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Dychweliad
y babell fawr
(The return of the big tent)
The site where steel was made, air was
polluted and money was earned is now pavilioned
in splendour in readiness for the second National Eisteddfod of Wales to
be held in Ebbw Vale. The first was in 1958 a year to remember, Paul
Robeson the great American bass sang in the opening concert, the
Commonwealth Games were held in
Cardiff
, the Duke of Edinburgh had lunch in
Glyncoed
School
– and Ebbw Vale won the Snelling Sevens.
You
can take your pick which is the most important, Merthyr members will
choose the Games because
Wales
’s only gold medal was won by Howard Winstone
one of many great boxers from the town.
Rugby
excitement began in November 1957 when a combined Ebbw Vale and Abertillery
XV beat the 4th Wallabies 6-5 at The Park, a great triumph for
a side full of local players. There were eight Ebbw Valians
in the team, Graham Powell, Dai Barrett, Wilf
Hunt, Roy Evans, Doug Ackerman, Walter Wright, Len Harris and Len Dimmick.
The
Snelling Sevens ended the season in
Wales
in April 1958 and as always it drew a big crowd. It was a knock-out
tournament, no replacements were allowed and often it was Sixes not
Sevens. Ebbw Vale’s style of play was ideally suited to the game and our
Magnificent Seven who beat Newport in the final 10-5 would walk into a
regional side today - Graham Powell, captain, Mel Williams, Dai Barrett,
Roy Evans, Francis Matthews, Doug Ackerman and Ron Morgan.
Twenty
years later
Wales
won the Triple Crown and at the National Eisteddfod in
Cardiff
one of the poems submitted by Dic Jones of Blaenannerch
(trying saying that at stop tap) praised the team, “This acre of earth
is magic, the home of the Triple Crown heroism.” If they had won the
Grand Slam he would have waxed even more lyrical.
The
Eisteddfod goes to a different venue each year, a sort of cultural gypsy,
and when it leaves Ebbw Vale the vast site will be home to a hospital, new
schools (hopefully not too big) which will still leave room for
recreation. Those who suffered the clouds of smoke and red dust will
appreciate that. Thousands worked there, many of them Ebbw Vale players
and supporters bought their season tickets by having the cost deducted
weekly from their pay. Not every season was as good as the nostalgic claim
but whatever the form the membership remained loyal. Their example will be
followed today by loyalists who regard their season ticket as a means of
giving financial support to their club.
The
Eisteddfod will be a grand overture to the main show in town that kicks
off on September 4th. A heavy dose of culture will not end when
the Big Tent is pulled down, Ebbw Addicts will take centre stage for eight
months not a week. With respect to the greatest Welsh artistic event since
Tom Jones sang ‘Delilah,’ it will never be as inspiring as the melodic
chant that launched a thousand pints, ‘Ebbw, Ebbw.’
REL
Footnote.
People from Brecon, Abergavenny, Brynmawr,
Merthyr, Abertillery and Tredegar
will be coming to Ebbw Vale to visit the Eisteddfod. Isn’t it
encouraging that players from those towns are coming to Ebbw Vale to play
rugby?
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