Saturday 30th March 1991 isn’t really a date that will ring any bells for anybody associated with the club, but had the Amman beaten Trimsaran at Cwmamman Park on that Saturday afternoon our history books would probably have looked very different. An Andrew Price try and an Alan Davies penalty wasn’t enough to win this tight game, and with the scores at 9 - 7 to Trimsaran with a minute to play, another late unconverted try from the visitors meant that the game was lost at 7 -13. This was 1991 remember and a try was only worth four points.

The significance of that game? Had we won the game that day the Amman United would have been Section D champions after winning fourteen out of the last fifteen games. Trimsaran approached the game having also won fourteen out of fifteen so it was a last game of the season top of the table clash, the Amman with a far superior points difference and try count. It was all or nothing, they won, and went on to play Ystradgynlais in the Championship play-off. If we were in that play-off, what follows might never have happened.

The Amman United as a result, after another WRU league re-structuring, headed into Group D of the Welsh Brewers West Wales Rugby Union Championship for the 1991/1992 season instead of being in a higher division. With Peter Griffiths and Clive ‘Bruiser’ Williams as coaches and Sir Darrel Campbell as captain (Nick Griffiths vice-captain), there were no pre-season friendlies as such only entries into the Cwmtawe 7’s, the Llandovery 7’s and a 15 a side tournament played at Ammanford on the 1st of September with games being played against an Invitation XV, Tumble and Ammanford. With thirty minutes played per match, the Amman lost them all.

A week later the first game of the proper season was played at home against Lampeter. With promising youngster Andrew Price having moved to Swansea and club captain and hooker Darrel out of action ‘after accidentally burning himself at home’, Liam Clancy and Roy Morgan were also side-lined. However, there were able deputies to step in with a young Carwyn ‘Caws’ Templeton returning from Neath Colts at centre as well as Gary ‘Sooty’ Davies at hooker. The more experienced Michael ‘Mole’ Evans resumed the number eight duties from Price. Unfortunately for Caws, he suffered a serious knee injury in the third game which ruled him out, inevitably, had he been fit all season he would have been top try scorer by a clear margin.

The game was won convincingly by 27 – 13 as was the next league game away to Laugharne (9 – 20) but a tougher match away at Glais was sneaked 11 -8 after tries by Steve ‘Hardy’ James and full-back Alan ‘Eighty’ Davies who also kicked a penalty. Moving in to October, with Darrel now available and starting on the bench, Cwmamman Park saw visitors Resolven beaten by another tight margin of 10 -3. Alan Davies again with the points with a drop goal by outside half Nick ‘Bass’ Griffiths to compliment. The players then glammed themselves up for the bright lights of Cwmvegas the following weekend and came away with another close fought victory (9 – 10). This was Andrew Bateman’s first game for the club after his transfer from New Dock Stars during the week, he went on to play in every match at second row for the remainder of the season partnering either Shaun Davies, fit again Roy Moggs or Graham ‘George’ Watkins.

Another two wins followed at home to Cwmgwrach (15 – 13), a match spoiled only by a red card for Shaun Davies in the second half, and then a bigger hammering than Shaun gave was dished out at Alltwen in early November with a 32 – 4 victory. Steve Hardy, Neil Bundock, Graham Watkins, Nick Griffiths and Mike Mole with the tries. Another thumping followed with Llandybie the next victims up (28 – 0), meaning that the next match against Gorseinon to round off the first half of the season was a top of the table clash. By now, Andrew Price was also back in the fold after returning from the All Whites and with Bateman and Roy Morgan wining excellent line out ball, the Amman were always going to have the upper hand. A dourless first half remained scoreless despite both Alan and Nick having a few pops at goal each. Brothers Billy and Neil Bundock started dominating Gorseinon in the second half and the breakthrough eventually came with just fifteen minutes remaining on the clock. After a speculative chip through by Griffiths, Gors failed to clear the immediate danger and centre Steve ‘Fagash’ Liles boosted by his half time cigarette followed up to touch down for an unconverted score. A penalty from Alan Eighty increased the advantage and the game ended 7 – 0, at the half way stage of the season the Amman were unbeaten having played nine and won nine. A maximum points of eighteen took them six points clear of second placed Gorseinon.

