Batten down the hatches – storms forecast for the Cardiff City Stadium area!

19 Responses to Batten down the hatches – storms forecast for the Cardiff City Stadium area!

1. Anthony O'Brien says:

   August 28, 2016 at 11:25 am

   An interesting report as usual. It’s good to learn that Cardiff now have so many young players with speed and talent, but knowing Cardiff it’s not impossible that we’ll never see them at the highest level. Also, I’ve heard a rumour that they are now being told to pay for their own kit, which to me seems to be a disgusting policy decision from the powers that be. There was almost certainly evidence of penny-pinching in yesterday’s game, as exemplified by the fact that many of the new stewards seemed to be extremely young and therefore presumably cheap.

   As for the game itself, a team set up to scrape a 1-0 result got what it deserved, albeit that the result was the wrong way round. The much-vaunted “wing-back” system virtually went out of the window with the selection of Jazz Richards at LEFT wing-back. His defensive work was good, and he did achieve one good shot on goal (with his right foot, of course) but the attacking impetus was minimal. Of course, it is now part of the Cardiff tradition to rely on players out of position. For example, neither Pilkington nor Immers have the instinct of a centre-forward, and both are showing signs of frustration, especially when they take up good positions and fail to get the ball. Gounongbe is clearly a centre-forward at heart, but his lack of goals (not always his fault) risk making him a source of mockery among many so-called fans. Lack of scorching pace through the middle remains a major defect for Cardiff. There was one incident yesterday when a Cardiff player broke away and the first man to get forward in support was Peter (“Methuselah”) Whittingham. The value of pace, incidentally, was highlighted on another occasion when Kadeem Harris was able to sprint across field and foil a Reading attack down the right,

   Speed in another area is a further problem for many Cardiff players — namely, speed of thought. Every free-kick, corner or throw-in has now become as predictable as chips for dinner in Benidorm. Surely, professional footballers should, at some time or other, be able to produce a surprise, even if it’s only a quick throw-in, or a throw-in to a the feet of a colleague lurking outside the goal area!

   To add to my unfortunate litany of negative comments, why wasn’t Emyr Hughes given an opportunity yesterday to show his worth in a dreadfully underperforming midfield?

   I habitually try to be fair-minded. believe me, and I accept that players and management deserve to be given time to sort out their problems, and yet I came away from yesterday’s debacle with one name on my mind — Craig Bellamy!
2. Blue Bayou says:

   August 28, 2016 at 12:44 pm

   To lose to a late smash and grab goal to a team as poor as Reading were yesterday, is a concern, although these things happen in football.
   Then again Reading were no worse than QPR, who we also managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory from! Possibly one positive to come from these games is that we still have a few days left to convince the Transfer committee that we need to invest in a new striker before the Window closes on Wednesday, if we want to have any chance of making the playoffs.
   Also, I remember during saying during last season, when Wales Online ran ‘Should Slade be sacked’ polls after any setback, that Russell Slade will only appreciated by some fans after he has left us.
   Does the fact that we have already lost as many home league games this season, as we did for the whole of last season under Russell Slade surely point to the fact that we ought to recognise him for that at least?
   Unfortunately, probably not. Some fans will still complain about the style of football that was on-show in some of those games. Probably the same ones who said they’d prefer to watch a different style of football, even if it meant us finishing lower down the league.
   I think they may be getting their wish this season – even 7th place seems a long way away at the moment!
3. Richard Holt says:

   August 28, 2016 at 3:49 pm

   I’m observing events from foreign fields Paul and even from this distance it’s all a worrying picture. I’ve a feeling an important chapter in our sequel ‘The Journey Back Down’ will concern itself with developments over these few weeks.
4. Dai Woosnam says:

   August 28, 2016 at 5:27 pm

   Thanks Paul for your ever-thoughtful, philosophical take on events at the CCS. Gee, you don’t show up those literary tarts at Wales Online. Delme Parfitt writes a piece on Marshy’s departure that he should be ashamed of. Any ten year old submitting it to his teacher, would have it returned with the words “needs much more work”. All he did was full it full of tweets…and even gave us each of those twice, to pad it out.

   Do these hacks do ANY work at all for their handsome salaries and their press passes (the latter meaning they can walk not just into sporting events, but to virtually every commercial attraction in Britain, on the production of that pass, and a glib promise of a promotional article*)?

