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RIP Andy Hill

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gaffer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 12:48pm
Sad news indeed. A cornerstone of the 70s team. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote aber-fan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 1:40pm
Originally posted by lofty evans lofty evans wrote:

Oh no, of all the players that day he was one that stuck in my memory.

In 1972 on that grey dank day a team of 15 stood tall and withstood a battering and thuggery to deliver the last Welsh win against the formidable New Zealand. 

Roger Davies, JJ Williams, Roy Bergiers, Ray Gravell, Andy Hill, Phil Bennett, Chico Hopkins, Tony Crocker, Roy Thomas, Barry Llewellyn, Delme Thomas Capt, Derek Quinnell, Tommy David, Hefin Jenkins, Gareth Jenkins.

People band names and superlatives about players today as if its appropriate in this throw away society. But this team were as Aber posted yesterday "standing on the shoulders of Giants."

But this team, THIS TEAM....THESE GUYS, did Llanelly proud and played like real heroes in a time when financial rewards were not the driving motivators...but playing for 20,000 of their neighbours family and friends. In a Town of 50,000 most of us were all there, to watch history that may never be repeated, little did we know how history would cocoon this masterpiece of brilliance, captured in song, in film and smiles of those that were there.

As I've stated so many times it was not my sport, football mad I was , so this game was alien to me. But what grabbed my young heart and soul was being surrounded by my townsfolk , my friends in school, the vastness of the crowd, the singing, the roar and noise of the crowd was like hearing an orchestral symphony blasting into my ears, the noise, oh the roar, was the greatest emotional feeling that stirs the soul......this never leaves you...ever.

And there on the slopping green field were fifteen players in Scarlet and in the distance players in black, looking menacing and mean to me. 
And it kicked off and the noise, the noise.

I remember Bergiers scoring his try after charging down a clearance by All blacks Lin Colling after Benny hit the crossbar from a penalty into play.....Benny kicking the ball over the posts and I remember players being tackled and trambled over, the ball being passed by Chico and the players fighting and holding their own.

But I remember Andy Hill, for me he looked like a football player, elegant and somehow not getting involved in the rough stuff, I thought then I'd like to play where he was and he could kick. Wonderful.

What a player....although that Scarlet side was filled with true Giants, I loved watching Andy, I could be him and I wanted to, what a player, he played 453 matches over 12 years for the Scarlets and amassed 2, 604 points....incredible when you work it out ......he was quick, he was one of our best with 311 tries.....he truly was one of the great Scarlet players .

He kicked a penalty on that day in 1972 which I remember thinking I wish I could kick like that and I spent the rest of my young life watching Andy doing what he did best,  scoring tries and thumping that ball so high and far, he was and will always be one of my Scarlet hero's. 

My deepest condolences to his family and friends and to all who know him personally. 

For me at the beginning of this post I wrote oh no, because that's what I said when I heard he had passed, a piece of my history just left today and I'm cut deep by it.

Memories of events in life never leave us because they are so monumental in their power and stature that picture frames are locked deep inside our thoughts and our own personal journey through time.

Today right now I see a dank October day , a green sloping pitch, 20,000 Welsh people and a superstar in Scarlet running, he was Andy Hill, 

" If I have seen further it is by standing on the Shoulders of Giants"

And he was a true giant..... run free Sir.



A lovely post - thanks for that.

I saw Andy play quite a few times, and - oddly, maybe - or perhaps it reflects the particular games I attended - I remember him mainly for his astonishing accuracy in goal-kicking, rather than the equally impressive try-scoring stats.  He was an amazing goal kicker for that era, given the type of ball and so on. Exceptionally unlucky to have never won a cap - as others have said, nowadays with more tests, substitutions and squads of 23 he'd have had 50+ easily. 

RIP Andy - a very sad day.
“You cannot reason a man out of what he never reasoned himself into.” (Jonathan Swift)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Boisbach Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 1:41pm
Originally posted by lofty evans lofty evans wrote:

Oh no, of all the players that day he was one that stuck in my memory.

In 1972 on that grey dank day a team of 15 stood tall and withstood a battering and thuggery to deliver the last Welsh win against the formidable New Zealand. 

