19/09/2013 Sport Wales

Welcome to the home of cricket, where on Saturday, Glamorgan's

players could win the county's first piece of silverware for nine years.

So stay with us for Sport Wales at Lords, with all this to come. We hit

the road with Glamorgan ahead of their big day at Lords. It's a very

special occasions we have to make sure we keep level and are ready to

special occasions we have to make on the big day. The renaissance man

Danny Gabbidon opens up on Wales, Premier League and life away from

football. You see the food of right on the pitch on Saturday and you

don't really know what goes on in their personal lives. -- the

footballer out on the pitch. And we preview the match between Cardiff

City and big spending Spurs. So, it's 13-years since Glamorgan played

in a final here at Lords, but on Saturday they face Nottinghamshire

in the YB40 Final. Before then though they've played a four-day

match and Sport Wales followed the Glammy boys all the way to Essex. A

glamorous part is playing in the Lord's finals. It is a game that

times, it is a life on the road. At this time of the season it is

winding down as far as county ticketing goes. It is all about how

we approached the four-day game. -- the county ticketing goes. I have

mine the lawn. We are hanging around trying not to annoy each other too

much. -- I have my kit on. It is tough in the number nine or ten

batsmen sometimes. That is part of cricket. My wife asks what I do all

be. It is about mentally visualising. This is what it is all

about. It used to be in the old days a game of cards or something like

that. With thick knowledges today it will be playing little game season

dear. -- with technology today. The biggest challenge is trying to keep

them off Twitter for a few hours. They are all into social networking.

I might send a couple of e-mails or something like that but nothing too

exciting. As far as they won the season has gone, it's gone extremely

well. They really should have qualified. They have underperformed

in county cricket. In championship cricket we have underperformed. It

has been disappointing. Towards the end of year we have had to

prioritising one-day cricket and rest some of the players. The change

between the formats is something we're very used to doing. Hopefully

that will roll on into Saturday. The head coach will leave the county the

end of the season. He will return to his native Australia. The more

urgency they will start looking for a new coach. It is a time limit on

it. The call for home or strong which it always was. You are having

a great time. I could have stayed for another couple of years or get

back, my young fella is starting school in January in Australia so

that was a pretty big one. It is a bittersweet moment to be honest.

We've obviously had a couple of tough years. At times we have

recruited quite well. We are on the verge of winning a title. It's

probably been an eventful three years. I will look back on it with a

lot of pride and joy. You have in some good moments in the. If we go

to cap won Lord's on Saturday and win a trophy it will be a great week

to sign off. -- a great way to sign off. Successful periods are

hopefully the norm rather than the exception. We will find him for the

things he has put in place during his time. -- thank M. It is like an

FA Cup final. Nerves play the part. Hopefully the will do their best and

give a good account for themselves. The batsmen had signed a new

four-year deal with the club. We have to practice our one-day skills.

