special. Ask any member of Mumbles Rangers today about their club - 65 years later - and they will answer as one. ‘It’s a bit special’!


Early members like Terry O’Brien recall how they paid 8/6d each towards the cost of their jerseys, which were heavy and “seemed to be made from sail cloth”. In addition they paid 2/6d a week. Expensive? “No, it was our club. We were privileged, (best seats in the Tivoli Cinema were then 1/6d and a pint of Worthington beer cost 1/3d).


Their first season was a struggle but Billy Johns was a very determined man, and as his small band of youngsters increased, they learnt to admire, respect and finally revere their leader – and friend. An early member recalls how in 1952 at a club meeting in Oystermouth Square at the British Legion Snooker Buildings and Dance Hall where Boots and C.J.’s are now. The club celebrated that season’s success by approving Billy’s proposal to make 13 players life-members. Terry (Texas) Llewellyn (now Dr. R.T. Llewellyn, Cambridge Don), Alan Okwell, Clive Gammon, Terry O’Brien, Hylton Jolliffe, Roy Lloyd, Danny Sheehan, Bob Aspell, Johnny Davies, Vic Collier (later to become Squadron Leader), and the only 3 non-local Mumbles players – John (Nubs) Norman, Dai (“Mr. Rangers”) Davies and Brian Owen from Brynmill.


Over the club’s long history many have resided outside Mumbles, but almost all who have joined have found the club impossible to leave.


Those early years brought undreamt of success on the football field. But real success for Billy Johns was never to be confined to the football field. His dream was to build a clubhouse for his boys. Looking back at those early days it seems incredible now that the very early club meetings had to be held in the open air on the side of a football pitch in Underhill Park, often on dark, damp windswept evenings. Soaked through, Billy would often be pushed home by his faithful band of youngsters promising them that “something will turn up”. He told them once – “If we have to, we’ll build our own clubhouse”. Between 1954 and 1956 they did just that – on the site of a disused air-raid shelter in “The horses’ field” where Castleacre now stands. After two years the club was forced to look elsewhere and relocated to the old Badminton Hall at the top of Norton Road just below the Beaufort Inn.


The search for a clubhouse location has continued unabated for over half a century – including stays in premises in William Street, Oystermouth Square, Oddfellows Hall in The Dunns and currently in a hut built by club members in Underhill Park. Mumbles Rangers has earned the right to be allowed a Clubhouse commensurate with its contribution to the community of Mumbles. Possibly one day Billy Johns dream will firstly be fulfilled and the club’s great service to the community fully recognised. Over the years, Billy Johns club has attracted a loyalty unrivalled by similar organisations. Ex-Cardiff and Wales footballer Steve Gammon was recommended by Billy to the then Cardiff Manager Bill Jones and Steve even now returns for the club’s Annual Dinner every year. The club has produced some outstanding footballers, unlucky not to do well at the highest level – Murray Crook, Phil Davies, Alan Lloyd, Geoff Riley, Derek Rees, Gary Hockley, John Lodge, Phil Vaughan, Russell Thomas and many more.


The hallmark of Mumbles Rangers is the very special camaraderie that exists within the club. Fred Clement, Eric Nicholas, Jeff Fackrell, Keith Billington, Clive Henson, Des Criddle, Mike Podbielski, Chris Parkin, Mike Isaac, Eddie Wade, Mark Wade, Jack Thorne, Mike Harvey, Dave Harris, Clive Aston, Les Hockley, Neil Gray, George Kyrillou, Martin Duffy and Haydn Lewis between them boast a total of over 500 years in service to Mumbles Rangers. There must be a very special reason for that.


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