Sunday 24th September 2023 ko 11:00

West Wales Premier League

BRYN ROVERS 3 (Campbell 45 53 61)

Campbell missed penalty 69

WEST END 1 (D Griffiths 29)

Att 153

Entry £3

Programme £2

It wasn’t that the rain on the Sunday was unexpected, I’d packed by wet weather gear in readiness, it was that it seemed out-of-step that can happened the day before. I know I’ve said it before, but the whole timbre of a hop changes when it rains. We heard that the game was in doubt then the club needed a delay to work on the pitch. Thankfully we had a brief respite, so we checked out of Carmarthen fortified with hope, and referee Robert Fulford took a generous view of the conditions.

In geographical terms we headed east along the A48 passing by Ammanford then Cwmamman. In footballing terms that meant moving from the Carmarthenshire League’s catchment area into the Neath League’s. I remembered seeing a couple of their league games kicking off on side pitches when we visited Pontardawe Town back in 2018, and as soon as I thought it, we passed over the River Tawe with Parc Ynysderw on our left!

Eventually we reached Brynaman and Joey soon realised there was no way he could negotiate the town’s narrow streets. Let’s face it, most of us could do with the exercise! Cae Criced is more than adequate for the club’s needs, but the curiosity is that there’s no space for cricket. Even the clubhouse is some distance way and is shared with the rugby.

We managed to get the few remaining programme packs distributed before the rains came again. And they came with a vengeance. And as much I love grass roots hops, when the weather’s rotten you do know about it. There was nowhere to hide from it, and although the club were superb hosts and did all they could the fact was the weather did put people off, yes it wasn’t easy watching when the deluge permeated even my waterproofs!

But we did get a quite superb game. I think most there were expecting a West End win, their Welsh League history suggested that, and the running them of the hop! They took a lead but the Bryn changed shape and Adam Campbell took charge. He scored a superb hat trick, the only one of the hop, missed a penalty, and won the game for his team.

My only regret was that that only 153 saw it and boy did we get wet doing it!