Visitors to the exhibition at the Pier Pavilion are in for a treat with information starting with the birth of the club all the way to present day.
The exhibition is on until May 17.
The panels show as follows:
1. 1880s – The Birth of the club - PFC
2. 1882-1890 - The way to the top
3. Great Penarth Pioneers – R Garrett & G Rowles
4. 1890s-1900 - Growing pains
5. 1890-1902 - Birth of Barbarians & the Easter Tour
6. 1903-1910 - A winning run!
7. 1910-1913 – The French connection
8. 1914-1920 - Penarth War Heroes!
9. 1881-1924- Club looking for a home
10. 1900- 1920 - Secrets of success
11. 1921-1929 - A Prosperous Decade
12. 1927- 1935 - The one and only Jack Bassett
13. 1901-1990- Barbarians at Golf
14. 1930-1939 Stability and Growth
15. 1945-1949 - Coupons and Rugby!
16. 1950-1954 – New decade! New Hopes|!
17. 1955-1960 - A forty-year wait!
18. 1901-1971 - The story of the Esplanade
19. 1960-1970 - The hallmark of inconsistency
20. 1970-1979 – An ambitious club!
21. 1979-1981 - Penarth 100! (Centenary)
22. 1982 -1986 - The End of Barbarians
23. 1987 -1990 –Good Friday alternatives
24. 1991-1995 - The cold reality of Leagues
25. 1995-1999 – Back to the roots!
26. 1999-2005 – 125 not out! (125th anniversary)
27. 2005-2010 - Battles for Promotion
28. 2011-2015 - Return to Status quo
29. Penarth – A family club
30. The men & women behind the scenes
31. Penarth Caps, Barbarians and Celebrities
32. The Future
33. The story of the Springbok Head
The five display cabinets contain the following:
I. Artefacts and photography from the early days of the club, including the legendary Cardiff & District Cup, a magnificent piece of silverware, which the club won for three consecutive seasons between 1887-1890 and has retained it ever since, as well as club caps from that period.
II.Club memorabilia which includes a gas lamp which used to light the club’s dressing room premises at 1, Rudry Street, a jersey from the period 1900-1908 when the club colours were white and dark blue hoops, as well as tribute to James Lot Thorn, a former player, Secretary and President.
III.This cabinet is dedicated to the club’s greatest player, the formidable Jack Bassett, who played for and captained Penarth and Wales, and represented the British Isles on the 1930 tour. It contains several personal belongings of the great man, including jerseys of his opposite numbers in test matches.
IV.The fourth cabinet is the Barbarians display section and contains an old Barbarians jersey, a ball from the 1975 match Penarth v Barbarians and several articles of memorabilia from the 85 year association, including the jersey of the Penarth captain Baden Evans from the final match and a silver plate presented to the club when the fixture ended in 1986.
The fifth cabinet, in the centre of the exhibition contains a selection of caps and jerseys donated by club players and their families. It includes the Penarth, Glamorgan and Wales caps of the club’s first international Richard Garrett, the club and Glamorgan caps of William Gibbs, one of the clubs captains and Wales trialist, as well as the Lions cap of Leonard Thomas, one of the best Penarth players not to win a Wales cap. It also contains two of the Bryant brothers caps, as well as the Wales Jersey of Frank Trot, the club captain in 1938-1940.
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