WHAT IS THE TRUE NATIONAL SPORT OF
The debate about the true national sport of
In industrial Wales Hanbdball (or Pêl-law) was the predominant sport – drawing crowds of thousands to watch the game that could be described as similar to squash, but without the rackets. Courts were to be seen in many parts of the Welsh valleys and it was played in yards of pubs in front of betting spectators. The game was a national obsession, with people travelling from far and wide to watch thrilling matches between the sporting heroes of the day, and fortunes being won and lost through side stakes and gambling.
Today only one ball court survives, in the
In Handball - The Story of Wales' First National Sport, handball player and former miner Kevin Dicks’ meticulous research traces the long history of this folk sport played with any ball on any wall, from Welsh myth and folklore and the outlawed ‘devil’s game’ of the churchyard, through its glory years in the 18th and 19th centuries and strong links with the mining industry, to its decline in the 20th century as it failed to modernise, and its reboot in the present day. He questions the origins of the grammar school version of the game known as fives, and precisely dates the Nelson ball court – a date that has eluded historians for years.
The book also shatters a widespread modern myth regarding an Irish origin to the court and therefore to the sport in
‘This is untold story of
‘After a while it dawned upon me that I’m the last miner to play handball in
There are extensive references to Ireland and Irish handball throughout the book. Meath Players Michael McGee and John Boy Molloy of Kells are noted in the book.
The cover of the book feature the classic 1906 handball at Nelson. Two players and two officials stand on the ball court with a crowd of 1,200 in attendance.
The author Kevin Dicks has been a Welsh handball player and official for nearly fifty years. He has written extensively on handball for various outlets including the BBC, the Daily Mail, the American Welsh paper Y Drych and the Caerphilly Campaign. He has also spoken on the subject abroad in
A refreshing look at a sport devoid of modern commercialism, this is a lively story full of colourful characters, a revealing glimpse into social history, folk sport and the passions of the working man, and a fascinating insight into what can fairly be claimed as Wales’ first national sport.
Handball - The Story of
Title | Handball - The Story of |
Publishing date | March 2017 |
Price & ISBN | £14.99 9781784613761 |
Author | Kevin Dicks |
Tel., email, website | 01443 862 698, 07570 212378 , kevinjohndicks@gmail.com |