"WELCOME FROM BRIAN J. JONES,"
"As a former "Barbarian" I am delighted and honoured this afternoon as Chairman of Newport Rugby Football Club in this historic season, to extend a very warm and sincere Rodney Parade welcome to the President, team and officials of the Barbarian Football Club."
"When W. P. Carpmael, of Blackheath, and his fellow founder - members of "the Barbarians" were eating their oyster supper at Bradford in 1890, I am certain that they little realised that the club they were founding would have such a great influence on rugby football not only in the United Kingdom but throughout the world."
"The Newport Club have been proud to be associated with the "Baa-Baas" since 1893, when the famous touring team made their first visit to Rodney Parade, and with the exception of the two World Wars fixtures have continued annually, while in 1933-34 a special match took place in memory of that great Newport player, W. J. Martin."
"The honour of playing for "the Barbarians" is considered second only to representing one's country, and when T. C. Graham, A. W. Boucher and W. L. Thomas became the first Newport players to wear the famous Black and White jersey with the black monogram on the left breast, they were setting the target for every future player who wore the Black and Amber jersey. Through the years the names of all the players who have achieved this honour reads like a "Rugby Who's Who," but I am certain that those omitted will accept my apologies if I only name a few from each playing era. Tommy Vile, E. D. G. Hammett, P. D. Hardern, B. T. V. Cowey, W. H. Travers, K. J. Jones, M. C. Thomas, Roy Burnett, Bryn Meredith, Brian Price, David Watkins, Stuart Watkins, John Jeffrey and Del Haines."
The "Barbarian" motto, "Rugby Football is a game for gentlemen in all classes, but never for a bad sportsman in any class," has always applied to the previous 77 games between our two great clubs, and I am certain that it will apply this afternoon. We look forward to seeing everything that is good in rugby football, no matter who wins."
"Welcome "Barbarians" - may your visits to Rodney Parade continue during the next hundred years of this illustrious club, and I am certain that many, many more Black and Amber players will have the honour and pleasure of appearing in your famous colours in the future."
"MESSAGE FROM Mr. H. WADDELL,"
"President, Barbarians Rugby Club"
I am very happy and honoured to write something for the Newport programme."
"The first time we beat Newport was in 1904 and we had no further win up to the Great War. We have managed to do a little better since then, but the Newport match is always a hard match, a good match, and very often exciting."
"In a British touring team to South Africa in 1924 I first heard of Newport as a young parochial Scot from Glasgow. The manager was Harry Packer, a man of great charm, and among the players were that great forward Neil Macpherson and also the silver-tongued Doc Roche, who sang his way round the South African scene with Macnamara's Band."
"We had that delightful and witty stand-off half Vincent Griffiths, who rapidly became the wit of the tour, and when he decided to tear a strip of you it was superb for everyone except the man being stripped. This stripping, however, was always justified. He was known as Vitriolic Vince, in an affectionate way."
"We also had Harold Davies, a very delightful person."
"You will see that Newport were well represented. We went out and came home in the Edinburgh Castle, and there was immense excitement among the Newport contingent awaiting the result of the game against the All Blacks which took place before we landed."
"I first played against Newport in 1927 when we lost by a point. As I had to work on Tuesdays I could only do this on the occasional year. The second time I played was in 1929 when we won by a point, thanks to an astonishing drop goal from halfway by that delightful Irishman, who was, I think, killed in the war, E. De Vere Hunt. Slim, golden hair, and an exciting player. So you could say I was square in Newport."
"The hospitality and kindness of your Committee over the years have been superb and it is always a pleasure to come to Newport and renew our acquaintanceship with Nick Carter and all the other members of your Committee, who couldn't be friendlier."
"Newport, of course, is one of the greatest of all the British Clubs, with a superb record against overseas sides."
"They always have tremendous forwards at the line-out, and I remember once having a bet with two Scottish second-row forwards before the game. I said I would give them ten bob every time they caught the ball and a shilling for every time they touched it. It was a good game and I did not pay them even a single shilling."
"Apart from your excellent forwards, you have produced many superb backs and many of these have become Barbarians and inevitably played very well for them when they did."
"I hope your Club will continue its great progress in the years ahead."
"RODNEY VISITS by David Parry-Jones"
"It takes some phlegm for a citizen of Cardiff to admit this (and I do so solely as a gesture to Newport's centenary season): at Cardiff High School our First XV in the 'fifties was coached by a Newportonian - Raymond Jones, who was a promising back at Rodney Parade in the post-war years before a leg injury wrecked his rugby prospects prematurely."
" " 'Alf a yard" was always Raymond's slogan. " 'Alf a yard," he exhorted his young backs, was all you needed to beat your opposite number. " 'Alf a yard" was the loose rein that I, as a budding flanker, should on no account allow the opposing fly half."
"As fate would have it I played the first game of my brief first-class career at Rodney Parade, replacing Oxford University's injured skipper for a fixture in February, 1953. Raymond came along to see how his protege performed against his old club, who ran out winners by 13-6."
"He wagged his finger at me afterwards. "I told you one of these days you'd find out what 'alf a yard is worth," he grinned. "Yes, but you didn't warn me about people like Roy Burnett," I said ruefully. "Five and a half yards was what he was taking off me". "
"That afternoon 22 years ago established in me an abiding respect for the men in black and amber. Recently it has felt safer to be in the Press box or atop the television gantry. And from my many pleasurable hours at Rodney Parade as critic or commentator I choose two occasions that thrilled me to the core."
"First, Newport victorious, after one of the half dozen best club matches I have ever seen. The date was April 8, 1968, the visitors were London Welsh, then England's top club; and Newport were thirsting for revenge after a 31-5 defeat at Old Deer Park the previous November."
"It was a clash of titans indeed, with piquant personal duels everywhere you looked - Anthony v. J. P. R. Williams, Jarrett v. Dawes, Price and Watkins v. Roberts and Geoff Evans, Jeffrey v. Mervyn Davies."
"Newport held on with difficulty to a narrow lead before Cornwall's eighty-yard sprint for a decisive try converted by Jarrett that gave them a 13-6 win - one which clinched the 1968 cham-pionship title."
"The other occasion was the visit of New Zealand in 1973. Newport lost 20-15; but in a year when they were no-hopers club spirit took over and inspired them to a huge effort which put the All Blacks under more pressure than they had experienced anywhere in Wales since Llanelli."
"There is a third day to mention - though it has yet to arrive, and no Cardiffian in his bones believes it ever will: the day when Newport register their fourth victory over Cardiff in one season. Should it come, though, I hope it will happen at Rodney Parade, and I hope that I am there."
"In the meantime, I rejoice that the lean years are over on the banks of the Usk, and that Newport R.F.C. is restored to its illustrious best in this hundredth year of its existence."