   Now, re The Bluebirds…

   Hilaire Belloc is whispering in my ear…and the question is, will the whisper turn into a stentorian voice? And then into a Belloc BELLOW…?
   Viz., one of his most famous couplets…
   ‘…
   And always keep a-hold of Nurse
   For fear of finding something worse.
   …’
   And thus very soon, people become nostalgic for the days of Russell Slade..?

   I can just imagine our Barry Cole going into a dead faint at the prospect !!

   But Paul Trollope is beginning to worry me.

   And the warning bells are really ringing off the wall, with the purchase of Joe Bennett. I would not take this fellow on a free transfer…and minimum wage £7 an hour.

   If I was ever immodest enough to apply to go on Mastermind, he might be my specialist subject.

   How come?

   Well, that’s easy to explain. Eddie Walker – apart from being a magnificent singer/songwriter (check him out on YouTube) – is one of my closest friends, of many years’ standing. And he lives in Middlesbrough.

   And about 4/5/6 years ago (I forget how long…I lose track of the years), he me sent a pic of his grandson and Joe Bennett. He told me how nice JB had been to the boy.

   Well, that made me take an interest in looking out for the player, whenever the Boro (and later, the Villa) were on TV.

   Alas I have to report that every time I have seen him, he has given a 3 out of 10 performance. That bad…honest.

   And added to hopeless distribution, poor heading and ineffective tackles, he has shown a sneaky love of the shirt pull and the dark arts. And shows no discipline, and is seemingly unashamed when he lets the team down.

   I wish I could share your view Paul that he is a decent addition to our squad. Alas, to me, he is a diabolical decision to waste money. If Paul Trollope thinks he is a footballer, then I have no remaining faith in Mr T. Simple as that.

   As for our friend Kermorgant…I cannot dislike the guy, and feel happy for him, having really felt for him when his extravagent Panenka did not come off that night. Yes it was not the game to try that silly penalty in…and indeed, had it been not a play-off semi final shoot-out, but even an ordinary league game, you only take such penalties when you are five goals up.

   So a shocking error. And one deserving of the Leicester fans’ wrath.

   But wrath is one thing.
   Crucifiction is another.

   Thus I have always felt a certain warmth for the Frenchman…so if we had to lose to the team with – in Jaap Stam – easily the scariest looking manager of all 92, then Kermorgant would have been my choice for the bloke I wanted to score the winner.

   And hey, this gives me a chance to paste out again on your blog Paul, my favourite version of Bright Eyes…the best football based re-working of a song melody …EVER.

   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iad3gV-9C1U&autoplay=1

   And finally a word on David Marshall.
   I feel really sorry for the keeper at Hull. Did he not pull off a few blinding saves yesterday against Man U ?! Golly…if only HE would come to us…instead of Ben Amos…although in truth, I know little about the latter, and do not find my animus running full throttle over him, like it does with the appalling Mr Bennett…a chap who must have a silver-tongued agent, that is all I can conclude.

   * I have known a goodly number of journalists down the years, and trust me, they will not pay admission prices for ANYTHING if they can help it. That NUJ press pass is worth its weight in gold, and flashing it, gives one gratis entry into all sorts of places.
   Not long ago, I paid to enter Lincoln Cathedral. A journalist friend with me, just flashed his card – like a detective sergeant showing his warrant card – and was given free entry, without even a question.
   Not for nothing did my old friend and regular email exchanger, the late, always irascible, Ian Skidmore, call his autobiography…”Forgive Us Our Press Passes”…!!
   DW.
5. Dai Woosnam says:

   August 28, 2016 at 5:30 pm

   Oh dear…just spootted I missed a vital word out in my second para…

   It should have read…you don’t HALF show up

   Apols.
6. Barry Cole says:

   August 28, 2016 at 5:46 pm

   Paul the warning bells are ringing louder and louder as it seems that the suspect transfer team are now looking at lafferty. I was at pains to point out that this position will cost money and if we didn’t get it right then there is a good chance that we could face a relegation season. It’s not just getting this position right with a goalscorer holding a goal cv but we are desperate for a quick thinking and moving midfielder?
   I am not here to chastise Trollope although he took the role on as he will have to take what is given to him from an inept transfer committee who simply do not have enough football knowledge. Whilst this continues there is only one way we are going and having seen tans responses to spending is always in the negative then it’s simple what will transpire. We will continue to lose games and the players will continue to lose belief and suddenly it’s too late.
   Lafferty will never be the answer and it’s another cheap call from the transfer team, it maybe too late but we really need someone in with experience and get these clowns out of ruining our club.
   Tan made an effort last year and fans responded but yet again he has lost it He simply doesn’t have a clue how to deal with the fans and it obvious he really hasn’t anything left to give to us. His only hope will be to say it as it is and hope that we understand what the is because at this stage the only plan I see is relegation.
7. Russell says:

   August 28, 2016 at 7:16 pm

   I left the ground deflated, I joked to others about missing Slade’s tatics,and results, I wonder know if I was trying to tell myself it was and would be better with Slade still in charge ??