With Steve ‘Zal’ Mackey being as much of a pain in the arse to opposing sides on the field as he was off it, the second round of games saw him score against Lampeter in a 21 -13 win. Denz on the score sheet again in a flanker role after being ousted from the number eight position by Andrew Price, he played the first eight games of the season there until Price returned, and he did not play another league game after this one. Liles was also on the score-sheet as was Neil Bundock and even brother Billy got in on the try scoring action a week later against Laugharne in a 31 – 3 victory, a try that excited him so much he had to be replaced by Jason ‘Jabba’ Williams who was making his first and only league appearance that year.

Bearing in mind we were still only in early December, the twelfth out of eighteenth game against Glais was another tuning, 46 – 0, in an eight try romp, the tries shared amongst backs and forwards as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals from young Griffiths at ten. The games were coming thick and fast over the Xmas period and despite the match against Resolven being called off on the 14th, Cwmllynfell were easily dispatched the day after Black Friday by 25 points to 6. A couple of days after Boxing Day, it was action again as the unbeaten Amman United poised to take another step closer to becoming league champions by beating third placed Cwmgwrach. By now thirteen out of thirteen had been won and an eight point cushion at the top was in place, Cwmgwrach, who had won seven in a row, were beaten narrowly further to two Alan Davies tries and a few extras from the boot of Griffiths. Final score 13 -6.

Alltwen were taught a rugby lesson in the first game of the new year of 1992 in a 35 – 6 win for the Amman, and then controversy followed on the 25th January 1992. The Amman travelled down the road to Llandybie looking for a win confirm their champions status, many say that the pre-match hype between players and supporters had boiled over, Llandybie at the time had moved up the table to second place and were the only side that could overturn the Amman so as well as being a local derby, it was a high pressure game. The trouble started in the 30th minute when Llandybie prop Steve Foster was sent marching for illegal use of the boot, although many fans on both sides felt he was innocent. No such sentiments for the next to go. On 40 minutes Llandybie’s Simon Evans was sent for an early shower for mimicking what he felt was a dive by an Amman player following a late tackle. Newbridge referee Brian Matthews didn’t like it, off. In a half that lasted 52 minutes, and on the stroke of half time, lock Garry Thomas was also red-carded for illegal use of the boot. Llandybie started the second half with 12 players, and 5 minutes in after having three of his pack sent off, their captain Richard James, fearing for the safety of his remaining forwards against the awesome Amman pack, asked the ref if he would award tap penalties instead of scrummages. The referee refused, so James led his players from the field and the game was abandoned with the Amman leading 6 – 0 after 2 Nick Griffiths penalties.

A lot of the blame was laid on the referee and he seemed to have lost control as early as the fifth minute but the result stood, and the Amman clinched their Group D title in controversial and disappointing circumstances. There were only two games of the eighteen left to play and the penultimate game against Gorseinon on the 15th February 1992 was a rout, the Amman winning by 59 – 0. The eighteenth game was a re-arranged match against Resolven, a match that was originally cancelled in December. On the 29th February at Resolven, tries by Alan Davies, Steve Liles, and 2 penalties and 2 drop goals from ever-present Nick Griffiths wrapped up the season with a 20 -13 win. The phrase “eighteen out of eighteen” was born and has been muttered around the Amman Valley more times than “1966” or “2003” in English football and rugby respectively. An incredible achievement of which the club are rightly proud.

There were 4 players who played in all 18 games, they were Steve ‘Hardy’ James, Nick Griffiths, Graham Watkins and Adrian Phillips. Close behind on 17 were Alan Davies and Stephen Phillips who both missed the second game of that season against Laugharne and Steven Liles, also on 17, who missed the 59 – 0 win at Gorseinon on the 15th February after experiencing a pretty exhausting Valentine’s Day on the Friday.