I thought we would have a couple of weeks training in Cardiff rather

than that capable weather out on the Australian coast! It is a big

build-up with a lot of hype, you have got to enjoy that. If you shy

away from it it is not for you. Jones has confirmed he will retire

from first-class cricket after Saturday. He hopes to continue

playing cricket. I am 34, not getting any younger. I want to try

to target the G20's and see where that takes me. There's a huge date

of expectation and that the main that takes me. There's a huge date

thing the boys have to deal with. There will be a great number of fans

bear who will travel up. It is huge for everyone. Hopefully we can bring

some decent silverware back to Wales. We have had a tough couple of

years. People have been rightly critical of us. We have not

performed as well as we could. We will do the job at the end of the

day and what will be will be. And you can hear ball-by-ball commentary

of Glamorgan's final on Radio Wales on Saturday. To football matter now

and on Saturday Swansea face this Crystal Palace side likely to

include a Welshman who's making something of a comeback, he's back

playing for Wales after retiring from international football and he's

back in the Premier League big time. So, Ian Hunt went on a Palace visit

with Danny Gabbidon. What do you know and what do you see on the

surface? Danny Gabbidon, Premier League star. Wales international for

the past 11 years. Talented, successful, well rewarded. What you

do not see is the darkness. The physical and mental struggles, the

personal problems that remind you footballers are only human like the

rest of us. Danny Gabbidon has come through times like those. It's been

cut off. I'm not going to live. My first season and a half I lead

really well. Some of the best food all I played in my career. -- I lead

really well. Then I had an injury and I ended up being out for another

season and a half. I just felt useless. I was picking up my wages

but not burning them, that's what it felt like. I wouldn't see it was

like depression or anything like that but I had some personal stuff

off the pitch as well. I had away fat tea-time. I don't have now. -- I

had a wife at the time. I don't have now. We got forced. That played a

big part. -- we got divorced. I don't want to go into it but I was

trouble we focusing on my efforts to get fit and you probably don't

realise what is going on in your head. You think everything's OK but

you're not. For a while I was pretty low with that and the food all side

of things as well. They do not realise how hard you have to work

and what goes on in your personal life? The fans like Twitter and

stuff like that because you get to know a little bit more about the

footballer. As you see, what you see is the footballer on the pitch every

Saturday. You don't really know what goes on so much in their personal

lives. Yes, I am human being. I go through the same issues, life

issues, that everyone else does. For me it is just a case of trying to

get back and moving everyone wrong. People were saying I would not come

back. I knew myself if I worked hard and kept focused and was strong

mentally then I would come back and play. I have done that. You live and

learn. I think I'm a better person for all the things that have

happened -- happened. There was a brief dalliance with QPR before

Crystal Palace offered a lifeline when he was out of work. Last week a

first competitive Wales game for 2.5 years. Life is good at the minute.

Just seeing the setup, the players who are coming through, it is really

exciting. Me still to be part of is great for me. You sound like the old

man of the team now? Yes, I would then that same situation. That is

part of my role now to give advice to the young dad -- the young lads.

There are so many of them. It's not just about me playing in the team

now. I have to try and educate the young lads as well and make them

feel part of the squad. There will soon be the union with the club that

launched his career, Cardiff City. Cardiff face Swansea at the weekend.

Were probably one of my favourite teams in the week to watch playing

football. I see a couple of the lads, Welsh team-mates who I play

with, it's great to see Ben Davies doing so well and Ashley Williams.

It is an interesting fixture with us being at home. We need to try and

win our home games if we're going to stay in the league. I want to help

the team stay in the Premier league. If the legs can do another year in

the Premier league that would be fantastic. That would be me back

playing against the top players and the top teams. I maybe did not think

that would happen at this stage in my career. It is great for me. I am

enjoying it and we will see where the game takes me. It's great to

have a former English international join us now. Find you for joining

us. Pleasure. Danny Gabbidon back to form, as he surprised you of late? I

think he went through a dip in form and that coincided with injuries. He

looks like he is enjoying his football. When you get to an age

that you know time is against you you really want to relish every

moment in your profession. He is back to form in fit this. How he

responds to that is all credit to him. We've got to talk about the

game on Monday night, Swansea against Liverpool. A point for the

Swans, should it have been free? Liver pool played well in the

first-half. Swansea came back at in the second half. I think the will be

disappointed they did not win the game. And Shelby, everyone was

talking about him on Twitter. What about the characters he showed in

that second half? How important will he be for Swansea's success? Years

important in the whole machine of Swansea. He has come in as an astute

signing. We talked about characters in the game. Shelby to showed great

character coming back in. He imposed himself on the game and that is

exactly what you want to see. Flores and Williams, how important are the

two the club's success? Consistency of performance and partnership,

centre have so as well, you need to ill as strong and good relationship

with Europe at the alongside you. Crystal Palace this weekend for

Swansea, do they really need to win this one? Crystal Palace are newly

promoted, a lot of new players, a tough game. It is one Swansea should

come out on top of. We will talk more, shortly.

Do you know someone who goes the extra mile to help others take part

in sports question not if you would like to nominate your Sport's Unsung

Hero, who has to be a volunteer and 16 or over at the start of the year,

please go to the website. Now to a sport where Wales can

justifiably claim to be the best in the world. Welsh women have one four

world triathlon titles since the turn-of-the-century, that is four

from 13 World Championships. After Leanda Cave and Helen Jenkins, our

latest world champion was crowned last Sunday. Gareth Rhys Owen went

to meet a new Welsh sporting icon Non Stanford.