   We are playing with a tactic the team cannot deliver in its current state, and we have no pace of zeal about us so teams are never really on the back foot.

   We need to move out the old guard midfielders who have no pace ,and shake it up with youth and pace,yhe risk is worth taking as the current lot will take us down in my view.

   Anitger issue I had with our current manager and his team yesterday,why name ALF on the bench and then leave him their, when we were crying out for a striker .

   On the subject of keepers I know Amos was well thought of at Utd, and is a very good outfield player. Most clubs in our situation with a 31 year old on the books with big wages would sell,so sadly I agree with the Marshall move,if it provides necessary funds, he us my second favourite keeper behind Ron Healey.

   Finally I looked at the club’s we have played and they are in the majority in the top half of the table, and we competed well with them ,especially then away games.

   Here’s a thought 442 at home 352 away.

   Paul thanks again for the review’s of the youth games ,at least gives me an uplift of some progress at tge club.

   Finally I would like to share my thoughts on the club. They are reducing the overheads, for a possible buy out, perhaps ,ir our owner is not of the best health or interested any longer ,and wants out. He is keeping very low key and away from comment. It might be just FFP ,but I doubt it, something is afoot holmes
8. Clive Harry says:

   August 28, 2016 at 10:51 pm

   Just a quick comment with apologies to Barry. He mentioned our football transfer committee as ‘not having enough football knowledge’. I presume this was a typing error and he meant ‘not having any football knowledge’. Hope this helps.
9. Dai Woosnam says:

   August 29, 2016 at 12:02 am

   Neat line there from Clive. Certainly, the signing of Bennett* would suggest to me that the transfer committee are clearly about to do a footballing version of The Producers…take your pick as to who is our version of Mel Brooks.
   Talking of black comedy…
   It is bad enough that I allude to the serious subject of cruel death in a footballing comment, but that I cocked-up the spelling of “crucifixion”, is pretty shameful for a three times a Sunday ex-Rhondda boy, like me. (Just spotted it 5 minutes ago. I really oughta proof-read my scribblings.)
   Just evidence – if you needed it – that I never use a spellcheck. And that I have been too addicted in adulthood to reading FICTION…and not “fixion”…!!
   Oh, and btw, I really do know the difference between a para and a sentence…although you would wonder at it in my 5.30 pm today post.

   Before closing, I note the England squad just announced. I feel vindicated. Just under two years ago, Paul, I wrote (words to the effect) on your blog after one of Russell Slade’s first games at CCS against Forest, that in the last twenty minutes, Cardiff were seemingly up against a superman who was unplayable.
   He was my first name in my Championship team at the end of that season. I note Paul, that you did not quite share my belief in him, as he was not in your team of the year.
   Great to see Sam Allardyce pick him, after Bilic has been playing him out of position, of late.
   I refer of course to Mihail Antonio.
   WHAT a player !!
   DW.
10. MIKE HOPE says:

    August 29, 2016 at 12:24 am

    A great analysis of our current predicament from TOBW and regular contributors.
    I think we all agree that we need more pace throughout the team and that our so-called wing back system is actually a back 5 with the backs getting forward no more than you would expect from a flat back 4.
    Bolton fans opinion of Amos and Dai’s inside knowledge of Joe Bennett does not inspire confidence that better times are ahead.
    I enjoyed the ‘Brighteyes’ song though; if the talented but depressed Leicester fan who produced it could only have known what was just three or four years away!
    I’m a bit surprised by Barry’s pessimism as he spent most of last season telling us that we already had the players for automatic promotion.
    My understanding of the club’s financial outlook is that Vincent Tan has promised that over the next four years he will convert the indebtedness into equity thus producing a debt free club if and when someone else takes over.
    I think it is safe to assume that he was talking about the debt as it stood at the time of the promise and he had no plan to mop up further losses over the four years.
    As he examines his burnt fingers from the Malky and Ole era [with contracts awarded by the latter still a drain ] it is unlikely that he will give much thought to the ‘speculate to accumulate’ theory.
    I fear therefore that we face a further period of cost cutting until our wage bill is on a par with our income which after the end of parachute payments will come mainly from possibly diminishing gate receipts.
    Mr Tan will perhaps bear in mind that selling or buying a player for £2 million is equivalent to about five thousand season tickets.
    In the short term we have to hope that from September 1st our manager will be able to mould the players available to him into a team that is worth supporting and paying to watch.
    In the longer term or in current management speak ‘going forward’ perhaps Mr Tan will sell to a billionaire Chinese colleague looking for a Championship club playing in blue and needing only investment to get into the Premier League!
11. The other Bob Wilson says:

