The history of Llanelli Cricket Club

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There have been many other members who have done so much for the Club, both as elected officers and as members. It is the voluntary spirit of the membership as a whole which has fashioned the Wanderers Club into one of the most enterprising and progressive Clubs in West Wales. The tale is told of a Club member who had been admitted as a patient to Morriston Hospital. He had obviously been missing the hospitality and comforts of the Wanderers so he invited the choir to visit his Ward at the Hospital, without, it should be said, the prior approval of the Hospital Authorities. Arrangements were well in hand but the invitation was not fulfilled as there was "some doubt as to whether the Glee Section would be admitted". The match itself was an exhibition of sparkling, open rugby with a total of 10 tries being scored. The result, not that it mattered, was victory to the Wanderers by 24 pts. to 17 pts.

Following the abandoned match at the Uplands, the Wanderers cancelled their fixtures for the remainder of the season and opened the following season (70/71) with a match at Carmarthen Athletic, the proceeds of which were to be donated to the fund. It is remarkable that there were on the field that evening, two players who were to tour South Africa with the unbeaten Lions of 1974. They were Clive Rees of the Wanderers and Roy Bergiers of Carmarthen Athletic. The first meeting of the Llanelly Wanderers Rugby Football Club was called to be held on 7th March, 1951 at the Prince of Wales Inn, Hall Street, where there were 10 members present. At that meeting, the following officials were appointed: Dublin was the destination of the Club's tour in 1958 and as usual, a most enjoyable time was had by all, both on and off the field. The Club achieved a "first" on this tour by taking part in a broadcast by Radio Eire.November 1968 saw the Wanderers 5th Triennial Dinner when along with the various civic dignitaries and officials of other clubs, the chief guests were John Reason, W. H. Clement, Carwyn James and Ivor Jones, the then President of the Welsh Rugby Union. November 1965 saw the Club's fourth Triennial Dinner with chief guests being W. H. Clement, D. O. Brace, Rocyn Jones and Ken Harries. One of his greatest moments in nearly 150 appearances for the club was being carried off the field at Wigan in front of 32,000 people. So well known was the Club's choir that it was invited to take part in a Rugby Eisteddfod at the Swansea Uplands Rugby Club. It is not clear who was victorious, but what a great night it must have been.

Season 1966/67 began with a match against an International XV. The match had been arranged as a Benefit Match for Neville Holmes who had served the Wanderers admirably in the centre when a serious leg injury tragically cut short a sparkling rugby career. For the record, the teams who took the field at Stradey were: The Club was particularly pleased in this season when Alun Prosser Harries, who, had by now moved further afield, was selected to captain the Middlesex County Rugby team. The Wanderers 1980 Fete and Gala was this time, blessed with sunshine, and with so many people visiting the event, it was certainly a success. Encouraged by this, the Club arranged a similar event for the Spring Bank Holiday of 1981 with the same result. The Wanderers Fete and Gala on the Spring Bank Holiday Monday is now destined to becoming a regular event and it is a tribute to those members who engage themselves in its organisation that it continues to be so popular among those who patronise it.The Appeal Fund was launched, in typical Wanderers style, by a Dinner at the Stradey Park Hotel on the day that the membership of the British Lions touring party to South Africa was announced. It was also agreed that the Club's Headquarters be at the Prince of Wales Inn and that Llanelly R.F.C. be asked to receive a deputation to request the use of Stradey Park as the Club's home ground. Fortunately, the Scarlets co-operated in providing training facilities, the use of the ground and a dressing room for matches.

The 1959/60 season opened when the Wanderers took on the might of the Scarlets at Stradey. A penalty goal by Harry Thomas earned a deserved draw at 3 pts. each. Such was the enterprise of the Club Committee at this time, and no doubt encouraged by the experience of widening the Club's repertoire to include skittles, it was decided to organise a Boxing Tournament at the Drill Hall in May 1956.April 1954 again saw the Edinburgh Northern club visit Llanelli, for the annual 'mini-international', and on the Wanderers return visit the following year, the Wanderers extended their sporting curriculum by engaging the Scots in a game of skittles. It is not recorded who was victorious in that particular confrontation, but on the Northerns visit in February 1956, it was seen fit for them to be the first club to be presented with the Club's plaque in the form of the Wanderers’ crest. urn:lcp:historyofllanell0000harr:epub:c4f221a7-d106-416c-87ab-cb839a67f636 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier historyofllanell0000harr Identifier-ark ark:/13960/s230ccjkp9f Invoice 1652 Isbn 0906821126