Tales From The Unexpected

Hay St Marys  6  Builth Wells  1

Hay Senior Cup Final

When the trip to Wales was booked a couple of months ago, I did have a cursory glance to see if any fixtures were taking place on the Sunday, but alas nothing was doing.

However, on the Friday night before we set off, I had a quick look at a well known football forum to see where some of my footballing brethren were heading over the Bank Holiday weekend, only to find that a game was taking place at Hay-on-Wye. It was the Hay Senior Cup Final between host club Hay St Mary and their neighbours from Builth Wells.

Cover - It Keeps The Hatt's Onside!

I have to be honest though, I took the decision not to mention it to Mrs Hatt, and almost put it to the back of my mind. Given the number of football matches I've been to recently and the number I've got lined up, dropping that little nugget in the night before we set off was probably too risky a move for a man of my vulnerability!

It was forecast rain in Cardiff on Sunday, so while having a meal at Le Bistrot Pierre post a day at Barry Island, Mrs H was pondering the moves for the next day. The Gower and the Mumbles were out, but then it was as though the great God of Groundhopping was looking down on me....

"How far is it to Hay-on-Wye, only it's that town famous for it's bookshops and I've always wanted to go?"

Think carefully now Bobbles, don't jump in to quickly, it will look like you had a plan!

"It's just over an hour away, it's on the way back to be fair, I wouldn't mind going, in fact......"

I checked my phone....

"....yes, I thought so, family fun day at the football club, and they play in the Cup Final at 3pm?"

Mrs H smiled, "It's your lucky day then, but it's a good job it's a family fun day....."

At this stage I was really hoping it would be a Family Fun Day, or at least a bouncy castle to save my bacon...

After a lazy morning, the journey up from Cardiff was a stunning one, along the A470 through the Rhondda Valley, passing Merthyr Tydfil and then carrying on into the Brecon's. Some of the scenery was amazing, I need to make more of an effort to visit this part of Wales. Time and the miles seem to fly by, as do the various football grounds!

A Beer Tent - It Kept Me Onside...

Hay-on-Wye is a lovely town, and we spent a couple of hours perusing the many bookshops, but then the rain came, I was really hoping the previously mentioned FFD was not going to be a wash out, and indeed the ground had some cover, otherwise I would be deep in the soup!

Luck was on my side, as we walked across the cricket field there was a bouncy castle, a marquee and a burger stall, all in the World was good. In fact it was better than that, there were two areas of cover, one for sitting down which pleased that Hatt's, and one for standing.

It was a really good ground to be fair for the Mid-Wales League. Floodlights also adorned the ground, as did a refreshment bar, but I was more attracted to the marquee and it's selection of beers. A word for the pitch as well, absolutely first class condition, a real labour of love for the groundsman.

The day was built around two Cup Finals, this being the latter, and after the Hay Senior Cup had been presented to the winners, there was going to be an end of season celebration complete with live bands. The Family Fun Day was all part and parcel of the occasion, and to be fair it looked to have been very well supported.

Mountainous Scenery

The game was very one sided after the visitors from the league below took a surprise lead. It was 4-1 at half time, by which stage a dispirited Builth side were probably hoping the second half would fly by. Two more goals went in, and to be fair, by my calculations the referee blew a few minutes early.

We didn't stop for the presentations and indeed the bands, it was a long journey back to Derbyshire, and while the Hatt's slept, I pondered the fact that I'd had a real stroke of unexpected luck this weekend on the football front.

She's got her own back though, looks like I'm taking her to Forest next Sunday, but then it's a small price to pay when you have weekends like we've just had.

Does Life Get Any Better Than This?