    August 29, 2016 at 5:09 am

    Plenty of stuff to consider here in another interesting set of replies. Just a few thoughts regarding some of the points made.
    1. AMO, it seems to me that a team should be able to get by with one, perhaps even two players who are not being used in their optimum position, but that could, arguably have been said about Harris, Peltier, Richards, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Whittingham, Immers and Pilkington on Saturday – Noone then came on to play in a role which he has barely ever played in before!
    2. Blue Bayou, Russell Slade did a good job in some respects, a decent one in others and a downright awful one in others. As I keep on saying (but keep on failing to stick to myself!), the time to make judgments on the squad will be on Thursday when we will know who Paul Trollope will have to work with for the next four months. At the moment though, the omens don’t look good if the Kyle Lafferty rumours are true – I genuinely believe that we’d be in a similar position as we are now if Slade was still here and was having to manage in the circumstances Trollope is.
    3. Richard, I mentioned that we are about a year behind where Blackburn are if the club continues it’s “progress” since getting promoted – recent developments make me think that maybe I was being a tad optimistic there. I’ve thought all along that decent money would be available to Trollope for these last few days of the window if we were able to get the wage bill down and sell one or two first teamers, but I’m not as sure as I was about that now.
    4. Dai, I’ll wait and see about Bennett – I’m not expecting anything brilliant from him, but plenty of managers seem to have decided that the Championship is his level and the Sheffield Wednesday manager seems to be a decent judge of a player. Yann Kermogant will always be remembered for one thing by City fans, but whenever I’ve seen him playing for Charlton, Bournemouth or Reading in recent years, he’s quite impressed me. Pleased for Antonio, given his form in 2016, he’s in the England squad on merit.
    5. Got to say that I broadly agree with you Barry. For me, Lafferty is a player of some talent who has under achieved throughout his club career and for a fair part of his international one as well – he also seems to be a bit of a loose cannon and at 28, I don’t see him changing too much now. I was horrified when we first linked with Jay Bothroyd and at the moment I feel much the same about Lafferty, but I also had a realisation that Bothroyd’s ability levels were so high that there was a player who was easily good enough for the Premier League if a manager could get him to buckle down and apply himself and, fair play to Dave Jones, he came as close as anyone to doing that with Bothroyd. With Lafferty, although I think there is talent there, it’s not to the same level as with Bothroyd.
    6. Well said Clive!
    7. Russell, agree with you about the problems with the new system being down to more than just the lack of a good striker and about LeFondre. We need another keeper now to come in and be the first choice because I don’t believe either of the current ones are good enough to play forty matches for us this season. No matter what the table says at this time of the season, I think all three sides we’ve played at home have been pretty poor. There are plenty who seem to feel the same way as you about a possible sell up – I think Vincent Tan would be interested if someone showed an interest, but I just don’t see why anyone would at the moment.
    8. Mike, I agree about the lack of pace and that we are currently setting up like an away side no matter where we are playing. Regarding debt to equity, I’m party to some news on that which should break fairly shortly, but, for now, I’m sworn to secrecy – I agree with you though that the conversion talked about would be for the debt as of a certain time, rather than being a continuous process. From Vincent Tan’s perspective, the current lack of spending is entirely understandable and I don’t believe that the fans have a right to be too critical given what’s happened in the past. That said, it’s so frustrating that with Cardiff it always has to be one extreme or the other. In the summer of 2013, the club were at a crossroads, the two sides who were promoted with us (Hull and Palace) took the correct turning and we didn’t – the final league table of 2013/14 stands as a huge indictment of all at Cardiff at that time (with the exception of a few of the players) when you see where we finished up compared to those two sides I’ve mentioned and I’d say we are now at a stage where the bungling of the transfer Committee has cost us a lot more than Malky Mackay did with the Cornelius signing. Until Fabio left, I don’t think there was one player signed by the transfer Committee that had been sold by us at a profit – we messed up when we were really splashing the cash, but we’ve also got it badly wrong most of the time when we’ve tried to be more cautious as Messrs Tan, Choo and Dalman have taken a more active part in the process.
12. Barry Cole says:

    August 29, 2016 at 9:04 am

    In reply to mike I certainly did say that we had the team to get promoted last season with a decent manager we would have reached that dizzy height.
    This year we have lost Fabio and marshall and I still think we may lose another player before the transfer deadline. I have seen what has come in and yes my thoughts have changed quite dramatically.
    Needless to say I have also continued to bang the drum on getting a decent and costly centre forward with goals on his cv but for that to happen we need a midfielder capable of turning defence into attack quickly.
    But I will still be there as I have renewed my season ticket now mr slade has departed and Paul Trollope will get the same time to make improvements that I gave to slade. Unfortunately slade didn’t make it , I hope Paul does and if he does under this cloud then all credit to him
13. Dai Woosnam says:

    August 29, 2016 at 9:33 am

    Dear me. Honestly, there are times when I genuinely wonder if I am going gaga.
    Today is one such.

    Seems like I am on a losing streak right now. Elementary spelling howlers I almost deserve “crucifixion” over, and now I have led dear Mike up the wrong garden path.
    Gee…I don’t know what I was thinking about when I said “Bright Eyes” !! Call it a senior moment.
    It was of course “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. (When I freakishly found this masterpiece while surfing YouTube a year or so back, I stuck the link up for Paul and our gang here, with proper attribution to the Neath Nightingale’s biggest hit. Don’t know what came over me to confuse it with the Mike Batt number…not remotely similar.)
    Sincere apologies Mike. And since what little reputation I have as a writer, has largely been in the field of music, I am this morning looking suitably embarrassed. God knows how “Bright Eyes” made its way from my brain to my fingers. I put it down to being so upset at the signing of Joe Bennett. I note I put an asterisk by his name in my last posting and forgot to follow up with a footnote. For the record, such a footnote would have read ”he physically looks the part though, is enviably lean and is far from slow”.

    Will sign off now with Bonnie Tyler’s voice in my inner ear. And a recollection of my days selling wine throughout South Wales.

    I recall – circa 1984 – calling on a regular customer, Alan Pope the chemist, in Dynevor Street (or was it ROAD and not street?…yes it WAS road) in Skewen. And saying to him, “I keep meaning to ask you Alan…does Bonnie Tyler come from around this part of town?”.
    And his reply was priceless…
    “Ah, Gaynor Hopkins you mean! See that house opposite…and the bathroom sticking out? Well that was where Gaynor would practise…she liked the acoustics you see! And we could hear her singing all the way down the road. And light-heartedly we’d shout up at her to ‘pipe down, as you will never make a singer Gaynor’. How little we knew!”

    And that should fire a warning shot across my bows. I can just see the headlines at the end of this season as Joe Bennett is announced as Bluebirds Player of The Year.

    And they say God is deeply serious…!!??

    All I can add is that if Joe Bennett is the Fans’ Player of the Year, it must have been – by definition – a relegation season…(excuse my gallows humour).
    DW.
14. Clive Harry says:

    August 29, 2016 at 10:18 am

    I know this is rather off topic but for those of you interested in films, I’ve heard that Rhys Healey is starring in a remake of The Invisible Man.
15. Anthony O'Brien says:

    August 29, 2016 at 11:21 am

    Clive,

    I can’t see it at all. Anyway, I thought Lord Lucan was in line for the part, and there was going to be a horse scene with Shergar.
16. MIKE HOPE says:

    August 29, 2016 at 3:02 pm

    Dai, no need to apologise,I didn’t think it was the song about the rabbits-you’ve read the book you’ve seen the film now try the pie!
    The lyrics of ”Total Eclipse” include the line- ”turn around bright eyes ” so I think we both have a get out.
17. Lindsay Davies says:

