This week Bill Carne popped over to Neyland to chat to Adam Collins about his success as a footballer with Hakin United and his excellent contribution to rugby with the town’s All Blacks . . .

One of the most highly respected rugby players in Pembrokeshire is undoubtedly Neyland RFC's powerhouse centre Adam Collins, still going as strong as ever at 40 and eagerly anticipating the new season with Pembrokeshire's All Blacks.

Adam had previously played for his home town of Milford until he moved to Neyland when he got married - and before that had a decade as left back with Hakin United where he helped the Vikings win seven successive league championship medals and several Senior Cup Final winners’ trophies.

Not content with that little lot, he also played in three West Wales Intermediate Cup Finals, winning two, and a West Wales Senior Cup Final where they beat two Welsh League teams before losing to an almost full-strength Swansea City outfit on the old Vetch Field.

But that means little to Adam because he is not one to worry about trophies in either sport because he just enjoys playing, and former Hakin United team mate Gary Dawes tells a lovely story about the start of a new season where Adam opened his kit bag in the changing room and a West Wales Cup medal fell out.

It wasn't that Adam wasn't pleased to win but for him it was more about doing well as part of the Hakin team than having a trophy.

It is the same story in rugby because Adam recalls winning promotion one campaign with the All Blacks but couldn't provide further details - and ask him about how many tries he scored last campaign and he would admit he had a few but wouldn't be able to tell you exactly how many!

Amazingly for such a talented rugby player, Adam didn't play at all in Milford Haven Central School but focussed on football after starting out under the care of Joe Lennon at the Observatory Field from the time he was eight years old.

"If we learned anything from Joe it was about manners, respect for each other, the coaches and opposing teams, and if we stepped out of line then Joe wasn't slow to tell us off or drop us from the team if he thought it was serious enough. He was a great coach as well, and we all worshipped him!

"When I got a bit older I had my first season in senior football with the second team under Tommy Grey that had Simon Thomas in goal and I played in the back four with the experienced Paddy Wheeler, Jimmy Yeomans and Alan 'Gully' Williams - and they certainly taught me a lot," admitted a laughing Adam.

"Roy Dawes and Robert 'Blondie' Armstrong played up front whilst the midfield included Johnny Kinsella so it was quite an experience for someone just out of under 16 football."

By the end of that season Adam had caught the eye of first team manager Chris Tansey and at the start of the next campaign he was playing at left back.

Tansey, one of the most successful managers ever in Pembrokeshire Football, told us,

"We always called Adam Collins 'Billy' after his father and he was one of the easiest players I ever had to manage because he was always ready to listen to advice and never missed a training session.

"I think he turned into one of the best left backs ever in the county and I always remember when we played West End in the West Wales Cup Final at the Vetch Field and Andy Greenham, an old Hakin supporter living in Swansea, kept singing out 'You won't beat Billy!' and the Hakin supporters joined in.

"Even today, people from that time who bump into 'Billy', remind him of that precious moment when we won the West Wales Cup!"

Once he had settled into the first team he was one of the new breed of Vikings who set the local football scene alight.

"We had Jason 'Bomber' Morgan in goal and Kristian Bennett, Karl Rhead and Nigel Armstrong playing with him in a powerful back four,” related Gary Dawes, “plus Paul Chapman, Shaun Mills, Michael Cooper, James Morgans and Gary Dawes providing the possession for Paul Jones to utilise up front, we won our seven league titles and were second another three times."

"Adam had legs like tree trunks and nothing got past him with his speed over the ground and tough tackling. He also liked pushing forward and always looked good until the 18 yard line, when we nicknamed ‘Jigsaw’ because he always seemed to go to pieces!"

Adam also played for Haverfordwest County alongside Paul Jones but after impressing in pre-season games and a couple of matches in the Welsh Premier they decided that the travelling to train twice weekly at BP Llandarcy was too much and he returned to The Obs.

His first experience in rugby came when he helped out Milford Haven Youth in a Griffiths Cup match but it was years later that he switched to the oval ball game and at 28 years of age went training with The Mariners, enjoyed it and was quickly installed alongside Ioan Dolling in the centre.

He played for Milford Haven for four seasons alongside the likes of Brendan Murphy, Julian Walker, Dean and Roy Hadley, Gareth 'Nuts' Phillips and the late Andrew Phelan, with Andrew McClelland and Phil Aldred as coaches.

But then he met his wife, moved to Neyland and quickly became accepted by the All Blacks.

"I've played with real characters like Chris Busby, Steve Evans, Mathew Williams, Mark Riley and Delme Bateman - and only Richard Banner is older than me as we play in a team including young talent like Craig Grice, Alex Swales and Patrick Bellerby, my centre partner last season."

Ask Adam how long he intends playing and he would say for as long as he enjoys the training and stays clear of injury - because he is not the best watcher of games. Last season he helped Steve Evans with the training and although he says he enjoyed it readily admits he gets frustrated by poor attendance at training sessions, something he simply doesn't understand!

Going back to football for a moment, Chris Tansey told us,

"Adam always wanted to be the best and he was a key player as we had a decade dominating local football. He was never sent off, I can't recall even a yellow card - and was one the most genuine footballers it was ever my privilege to coach."

Gary Dawes, his inspirational captain in that time, added,

"His commitment provided the perfect example to newcomers because he never missed training or a match - and we were hugely sorry when he decided he needed a new challenge and went to football."

We let Rod Chamberlain, the president of Neyland RFC, have the final word and he told us,

“He’s been a stalwart for a long time and always gives 100% in every match. He never misses training and everyone in the squad, especially the youngsters, looks up to him. We hope he’ll be with us for a few seasons yet!”

We could pay Adam Collins no greater tribute than our final three comments and we wish him every success for the future because he represents all that is good in local rugby!