Parc Y Scarlets

I've taken these pictures from the web. We were sat on the "R" of Scarlets in the picture below. A fairly functional stadium which - as often seems to the case - offers more of architectural interest outside rather than inside. Cheap and cheerful in some respects but it does the job and, in the context of club and town, it's pretty impressive. However, it's still wickedly tempting to call Parc Y Scarlets a "tin plate job" playing on it standing near the site of the Trostre tinplate works in the town which was once known as "Tinopolis." But, having being disappointed by Stradey itself - patched up over the years with ugly structures - not as much has been lost as you might imagine (I'm assuming saucepans still adorn the tops of the posts at the new gaff?).



As for the surrounding area yes, you've guessed it, Morrisons, Tescos, two "retail parks"....the whole bleedin' lot. Note too the track and training facilities where the infamous Mr Barmcake - match 340 last night with two in the Telford Combination today and a trip to Sweden next week to watch dross (the man has irredeemably sunk into the abyss I fear) - is already planning to see Llanelli AFC play a couple of pre-season friendlies:





The match itself was a gentle affair which featured a high level of skill and some lovely play but very little in the way of tempo and action. An hour of this was pleasant enough after which things rather petered out. Indeed, a typical modern-day friendly international I guess which was watched by a crowd of just over 4,000 paying £10 and £5 a head.

The main interest for me - with Wales playing their youngest-ever team - was "player watching". Aaron Ramsey looked a bit special and - with Joe Ledley and Jack Collison alongside - Wales could have a decent midfield for years to come. If there's a Golden Age ahead for the Welsh I'll be saying "I was there!"