Roger Davies, JJ Williams, Roy Bergiers, Ray Gravell, Andy Hill, Phil Bennett, Chico Hopkins, Tony Crocker, Roy Thomas, Barry Llewellyn, Delme Thomas Capt, Derek Quinnell, Tommy David, Hefin Jenkins, Gareth Jenkins.

People band names and superlatives about players today as if its appropriate in this throw away society. But this team were as Aber posted yesterday "standing on the shoulders of Giants."

But this team, THIS TEAM....THESE GUYS, did Llanelly proud and played like real heroes in a time when financial rewards were not the driving motivators...but playing for 20,000 of their neighbours family and friends. In a Town of 50,000 most of us were all there, to watch history that may never be repeated, little did we know how history would cocoon this masterpiece of brilliance, captured in song, in film and smiles of those that were there.

As I've stated so many times it was not my sport, football mad I was , so this game was alien to me. But what grabbed my young heart and soul was being surrounded by my townsfolk , my friends in school, the vastness of the crowd, the singing, the roar and noise of the crowd was like hearing an orchestral symphony blasting into my ears, the noise, oh the roar, was the greatest emotional feeling that stirs the soul......this never leaves you...ever.

And there on the slopping green field were fifteen players in Scarlet and in the distance players in black, looking menacing and mean to me. 
And it kicked off and the noise, the noise.

I remember Bergiers scoring his try after charging down a clearance by All blacks Lin Colling after Benny hit the crossbar from a penalty into play.....Benny kicking the ball over the posts and I remember players being tackled and trambled over, the ball being passed by Chico and the players fighting and holding their own.

But I remember Andy Hill, for me he looked like a football player, elegant and somehow not getting involved in the rough stuff, I thought then I'd like to play where he was and he could kick. Wonderful.

What a player....although that Scarlet side was filled with true Giants, I loved watching Andy, I could be him and I wanted to, what a player, he played 453 matches over 12 years for the Scarlets and amassed 2, 604 points....incredible when you work it out ......he was quick, he was one of our best with 311 tries.....he truly was one of the great Scarlet players .

He kicked a penalty on that day in 1972 which I remember thinking I wish I could kick like that and I spent the rest of my young life watching Andy doing what he did best,  scoring tries and thumping that ball so high and far, he was and will always be one of my Scarlet hero's. 

My deepest condolences to his family and friends and to all who know him personally. 

For me at the beginning of this post I wrote oh no, because that's what I said when I heard he had passed, a piece of my history just left today and I'm cut deep by it.

Memories of events in life never leave us because they are so monumental in their power and stature that picture frames are locked deep inside our thoughts and our own personal journey through time.

Today right now I see a dank October day , a green sloping pitch, 20,000 Welsh people and a superstar in Scarlet running, he was Andy Hill, 

" If I have seen further it is by standing on the Shoulders of Giants"

And he was a true giant..... run free Sir.

👏👏👏
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote lofty evans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 2:07pm
What is truly gratifying is the online messages which are filled with affection for this truly lovely man from all corners in Wales. On a really sad day, that made this old man smile.


In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty"

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote ScarletBear Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 2:17pm
Another hero goes. Makes me so sad.

Of that legendary team, Benny, Selwyn and Andy were my favourites. Very much missed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ladram Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 2:31pm
the older we get the more of our heroes pass RIP Andy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Seagultaf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 3:52pm
Great player and one of my all time hero's. I remember his competition with JJ for who could score the most tries. Also remember his incredibly efficient round the corner kicking style.
I used to see him quite often when he lived close to my in laws in Loughor, lovely man and absolute Scarlet legend.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote tim d Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 5:09pm
Despite all the superstars we had at the time Andy was my hero. He used to call in our house to pick up the keys to the gym in stradey. As a young boy I would call him Mr Hill but he always said it's andy. Even though he didn't bother much with the Scarlets after he retired it meant a lot to me that he was a bearer at my dad's funeral. One of the greatest to wear our famous jersey. Rip  mr. Hill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote scarletpimp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 March 2023 at 5:50pm
Sadly we have to say goodbye to another  of our  Scarlet  heroes.
Andy Hill will go down as one of the greatest to play for Wales.