There is no bathing in the Serpentine for a reason. It is

freezing here, even in September. But last weekend Non Stanford

emerged from the lake in Hyde Park as world champion. From the deep

walkers of San Diego to London, the World Triathlon Series came to a

conclusion on a drizzly morning in Hyde Park with a 1500 metres swim, a

40 kilometre bike ride and ten K run between Non Stanford and the world

title. It is pretty cool to be back here, not quite in the same

situation as a week ago but it is more chilled out, which are like.

How was it? Fantastic. It all happened so quickly, you race and

the weather is pretty miserable, drizzly and cold and grey, but we

always said that would work to our advantage. Everyone is in the same

position. If I am cold, everybody is cold. On the last lap on my bike I

was trying to move my feet in my shoes because I knew I had to run,

but when I jumped off I could not feel my feet. It was like running on

stumps or pins. Not pleasant. She was given a 15 second penalty after

not dropping her wet suit in the right box. With the 15 second

penalty I had to go out hard. The crowd was so loud, it drowned out

the sound of my breathing and it helped numb the pain.

COMMENTATOR: She is in first position having

taken her 15 second count and the crowd responding to her effort.

Brilliant. A sensational race culminating in a magnificent victory

for Non Stanford. Non Stanford is the champion of the world! And you

know, you are world champion. Yes, it is pretty cool. It has not really

sunk in, to be honest with you. It is quite surreal. Then you are

growing up you will dream of being a world champion and look up to all

the other world champions and you think they are superhuman. It is

actually you in that position, you realise it is just a normal person

who has worked hard and always kept believing and kept persevering. If I

can do it, anybody can do it. From her early days men taught by double

Olympic champion Kelly Holmes, Stamford promised to reach the top.

She started on the track but moved to triathlon in her late teens,

ringing the under 23 world title last year before announcing her

arrival on the scenic stage with victory in Madrid earlier this

summer. I did not have experience of being at the front of a senior race,

so I learned fast and quickly. When I won the title last year I did not

dream I would be set here as world champion a year later. It is so

unbelievable. Non Stanford is standing on the shoulders of giants

in terms of Welsh giants -- in terms of Welsh triathlon. Leanda Cave,

Helen Jenkins were both crowned, then not a bad trio when triathlon

is introduced to the Commonwealth Games next year in Glasgow. Glasgow

coming up next year, some others might suggest that success is an

inevitability. Wouldn't it be amazing if me, Helen and Leanda Cave

were able to line up together? It would be a dream team. It would nice

-- it would be nice to put on the Welsh journey and represent Wales

because we don't do it very often. Life in the Premier League, still

going well for new boys Cardiff City. A draw away at fellow

newcomers Hull last weekend but this weekend they host a team desperate

for a top four finish this season. No Gareth Bale, maybe, but on Sunday

big spenders Spurs are coming to town.

Back in the 1961 and 1962 season, Tottenham Hotspur were reigning FA

Cup and league champions with a team made up of legendary names such as

Danny Bunch flower, Dave Mackay and Cliff Jones. The bobbing

COMMENTATOR: Jones.

But the last time Cardiff City played them in the top flight of

English league, now the latest generation of Spurs include some of

the star names brought in after a £110 million summer spending spree

bankrolled mainly by the sale of Gareth Bale to real Madrid. You lose

one player and a potential matchwinner, but if you have four or

six can share the load, some of those five or six might be not so

great but that is what we will see over the season, we will find out.

Turner has retained his place in the side and the man who joined the club

from Coventry for a fee of £750,000 two years ago has struck up a good

understanding with Stephen Hawker, the £8 million summer signing from

Tottenham. As he said anything about looking forward to facing his old

team? I am sure he is excited about it more than the other games,

because it is his old club and he will hopefully get one over on them

but he is quite cool about it and he thinks there are areas we can

perhaps hurt them as well so we have to be positive about how we approach

the game. Turner and the arrival of Caulker has meant no starting place

Mark Hudson and some fans have been unhappy about the club captain not

being the team. How is Mark about that? To be honest he has been

fantastic. He is one of the best prose we have at the club. That is

why he is the captain and he had a great season. Just saying those

things, it makes you think, why isn't he in the team? I have said

before, I am a big fan, when I came to the club he has been my main

partner up until the start of this season and I have played my best

football next to him so far and hopefully eventually he will get his

chance. Every manager wants a competition for the places. Does it

make that competition more intense? Are you feeling that? Yes, obviously

it is a very good player waiting to step into your place if your form

drops and I have known that since the first game of the season. Just

because he has been signed, the manager has signed players who he

has used when they are in form and not when they are not informed, so

no one is safe. I know that more than anyone. Cardiff's opening-day

defeat was followed by an outstanding win against Manchester

City and cause against Everton and Hull in their last two games.