I don’t know what’s more unbelievable, a league season ending before the spring even kicks in or the Amman being involved in a game that included three red cards and not one of them being for us! The league might have been wrapped up early and the clean sweep very impressive, but in that same year, the club were also entered into a number of other competitions. Add the Tovali Cup, CC Evans Cup, Schweppes Cup, Dewi Phillips Competition, League Bowl, CC Evans 7’s and the District F ‘Bertie Davies 7’s’ to the previously mentioned Cwmtawe, Llandovery and Ammanford events, that’s 11 competitions entered in one season. And that doesn’t include a couple of mid-season friendlies against South Wales Police and Brynmawr either.

Incidentally, we were Plate Winners at Llandovery, lost in the final of the CC Evans Cup against Cwm Vegas (12 – 6), lost in the quarters of the Tovali Cup against Pontyberem (11 – 9) and most importantly won the League Bowl beating Gowerton, Glynneath, Carmarthen Athletic on the way and Trimsaran (remember them from earlier?) in the final which was played at Felinfoel. On the 30th April 1992, only four days after Christine Mangan was recovering after giving birth to an oversized baby boy in Liam, the result of 13 – 10 ensured the Amman won their first West Wales XV competition victory since 1954.

A busy season then in which 41 players were used in all competitions, 37 of those appearing in at least one league game even if only a substitute. 33 games were played in all competitions, the only player to feature in all 33 was Steve Hardy, with Adrian and Liles on 32, Nick and Steve Potts on 31. Out of 33 games, 28 were won, 5 lost with 673 points for and 295 against. 93 tries scored, 33 against.

In the league there were 18 different try scorers with Hardy and Alan joint top with 7 each, Neil Bundock had 6, Liles 5, Justin Power with 4 (which were a combined total of 4 yards), Nick, Caws, Graham Watkins and Zal on three, Nigel Jones, Denz and Adrian on two each leaving Campbell, Billy, Bateman, Rico and Phil Llewellyn on one apiece. There was also a single penalty try. A special mention for linesman Brian Howells who was worth more than a few points as well!

Adding to their try totals, Nick Griffiths scored 169 league points consisting of 3 tries, 23 conversions, 31 penalties and 6 drop goals. Alan Davies on 61 league points, 7 tries, 3 conversions and 9 penalties.

So in a time when the Amman United entered 11 competitions and regularly had 20 members turning up regularly for the weekly committee meetings, what has changed in that time? Has Welsh rugby got worse or better over the last 20 years? This might seem like a lifetime ago to some, but to put it in perspective, a couple of seasons later a certain Karl Worsfold was a regular amongst these names.

18/18 League Starting Appearances

Steven James 18
Nick Griffiths 18
Adrian Phillips 18
Graham Watkins 18
Alan Davies 17
Stephen Phillips 17
Steven Liles 17
Steven Mackey 16
Darrel Campbell 14 + 1 Sub
Andrew Bateman 13
Graham Bundock 13
Andrew Price 10
Neil Bundock 9
Mike Evans 9
Justin Power 8 + 2 Sub
Anthony Davies 7
Roy Morgan 6 + 3 Sub
Sean Davies 6
Clive Williams 6
Aled Bartlett 5 + 4 Sub
Paul Rees 5 + 3 Sub
Carl Jeremiah 4 + 3 Sub
Carwyn Templeton 4
Gary Davies 3 + 4 Sub
Steven Rees 3 + 1 Sub
Phil Llewellyn 2 + 1 Sub
Phillip Williams 1 + 2 Sub
Brian Davies 1 + 2 Sub
Ceri Morgan 1 + 1 Sub
Nigel Jones 1
Dai Davies 3 Sub
Rupert Williams 1 Sub
Kevin Morris 1 Sub
Andrew Williams 1 Sub
Greg Williams 1 Sub
Phil Parker 1 Sub
Jason Williams 1 Sub