Comedy legend Corbett launches new Welsh Premier

THERE was a touch of surrealism in Cardiff Bay today as the new Welsh Premier League football season was officially launched with the help of none other than Ronnie Corbett.

The diminutive comedian is an ambassador for league sponsor Corbett Sports, yet there still seemed something odd about one half of The Two Ronnies exchanging small talk with national team boss Chris Coleman.

The press conference at the swanky St David’s Hotel didn’t exactly run smoothly though.

After the introductions and a short promotional film showing the best bits from last season, Coleman spoke of the way he had been impressed by the standard of football during the matches he’d watched after taking over from the late Gary Speed.

Then the man famous for his long-running double act with Ronnie Barker revealed his links with the game such as his friendship with former Crystal Palace manager Steve Coppell and ex-Eagles owner Ron Noades.

Everything appeared to be going well at that stage with a few jokes thrown in for good measure. However, the pint-sized Scot suddenly got a bee in his bonnet about the absence of a microphone at the media gathering.

It wouldn’t really have made much difference either way but he wouldn’t let it go and he was intent on finding who the culprit was.

The league kicks-off on Friday night with S4C’s first live game the following day when Port Talbot host Llanelli – let’s hope the acoustics are working well just in case the comedy legend tunes in.

S4C have recently completed a new three-year deal to broadcast live Welsh Premier fixtures with the channel’s flagship football programme Sgorio now in its 25^th year.

“The national league in Ireland gets six live games a year, we show something like 36,” said league secretary Gwyn Derfel, who succeeded John Deakin.

“The standard of football is improving and the biggest task we have now is to get fans through the gates to see what it’s like.

“I’m sure when they do that they will be coming back again and again.”

Craig Harrison’s The New Saints, double winners last term, will be the team to beat, a view shared by Sgorio pundit and former Wales captain John Hartson.

“I think The New Saints are the team to beat again,” he said. “But you can never rule out Bangor. They are a very close unit with a long-running manager in Neville Powell and a striker in Les Davies who suits their effective style of play.”

To mark 20 years of the league and 25 years of Sgorio, the show, in conjunction with the Welsh Premier and FAW, has established a Hall of Fame. Fans are being asked to vote for the best players over the last two decades and 20 will be included throughout the season.

By David Williams