Presteigne St Andrews FC’s annual Fun Day and Beer Festival was hailed a success after another sizeable crowd turned out for the day-long event at Llanandras Park.
The Fun Day – on Sunday, 26 August – again stretched the committee to breaking point, so we are very grateful to those friends of the club who turned out to assist.
There was plenty to do across the day with a selection of real ales proving very popular with the adults, and the fun fair rides proving every bit as much of a hit with the younger visitors.
Given that we are a football club, it was no great surprise that there were a number of matches on the field, with the Under 15s and the Under 14s serving up a goal feast and some entertaining football early in the day.
There then followed a game between the Under 18s and an Over 40s squad, although given that Danny Ives was reportedly playing for the Over 40s, there were more than a few who felt Roy Simcock’s side of former players could have been done under the Trades Descriptions Act.
This proved a very decent game as, when I left to do a stint on the tombola – I know, my life is all rock and roll – the Under 18s were leading 2-0 and bossing the game.
But the Over 40s responded well and the game ended up as an honourable 4-4 draw so, again, there was no shortage of action for the crowd to enjoy.
As the day drew on, so the bands arrived and the real ales ran out – a minority grumbled but the message to them is two-fold. First of all, get there earlier(!) and secondly, it is very difficult to gauge just how big the demand will be as much depends on the weather.
We have been very fortunate over the past few years as the weather Gods have been kind, but we all know a wet day would lead to a reduced crowd and so less demand for the real ales – better sell out slightly early than be left with pints of real ale we can’t then sell.
The bands were really good and seemed to go down well with the large influx of music fans who only joined us for the evening.
Many thanks to the large turnout of committee members and others who showed up on the Monday morning to help with the clear up and transportation of tables and chairs back to their rightful homes.
The committee is very grateful to everyone who either turned up on the day, or helped beforehand or afterwards so as to ensure the day passed off so well, but a special mention to those who served behind the bars or the burger stall for the long hours they put in.