues in Season Four of You Can Have It All

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Herald Sport

Club documentary series returns to document Haverfordwest County’s historic UEFA Conference League campaign

HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY has confirmed the return of their club documentary series, You Can Have It All (YCHIA), later this month, showcasing the thrilling journey of last summer’s European adventure.

YCHIA first began filming in 2021, with Season One covering a rollercoaster 2021-22 campaign for the Bluebirds. The season ended with a dramatic top-flight survival, following a challenging period. Season Two shifted focus to the 2022-23 season, which saw the club qualify for Europe for the first time since 2004. The Bluebirds’ stunning play-off victory, which included back-to-back penalty shoot-out wins against Cardiff Met and Newtown, marked manager Tony Pennock’s first season in charge as a major success.

The excitement intensified as the series continued to cover their historic European campaign, which began with a trip to North Macedonia to face KF Shkëndija. Returning to Cardiff City Stadium for the second leg, the Bluebirds made club history by winning their first-ever European tie on penalties. The drama then took them to the Faroe Islands to face B36 Tórshavn, where they were controversially edged out by a single goal in the return leg.

Now, with further continental success under their belts, YCHIA returns for its fourth season, documenting last summer’s European adventure. This season follows Haverfordwest County’s journey through the qualifying rounds of the newly rebranded UEFA Conference League (UECL).

Providing exclusive behind-the-scenes access, the series tracks the Bluebirds’ travels to Malta for the first leg of their UECL first qualifying round tie against Floriana, and the return leg at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli a week later. The season also covers the build-up to the competition, including a visit to Geneva for the UEFA draw and a match against reigning Northern Ireland champions Linfield at Windsor Park, the national stadium.

Season Four will be released in three episodes on December 18, December 23, and January 2. You can watch You Can Have It All on Haverfordwest County’s YouTube channel by following this link. The club will also share highlights and snippets of the documentary across their social media platforms, so be sure to follow them on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter)!

News

Pembroke Dock coach helped steer Lando Norris to F1 world title

Published

3 days ago

December 11, 2025

Seren Baker

Local mentor recalls seven-year-old Norris as “one to watch from day one”

A FORMER Pembroke Dock man has been revealed as one of the earliest influences behind newly-crowned Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris – adding an unexpected Pembrokeshire chapter to one of the biggest sporting stories of the year.

Robert Dodds, who grew up in Pembroke Dock before later moving to Poole, was Norris’s first coach at BKC Racing. He began mentoring the future McLaren star when he was just seven years old, helping shape the early foundations of a career that reached its peak on Sunday (Dec 7) when Norris secured the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking to The Herald, Mr Dodds said Norris’s talent was obvious from the very first outing.

“There was something special about him from day one,” he said. “By the time he was eight, he was already as quick as the 10–12-year-olds. He just had this will about him – he wanted it.”

Pembrokeshire link to a global success story

Dodds coached Norris for four years, guiding him through kart setup, technique, and competitive racecraft. He says he remains “immensely proud” that his own Pembrokeshire roots now form a small part of the world champion’s rise.

“Ten or fifteen years ago he was sat in the front of my van as we drove to tracks,” he said. “Now he’s flying around the world racing in Monaco. It’s incredible how far he’s come.”

That early development included a fierce sibling rivalry with Norris’s older brother, Oliver – something Dodds believes accelerated his progress.

“Because of that rivalry, his pace shot up. He wanted to beat his brother – and then he wanted to beat everyone.”

BKC Racing has produced other top talents too, including 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Phil Hanson, further underlining the pedigree of the team that helped launch Norris’s career.

The moment a champion first stood out

Dodds still recalls an early test at Clay Pigeon Raceway, where a seven-year-old Norris completed a lap in 39 seconds – a benchmark usually achieved only by much older cadet racers.

“He came past me with his thumb up – this tiny kid doing senior cadet times. That was the moment we knew.”

Norris seals his first world title

Norris made his Formula 1 debut in 2019, claimed his first podium in 2020, took pole position in 2021 and secured his first Grand Prix win in Miami in 2024. His 2025 campaign saw him take multiple victories before clinching the world championship in Abu Dhabi, becoming the first British driver since Lewis Hamilton to lift the title.

Pride back home in Pembrokeshire

Motorsport fans across the county followed Sunday’s title decider closely, with many celebrating the unexpected local connection.

A local F1 fan who watched the race in a Haverfordwest pub told The Herald:
“Everyone here was proud of Lando – and hearing that one of his early coaches came from Pembroke Dock makes it feel like Pembrokeshire had a tiny part in his journey.”

Dodds, who continues to mentor young racers today, says Norris’s success is already inspiring the next generation.

“It’s like something out of a film. I’m proud of what he’s achieved – and proud to have been part of the journey.”

For Pembrokeshire, the story adds a local footnote to a global sporting triumph – and a reminder that world champions sometimes start out much closer to home than anyone realises.

Cover image:

Proud mentor: Pembroke Dock’s Robert Dodds helped shape Norris’s early racing career (Pic: Robert Dodds)