#2 DAI WARD

Dai Ward. What a player. I never really knew much about the player to be honest until I did a little research, but what an absolute legend this guy was. Not to be confused with the Dai Ward of the 1950s, Dai Ward of the 1920s and 1930s came to Barry AFC ('Town' was added in 1946) from Aberdare who at the time were an English League side of course, and who plying their trade in Division Three South. No sooner had he left though, Aberdare slumped - finishing rock bottom of the whole pyramid and then failed to get re-elected. By that time though, Dai Ward was well on his way to recording an incredible 66 goals and 9 hat-tricks in all competitions in his first season with the Linnets in 1926-27. Ward may have not repeated those astonishing levels of goal scoring in his time with Barry, but the club will probably never see his like again. In the 20s and 30s Barry AFC ran a Southern League side and a Welsh League side, and although the English League side was very much the senior league side, there was still plenty of importance and value placed in the Welsh League also, with Jenner Park crowds in thousands being common place. In his first season playing for both squads, Dai Ward scored 4 Southern League hat-tricks and 5 Welsh League hat-tricks. That's an amazing 27 goals scored in hat-tricks alone! Between 1933 and 1935, Ward produced something quite unique in the history of Barry AFC or Barry Town AFC; a hat-trick of hat-tricks in the Welsh Cup. In 1932 Ward scored a hat-trick against Aberaman (in the days when Barry could beat them), in 1933 he scored a hat-trick in the 5-0 Jenner Park win over Ebbw Vale, and in 1934 he scored another Welsh Cup hat-trick this time against Cardiff Corries in the 5th Round mauling of Cardiff Corries. Ward also holds the Barry (Town) AFC record for the most goals scored in a single game. Ward scored seven times in the 12-1 home demolition of Bedminster Town in an October 1927 FA Cup Qualifying Round. In every season he played for Barry AFC Ward was the club's top Southern League goal scorer. I think this works out as 1926-27, 1927-28, 1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, and 1934-35. Although a lower standard of football, Ward was also the club's Welsh League top goal scorer in 1926-27, 1927-28, 1929-30*, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34 and 1934-35. Ward, it appeared, could score at any level. This was proven as his FA Cup goals put Barry into a 2nd Round FA Cup tie for the only time in its history. Eventually going down 4-1 to English League side Brighton & Hove Albion, it should by now not surprise the readers that the only Barry goal scorer was one Dai Ward. He came to the club and became an instant hit and record goal scorer. He retained that honour throughout his career with the Linnets, and when he finally retired at the end of the 1934-35 season he did so by being top scorer in the Southern League and Welsh League squads. To round off an amazing career the club put on a benefit match at the end of the 1934-35 season in which Cardiff City and over 5,000 fans graced Jenner Park in his name. In a stunning Barry career, Dai Ward racked up over 363 appearances in all competitions and an amazing 318 goals in all competitions too. Hidden within these 318 goals are 29 hat-tricks. Unfortunately, not all details are available for the 1929-30 Welsh League season so these tallies could well be higher! I salute Dai Ward. A true 'Linnets Legend' who could score goals anywhere everywhere and against whoever he chose, and whose loyalty to Barry AFC mustn't go unrecognised.