Senedd praise for Pontyberem darts player Jonny Clayton

IN A 90 second statement in the Senedd, Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru MS praised Pontyberem’s Jonny Clayton on his winning his first individual televised darts title.

Mid and West MS Helen Mary Jones said:

“I’d like to congratulate Pontyberem’s Jonny Clayton on winning his first individual televised darts title. The 46-year-old Welshman fought back from 5-3 down to beat Mervyn King 11-8 in the Masters final in Milton Keynes last week. He’s considering quitting work as a Carmarthenshire County Council plasterer to concentrate on his darts. Jonny Clayton has previously recently described darts as his ‘hobby’.

‘I don’t know if I’m going to finish work’, he said after his famous win, ‘I’ll see. I don’t know.’

He’ll discuss the prospect of continuing full-time concentrating on darts with his wife Elen and his children after he arrives home, having won that valuable prize at the Masters.

In November, he and his fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price won the World Cup of Darts. Jonny hopes Welsh success will continue for the next five or 10 years. He added:

‘It’s a great feeling to be Welsh at the moment in the darts world.’

“The community of Pontyberem is rightly proud of this citizen of the Gwendraeth valley. His stunning achievement has inspired council leader Emlyn Dole and local poet Aneirin Karadog to write limericks and poetry to celebrate his win

“Emlyn has said what an honour it is to have a world champion on the council’s payroll. Last November he said:

‘We are immensely proud of Jonny and all that he has achieved. What a fantastic achievement for him to lift the trophy for his country in the sport that he loves. Jonny is a valued member of the Carmarthenshire council team, and he’s as talented at his plastering as he is at his darts.’

Emlyn added:

‘As with any member of staff representing their country in elite sports, we have given Jonny our full support to ensure he can work his day-job as well as having the time to train and compete.’

I suspect that Emlyn will now be considering, after this latest win, whether the council could offer Jonny a sabbatical to pursue his darts career full time.

The poet Aneirin Karadog wrote:

“Drwy’r holl wlad fe lygadai’r llwyth un dart; / aeth ar daith mor esmwyth / o dy blaid i’r dwbwl wyth, / o’i dowlu dros dy dylwyth.”

“Jonny, Pontyberem is very, very proud of you, and so is Wales. Da iawn.”

Photo credit: Sven Mandel: Wiki Commons