I was a schoolboy,  when I first had the honour  of seeing Andy playing, in the late sixties, and he was certainly  one of my heroes. 
Time and again his sheer speed would see him in at the corner, for what have been for others, an improbable try.
311 tries ,says it all, and it will never be bettered.
His goalkicking, particularly  from distance,  was incredible and who will forget that epic penalty  in  the epic 9-3 win against  the All Blacks.
To top it all ,he was a lovely modest guy.
After one game,  at the car park at stradey, I caught up with him for an autograph. My grandfather  and I loved Andy ,and  in the game we had just seen against  Harlequins,  he had scored  3 tries. He was embarrassed by our adoration,and when we said we had never seen him play better, he simply replied " did I ?"
RIP Andy Hill you have left us with such fond memories. 
Our kindest thoughts,  go to his family,  at this sad time.

(Thanks also must go to Lofty , for such a fulsome,  and wonderful  tribute)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote spirit of 72 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2023 at 10:02am
It's a cry which has never left me. Llanelli awarded a penalty, maybe in their own half.  "Give it to Andy!"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote maldwyn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2023 at 10:27am
Andy Hill was one of my favourite players back in the day. Let’s not forget all those points were scored with the ball weighing half a ton. RIP Andy.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote lofty evans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2023 at 10:58am
Originally posted by maldwyn maldwyn wrote:

Andy Hill was one of my favourite players back in the day. Let’s not forget all those points were scored with the ball weighing half a ton. RIP Andy.


Great seeing you post Maldwyn.ClapClapClap


Spot on that ball was a breeze block....boy could he kick it and posters have commented about his kicking style.
He truly was one of my absolute favourites at the Scarlets.  He was one of many that started this love affair for all things Scarlet. 



In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty"

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote lofty evans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 March 2023 at 10:59am
Originally posted by spirit of 72 spirit of 72 wrote:

It's a cry which has never left me. Llanelli awarded a penalty, maybe in their own half.  "Give it to Andy!"

Brilliant ClapClapClap


In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty"

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote tannerbankboy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2023 at 3:38pm
Originally posted by Seagultaf Seagultaf wrote:

Great player and one of my all time hero's. I remember his competition with JJ for who could score the most tries. Also remember his incredibly efficient round the corner kicking style.
I used to see him quite often when he lived close to my in laws in Loughor, lovely man and absolute Scarlet legend.
He had more than a round the corner licking style.  He ended up as the bendiest run up of anyone I've seen.  He also made a fine mound of turf to hold the ball up high.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote roy munster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2023 at 4:00pm
Originally posted by scarletpimp scarletpimp wrote:

Sadly we have to say goodbye to another  of our  Scarlet  heroes.
Andy Hill will go down as one of the greatest to play for Wales.

I was a schoolboy,  when I first had the honour  of seeing Andy playing, in the late sixties, and he was certainly  one of my heroes. 
Time and again his sheer speed would see him in at the corner, for what have been for others, an improbable try.
311 tries ,says it all, and it will never be bettered.
His goalkicking, particularly  from distance,  was incredible and who will forget that epic penalty  in  the epic 9-3 win against  the All Blacks.
To top it all ,he was a lovely modest guy.
After one game,  at the car park at stradey, I caught up with him for an autograph. My grandfather  and I loved Andy ,and  in the game we had just seen against  Harlequins,  he had scored  3 tries. He was embarrassed by our adoration,and when we said we had never seen him play better, he simply replied " did I ?"
RIP Andy Hill you have left us with such fond memories. 
Our kindest thoughts,  go to his family,  at this sad time.

(Thanks also must go to Lofty , for such a fulsome,  and wonderful  tribute)
class Clap
ROYMOND MUNTER MBE (FOR SERVICES TO THE COMBOVER)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote roy munster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2023 at 4:05pm
Originally posted by maldwyn maldwyn wrote:

Andy Hill was one of my favourite players back in the day. Let’s not forget all those points were scored with the ball weighing half a ton. RIP Andy.

Love to have seen him play live ...and lest we forget only 3 point tries, they should index link his points tally to 5 point tries, thats another 622 points to push him past 3000 Thumbs Up
 


ROYMOND MUNTER MBE (FOR SERVICES TO THE COMBOVER)
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