“Park Life” The Best Bits 2010

Jeff Jones is a former Welsh amateur footballer; a Boys Club’s of Wales international in 1979. The same year he scored a hat-trick in the final of that season’s Welsh Youth cup final. During a long and undistinguished football career in the game he played in every position on the pitch and has occupied every position off the field of play from club chairman to programme editor. “Park Life” The Best Bits is a collection of the funniest articles from the RTB Ebbw Vale FC match programme edited by Jones, and despite the club being so far down the football pyramid they were almost on the Sphinx! Park Life proved an award winning match programme completing a hat-trick of Gwent County Programme of the year wins and was also voted best in its category (level 3 and below) 3 years running in the Welsh Football Magazine’s Programme of the year wards. Three times in it’s 6 year history the programme was named in the top 5 in Wales finishing 3rd Twice this in the overhaul category, beating programmes printed professionally by clubs playing at the highest levels of Welsh football. Park Life ran from 2003-2009 though Jones continues to write humorous articles in the Welsh Football Magazine on a monthly basis. Ebbw Vale, made famous by politician Aneurin Bevan can also boast Oasis manager Marcus Russell as famous sons, as well as former world number one snooker player Mark Williams and rugby internationals such as Clive Burgess and Ian Watkins. Jones used his match programme to share numerous stories of his struggles with football teams at the lower end of the football pyramid though also used an array of fictional characters to air their views on professional football at a world level, so there is something of interest for any football fan amongst the pages of his book. Contact details Email address: Jeff1961@btinternet.com Book ISBN number: 9781449073886 Check out the web site at www.jeffjonesbooks.co.uk “Park Life” The Best Bits Includes Humpty Dumpty Did he Dive or was he pushed? Never one to sit on the fence we at “Park Life” asked some well respected footballing figures to help sort out this mystery from yesteryear and having received no replies from anyone made the following ones up! Ron Atkinson “Spotters badge Clive! For me it was handbags, the big fella should not have been anywhere near the wall, he should have been hanging around the back stick. I’ll tell you another thing for me Clive. The big fella went down far too easily! Kevin Keegan “I tell Ya...I, I When you say that about professional soldiers not being able to put him back together again. We’re bigger than that I..I..I’ve kept quiet for too long, but I tell Ya he’s gone down in my estimation!” World Exclusive Interview Shep the Blue Peter Dog I immediately became friends with Stan Bowles he passed me a ball and said “hello show us your pedigree chum! With you in the side we can Winalot!” Stan would bet on anything and one day he was playing “keepy uppies” and said “there's nothing I can’t do with a ball!” I replied “I bet you a tenner I’ve a trick you can’t do” “You’re on mate” he cried. So I sat down and licked mine and said “you can’t do this!” “In off the post!” Letters Page * With all this talk about a credit crunch why don’t we all move to that place called jeopardy, because apparently there are thousands of jobs in jeopardy! Yours Bryn Picca * A man in the pub told me that England’s Theo Walcott is so young that he was not only awarded with a cap but also a satchel after the recent Croatia game! Yours Barry Island Touché! Ed Film Night Wales Stuck for a DVD to buy for Christmas? Check out these Welsh titles Trefforest Gump The Lost Boyos An American Werewolf in Llandudno Huw DaresWyns Dai Hard Evans Almighty Meet Dai Idris Jones and the temple of Dyfed The Wizard of Oswestry Treasure Barry Island The Eagle has Llangynidr The Golden Cwm by pass The Good the Balla and the Ugly Doctor Dai Little The Magnificent River Seven Haverfordwest Was Won Saving Private Ieaun Independence Dai The Welsh Connection The Bridge on the River Wye Lawrence of Snowdonia The Welsh Patient Ian Rush Hour The King and Ira Look Back in Bangor Dial M for Merthyr Dai another Day A Rhondda world in 80 Dai’s Caerphillydelphia Merthyr on the Orient Express Ponty Pythons Life of Bryn A Fishguard called Wanda Daddy Dai Camp Where Eagles Aberdare From Rassau with Love

A Must Read for all Football and Rugby Fans in Wales

A new guide, The Football and Rugby Playing Fields of Wales by Richard E Huws is about to be published. A life-long passion for sport led Huws to undertake a decade of research into the history of around 600 grounds throughout Wales. The result is this informative and comprehensive volume packed with fascinating facts and stats. The entries detail the teams that have played on each pitch and some famous matches that have taken place. The author explains further: “I have endeavoured to record the playing fields used by all current senior football and rugby teams in Wales. Fields used by some defunct teams have also been included if they can be clearly identified. I have also attempted to record some special events which have been held on certain fields. These range from agricultural shows to national eisteddfodau, and to other sporting events and unique occasions such as papal visits.” The book will appeal to sports fans and those with an interest in local and family history. Huws is surprised at the lack of information about sport in general local history books. He says, “I very much hope that this work will inspire local historians to delve deeper into the history of sport in their area and to record in greater detail this somewhat neglected aspect of community activity. I feel that this is especially important as an alarming number of traditional playing fields are falling victim to commercial, housing or transport developments.” Born in Carmarthen, the author has spent most of his adult life in Ceredigion. He worked at the National Library of Wales for almost 40 years, and recently retired from the post of Head of Reader Services. He has published widely on the history of printing, local history, family history and sport. He lives in Bont-goch, near Aberystwyth, and is a keen follower of most sports, and especially of his beloved Swansea City.

One of Britain’s brightest football managers, Roberto Martinez tells his story

KICKING EVERY BALL

My story so far

“When I have a day off, I must admit, I take the whole day off, away from the game. Roberto, on the other hand, is still living and breathing football on his free day.” Jordi Cruyff

Roberto Martinez is one of the sharpest minds and most inspiring personalities in Welsh and British football today.

At only 33 years of age Roberto Martinez decided to bring a premature end to his playing career after being offered his dream manager’s job at Swansea City. After only fifteen months in the job he won the club the first division title and for himself the LMA Manager of the year award.

Since then Roberto has won the praise of countless managers, pundits and players, but none more so than from Swansea City supporters. At Swansea the fans recognise what he did as a player and captain, helping saving the club from relegation from the football league, before earning them respect in the Championship as one of the most exciting teams in the second tier of British football.

Originally from Balageur in Catalonia, Roberto Martinez played for his home town in the Spanish third division before moving to play Real Zaragoza in La Liga. In 1995 he was spotted by Dave Whelan, the millionaire owner of Wigan’s famous ‘Three Amigos’, alongside Jesus Seba and Isidro Diaz. He then played for Motherwell, Walsall, Swansea and Chester before deciding to follow his father’s footsteps into management when offered the job at Swansea City in 2007.

In Kicking Every Ball Roberto Martinez looks back over his life on the move and the ups and downs of his playing career. From his early days in Catalonia to his current role as one of the brightest managers in British football today. The book, published by Welsh publishers Y Lolfa, also includes a forward by the internationally renowned football player Jordi Cruyff.

KICKING EVERY BALL

Roberto Martinez

£12.95 ( 20.1968 USD approx )

Y Lolfa