    August 29, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    Paul. I’m sorry I’m such an infrequent ‘visitor’ to the Mauve and Yellow these days…and, to the Stadium.
    I admit to making my judgments from my Wolf’s Lair overlooking London’s Hampstead Heath, having long given up my Season Ticket during the ‘reign’ of OGS. (First Great Western abandoning the Quiet Coach – where I used to encounter Kinnock and Abse – didn’t do much to encourage the round-trip, either).
    Anyway, these thoroughly entertaining exchanges have only made me gloomier.
    I like the easy way out – blame OGS, or Slade (more Noddy Holder than School of Art, as I once said, via e-mail, to the Supporters’ Trust; it’s how I ‘met’ Paul). I haven’t the intellectual energy to delve into the running of the Club – I just know ineptitude when I see it.
    I think it’s time that Trollope reverted to writing interminable novels of Victorian Episcopal life – certain to be more gripping than what he’s putting out at the moment, and Dai “Three Times On Sunday” (those were the days) W would enjoy them.
    Eavesdropping :
    “Who’s your top scorer, then?”
    “Shane Duffy.”
    “What sort of bloke is he?”
    “Dunno – he plays for Blackburn.”
    Boom, boom.

    By sheer coincidence, I’m about to move even further from Godzone – East, to Norwich.
    In spite of the dire state of things at our Club, it’s unlikely that this Bluebird will become a Canary, although I did like that team of Mark Bowen and Dave Phillips.

    all the best,
    Lindsay
    (Still a Member of the Supporters’ Trust!)
18. Anthony O'Brien says:

    August 29, 2016 at 6:08 pm

    Have you heard what Idriss Saadi has just done, and how he did it,in effect, like a natural striker? I am still shell-shocked that he hasn’t been playing regularly for Cardiff, who have chosen to send him out on loan, ostensibly to improve his confidence and fitness., To quote that great beacon of truth, Bill Clinton, in another context, that is “b.s”. I am bound to ask, what have Cardiff City done in his time at the club to undermine Saadi’s confidence, and to allow his fitness to become a problem? He is among the best natural strikers I have seen, and from the beginning g I have regarded him as the answer to so many of Cardiff’s attacking and goalscoring problems, and yet he has been ignored just as much as Rhys Healey (mentioned above). I accept that fitness might have been a source of some hesitation in deploying his qualities on the field of play, but there has been ample time to sort that out. And if anything is likely to destroy a player’s confidence, it is to be left out of the team or sent out on loan when, in his heart of hearts, he must feel that for some reason (unknown to we lesser mortals) he is and has been the very man that Cardiff needed and have needed for a long time. I am tempted to sign myself in Daily Telegraph fashion as “Disgusted of Cheltenham”. I despair of another unfathomable decision by the powers that be, but fortunately I am able to control my anger if not my puzzlement !!!!!!!
19. Dai Woosnam says:

    August 29, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    Dear AMO,
    Seven exclamation marks?
    Are you trying to usurp my position as the undoubted King Of Otiose Punctuation ?!
    (I jest of course…and you make a very solid point re Saadi).
    Talking of “news”…is it rught that Marshall is going for just £3.5m? Was his contract about to expire? Quite a contrast to the bsllpark figure of £5-£6m a year ago, being apparently about to be offered by Pulis and Martinez.
    Dear Mike,
    Thanks for reminding me of the words “bright eyes” appearing in both of the lyrics.
    That old “subconscious” doesn’t half work overtime for us all, eh?
    Dear Lindsay,
    I’ve read a few Trollope novels and found them considerably better plotted than his 2016 namesake’s team tactics. Ha!
    And finally, to any citizen of Skewen reading this: if Alan Pope is still alive (and he may well be, being an approximate contemporary of mine)…PLEASE trust me, him being a “chemist” was certainly not a code for some illicit substances being sold with the booze! (Weak joke from me.)
    Rather, it was just that the profusion of chemists in the South Wales Valleys licensed to sell booze, meant that in some towns every third customer seemed to be a chemist*. And momentarily, as I thought of his shop opposite Bonnie Tyler’s childhood house, I thought of him as a chemist…but today my head has cleared and I can say with conviction, that in reality, he was a good old fashioned off licence.
    * this goes back to before the days of supermarkets, to when the Chapel was still king.
    And Mrs Jones could not be seen coming out of a pub’s “beer-off” carrying alcohol, or she might be denounced from the pulpit by her chapel deacons on the following Sunday !! Much better to have her drink wrapped in a brown paper bag by her chemist. That way, it looked “medicinal”.
    And that folks, is the reason why the South Wales Valleys had -,per capita – the greatest number of licensed chemists in the UK…i.e., the sheer number of noncomformist chapels.
    And a century later, with so many turned into BINGO halls, maybe we hold the – per capita – record there too!
    DW.

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