COMMENTATOR: That is the equaliser, a lovely

move. Four games, five points, are you satisfied? I think it is a good

start. We have been beaten once in four games, the first game where I

think we had signed players later on in the week and we didn't have time

to drive and we were like rabbits and -- we were like rabbits in the

headlights at West Ham. Over half the football we have played has been

competitive and at times we have played very well. For you personally

what has been the biggest difference, playing in the Premier

League? Only one clean sheet, largely down to the standard of the

finishing at the Premier League. In the championship, if you had a lapse

in concentration you had a 50-50 chance the striker will miss the

in concentration you had a 50-50 chance. Now, they will punish you.

Tottenham are currently third in the league with nine points, having won

three of the opening four games. Their defeat was away to Arsenal. If

you look at the names we are playing against at the weekend, it is

exciting as it was in the build-up to the Everton game. All the games

have been big players playing. As soon as you come out of the tunnel

it is very much then just 11 men against 11 men and you have to get

your game face on. If we continue to do that enjoy the fact we are

playing against some superstars of the game that you love playing, but

at the same time soon as you cross the line you know it is a man and

you can get the better of him on your day. That will stand us in good

stead. John Scales, time now to talk about

Cardiff City. What have you made of the new boys? Very impressed. They

are playing well, playing with some confidence. The home games we know

at Cardiff, with the crowd and the support is really crucial, as it was

last year. It is going to be crucial this year. Teams are going to not

fear going down there but it will be that 12th man for Cardiff, they will

make that count. I think defensively they are going to be good and

strong. I think in that final third line, the promoted teams and one or

two others, it is all about goals, goals, goals. Who is their main

goal-scorer, their main threat? It is going to be interesting who comes

to the fore. Malky Mackay will want to know that those players he

brought in are going to respond. Odemwingie, for example, will take

the chance. He has drifted around, been unhappy where he was, is he

going to be reborn and burst onto the scene? He has the ability. But

he has to come from somewhere. I can't say for now there is a world

in there. What you have got is hard-working -- a hard-working team,

they know what their strengths are and if the players support and get

into the box Rhondda brave and bold and the goals will come from one or

two areas. What. What about Sunday? Are Tottenham as good without Gareth

Bale? It is an impossible question to answer because only time will

tell. They have gone into the market and strengthen the team well. They

have a better quality of squad, the strength in depth is there for

everybody to see. Can you pinpoint any weakness Mrs -- weaknesses? The

two centre halves against Arsenal, they were a bit all over the place.

In front of them, one or two changes in midfield, so I think Cardiff,

that first half-hour for me is crucial. Make sure they play in

front of them, contain them, be strong and well organised and look

to hit them on the break and they have the players to do that. Score

prediction starting with Cardiff? I would say a draw. I don't think

Spurs will go there and win. I give Cardiff the nod on a point, possibly

sneak a win. And Swansea? What about their trip to Crystal Palace?

Swansea, I would expect to get a result. It is early days for Crystal

Palace and Swansea, for me, they are top half Premier League team. John

Scales, it has been a pleasure to have you on Sport Wales. Thank you

very much. Thank you. . Is it for this evening but before

I go, time to tell you about the Wales Sport Awards. They are your

chance to nominate someone who thinks deserves rough -- recognition

for all their efforts throughout the year. You can find details on the

website, www.walessportawards.co.uk. The

closing date for your nominations is the 13th of October. That is it for

tonight. We're back next Friday at 7pm. Until then, from Lord's, good

luck, Glamorgan! Steve Watkin and Ward has got a

neck, yes! Croft, a bit short, Morris takes the

catch. The West Indian batsmen, a great

catch, Adrian Dale. Has that swung it Glamorgan's way?

# It's such a perfect day #. That's going away. Oh, Richards has

launched this over long off. It is short, he has got a top edge!

Glamorgan are the Sunday league champions! These are dramatic scenes

at Canterbury!