‘I watched City win… then I got plastered’

A great grandmother watched the entire Bluebirds semi-final with a broken wrist – after falling and breaking it just minutes before kick-off!

Margaret Bines, 73, of Sudcroft Street, Leckwith, was walking down the stadium steps to her seat when she tripped and fell, fracturing her left wrist and cutting her finger.

But even the pain couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

She said: “I really enjoyed the match. It was fabulous.

“I wouldn’t have missed that. If I’m going to fall anywhere it’s nice to fall up there.”

Margaret was walking down from the top of the stand when she tripped. She put her hand out to break the fall, cutting her finger and temporarily losing her glasses as she did so.

Lynne Bines, 42, Margaret’s daughter, said: “A family friend who we met up with at the stadium went up to first aid to get a plaster for her finger and brought her a cup of tea.”

It wasn’t until they were back in her nephew’s house where they were staying in London that Margaret began to really feel the pain.

“It didn’t bother me during the match. It wasn’t until that night at my nephew’s that it really started to hurt and the bruise came out.”

Margaret admitted she was quieter than usual during the match than she might have been, but she still stood up and cheered when Joe Ledley scored the winning goal.

There wasn’t too much waving of her arms though.

Margaret finally went to the University of Wales Hospital, Heath, when she arrived back in Cardiff the following afternoon and she will now be in plaster from her finger to her elbow for the next eight weeks.

The incident has left Margaret shaken though, and she has said she won’t be going to the final on May 17. But she admits it could have been a lot worse.

“There were so many people in front of me. I fell into Lynne but she was holding onto the rail. I dread to think what would have happened if she hadn’t been.”

A season ticket holder who goes to every home game and can even see Ninian Park from her house, Margaret has three children, Lynne, Paul, 50, and Mark, 32, six grandchildren and one great granddaughter and has lived in the city all her life. Although she has started going to games in only the last seven years, she has always listened to the match commentary on the radio.

(Published: Thursday 10 April 2008, South Wales Echo)

Anger after only Welsh schools get launch call

Eisteddfod organisers have come under fire after only Welsh-medium schools were invited to a launch ceremony in the capital.

While there were plenty of children from Welsh primaries, not one English-medium school was invited to the Urdd Gobaith Cymru Proclamation Festival.

The event was held at the Wales Millennium Centre ahead of the Urdd Eisteddfod being held in Cardiff Bay in May next year.

With only one in every four primary schools in Cardiff being Welsh-medium schools Councillor Ralph Cook, who represents Trowbridge, said he felt no Welsh-medium schools should have been invited.

“In these days of inclusivity it would have been a good idea to invite an English-speaking school. I think something like this should be representative of the city,” he said.

“I’m glad people are speaking Welsh but it could improve its image by including non-Welsh speakers.”

Dai Lloyd, Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South West Wales, who went to Cardiff University, said: “I’m disappointed English-speaking schools are not represented here because many are involved in Urdd. Lots of the events in the Eisteddfod aren’t in Welsh.”

But Efa Gruffudd Jones, Chief Executive of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, said that no snub had been intended.

She said: “This was on the basis of needing 10 schools. I don’t think you can read too much into that choice of schools. It’s probably because it’s the schools who attend the regional committees of teachers who organise local Eisteddfods.”

Urdd Gobaith Cymru is the biggest youth organisation in Europe with 51,000 members between eight and 25 years old and has 4,300 members in Cardiff.

Dr Lloyd AM called it “the jewel in the crown of youth movements.”

Ms Gruffudd Jones said: “There will be massive benefits for Cardiff in terms of economy, in terms of being in the capital and in terms of building relationships with other parts of Wales.

“I strongly believe it is very important to have a connection with the capital city and the Eisteddfod can do that.”

The schools who took part in the festival were Ysgol Pencae, Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch, Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna, Ysgol Y Wern, Ysgol Bro Eirwg, Ysgol Gymraeg Coed Y Gof, Ysgol Gynradd Cregiau, Gwaelod Y Garth, Ysgol Gymraeg Melin Gruffudd and Ysgol Mynydd Bychan. Dancing was provided by Ysgol Y Berllan Deg.

(Published: Saturday 12 April 2008, South Wales Echo)