Unbelievable Jeff! Sky put Welshpool back in the headlines

Reality TV, commentary and punditry. That's what you'd associate Paul Merson and Chris Kamara with these days.

But ten years ago the pair blew the cobwebs off their hung up boots and squeezed back into their kits to aid a Mid Wales club that had been the brunt of Jeff Stelling's jokes on Gillette Soccer Special.

And the story involved a motorbike and a rushed journey from Telford to London with a Mid Wales League signing on form as the precious cargo.

Back in 2012, Welshpool Town, once a big name in Welsh football, were in dark times.

They'd lost their place in the top tier, lost big sponsorship deals and with money no longer flowing through the club they were on the verge of being unable to field a side.

They needed a rescue mission to start the season and the story of how they went about getting a side on the field to start the campaign reads like a WhatsApp group for a Sunday league team at 10pm on a Saturday evening.

David Jones, a former reserve player, along with Neil Breeze assembled a team for operation save Welshpool - and assembled a young side.

But they soon realised wins would be hard to come by and despite some competitive wins they were beaten seven and even 8-0 in some games.

One day they lost 10-1 before even Stelling stuck the boot in on Saturday afternoons prime time football show.

After a heavy defeat to Waterloo Stelling made a quip on the show, prompting Jones to contact the about the clubs plight.

He expected the letter to be thrown on the scrap heap, but weeks later and armed with not one but two former players and now broadcasting household names, Welshpool prepared for the visit of the Sky cameras.

Jones added: ‘It was made worse when the result was read out by Jeff Stelling at the end of Soccer Saturday on Sky. Now not only was the score known locally but the nation knew the result.

‘The next day my Facebook page was full of people’s videos of him reading the result out and making a bit of a joke of it.

‘I cannot confirm for certain, but I’ve been told a Waterloo player informed Sky of the result – this ended up back firing somewhat.

‘A couple of days after I decided to email Sky, basically just outlining what had happened to the club and we were just trying to keep the club going and some positive exposure would be better than making light of our plight.

‘I full expected this to be filed in the bin, however the day after I received a call from Johnny Phillips from Sky saying they had seen my email and wanted to come down and do a feature.

‘I thought it was a wind up at first, but I hadn’t told a soul about my email so it had to be true.

‘Sure enough over the next few weeks it was organised and a few names including Dean Windass and Ian Rush were mentioned before it was confirmed Chris Kamara was coming to play against champions elect Rhayader Town on Saturday 28th January 2012.

‘This was a massive boost which we needed at the time, and I have no doubt got us through the season.

‘Sky were brilliant in every aspect and despite losing 6-1 a massive crowd came to support the lads and the club, town and league benefitted from a feature piece on Soccer Saturday the following weekend.’

Sky Sports loved the story and loved the story of plucky Welshpool. They wanted more of the action. And the next part of the tale is even more bizarre than anything that has come previously.

‘Unbelievably Sky followed this up with a subsequent visit in March, when they sent both Kamara and Paul Merson against another of the title challengers at the time Newbridge on Wye.’

‘This was even more surreal than the first visit, and I had to keep Merson’s visit a complete secret as Sky didn’t want other broadcasters knowing about it.

‘So much so that Sky sent a motorbike from London to my work in Telford to pick up the signing on form at the latest possible time, drove back to London to get Merson to sign it, and then bring it back to my work later that day.”

‘A much improved performance saw Merson equalise at 1-1 at one point, however in the second half tired legs saw Newbridge run out 4-1 winners in the end.

Again a massive crowd was there to see a former England international play for Welshpool, and the club, town and league again had another feature on Soccer Saturday that weekend.

‘Again Sky were a credit with Merson, Jonny Phillips and co having a drink in the Angel after the game. I also subsequently ended up being interviewed for a chapter in Johnny Phillips book ‘Saturday Afternoon Fever.

‘The whole sky thing made the club well known nationally seeing it was on both TV and in print.

“Even now I speak to some people and when I say I’m from Welshpool or manage a team in mid wales often Sky and Welshpool are mentioned.”