Club bids farewell to Mr Carew Cricket - Brian Morgan

His team mates said a sad farewell to him last month.

Here, former club president Gethin Evans pays tribute to the man and the player.

"I would like to start by saying how much of an honour it is for me today to pay my respects to Brian and his family on behalf of his beloved Carew Cricket and Football Club.

"He phoned me about three months ago and asked to meet up, we did at Heatherton and to my total shock started to discuss the arrangements for his funeral. It was quite a surreal experience but typical of his strength and fortitude.

"Brian was born in Redberth, but Carew was his spiritual home, playing cricket and football for the village teams - not that I ever saw him play football but my sources says he was a more than useful goalkeeper. He even tried a little rugby with Pembroke.

"He married his first wife June and had two children Yvonne and Fiona and set up home in Kesteven Court, he couldn’t get much closer to the ground.

"He married his second wife June and together had a daughter Clare, he became Stepdad to Kath, Carol and the late Judith.

"He was also of course a cherished and loving Grandad to grandchildren from both marriages.

"Brian Morgan, or Morgie, to most people, in the late 60s and early 70s was Mr Carew cricket. He had built a team of local young boys around him and they became incredibly successful- league winners eight times between 1968 and 1978; Harrison Allan Finalists six times between 1970 – 74 winning twice; Dougie Morris Cup winners three times between 1975 and 79; Pembrokeshire County Captain – 1970-1978.

"He started life as a fast medium bowler, but developed into an excellent batsman and spin bowler where his shovel-like hands helped him to spin the ball extravagantly .

"I arrived at Carew in 1975, Brian was captain of a team with some really strong characters, Tony Scourfield, Michael Brace, David Sefton Martin Cole, Gerald Hicks - the list is endless, but Brain had a very calming influence on them when they got out of hand - painting Carew CC on Cresselly’s roof being one of the pranks.

"He would arrive at wherever we were playing in a lorry normally laden with potatoes with his assistant eight-year-old Owen James by his side. Owen has continued his love of lorries and now drives even bigger ones around Europe.

"Morgie built this team’s success on fielding; batting and bowling was ok but woe betide if you dropped a catch or mis-fielded.

"He had hands like buckets so rarely, if ever, dropped a catch. He did unfortunately came off second best in one game when he and the late Gerald Harries were going for a catch, Gerald got there first, Morgie a little after and they clashed, with Brian breaking his nose.

"Martin Cole, Gerald Hicks and Mike Brace told me about the fielding practices they had - Brian with bat in hand just hammering the ball at them on the ground and in the air. These sessions lasted hours, with Martin saying one session he was catching by moonlight.

"He was a very astute captain - knowing oppositions' strengths and weaknesses, but he did have some idiosyncratic ideas about his cricket equipment.

"He once cut three inches off his bat thinking that would bring the sweet spot closer. This was quickly ditched after he was bowled three times in a row with the ball travelling under his bat.

"He was also seen trying to repair another bat NOT with tape but 6 inch nails being hammered into it. Not recommended.

"I don’t know if the family knew but he did have a few troubled moments with his false teeth. Playing Neyland at Carew, Brian went up with a huge appeal for leg before wicket, and with that his full set of teeth landed on the wicket. The batsman was given out, but it took us about 20 minutes before we stopped laughing and that included the umpires.

"Brian was never a big drinker, but on a county tour to Scotland he scored a great century in our last game, and celebrated accordingly but a little too enthusiastically. The following morning he woke with a hangover but more importantly he had lost his teeth.

"Panic set in as we were travelling home that morning, he eventually went to the toilet and of course there were his dentures. You can imagine the banter on the long ride home when the story emerged.

"Mr Carew Cricket Brian Morgie Morgan, it has been an honour to pay my respects to you."

R I P my friend and Captain.

Gethin Evans

Former president, chairman, captain Carew Cricket Club