Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Welsh Sports Hall of Fame (WSHF) originated in a collection of souvenirs acquired by the late G V Wynne-Jones, the radio commentator. It was formed in 1980 to provide a Welsh national focus for recognising and preserving sporting achievements by Welsh sportsmen and sportswomen at the highest level, with the intention of influencing future generations in the values of sporting endeavour. It is a registered charity (No. 1087990) and is unique in covering all sports.
The Hall of Fame owns a large and increasing collection of significant artefacts from Welsh sporting history. Most have been generously donated by individuals or their families, although for example, Jimmy Wilde's Lonsdale Belt was acquired by a combination of individual, company and public authority donations, assistance from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, and an appeal supported by the Western Mail & Echo.
Amongst the collection are such artefacts as the ball from the 1927 FA Cup Final; international shirts including those of Billy Meredith, Ivor Allchurch and Gareth Griffiths; rugby mementoes from 1902 and 1905; clothing from David Broome, Sir Harry Llewellyn and Tanni Grey-Thompson; Peerless Jim Driscoll's boxing gloves; and very many fascinating objects and documents.
Each year at the annual dinner, new names are revealed of those many Welsh sports persons considered by their achievements and personal attributes to be worthy additions to the Roll of Honour. Between 1980 and 2007, nearly 100 names have been engraved on the Roll. Glass bowls are presented to living additions. In the words of the Chief Executive of the Sports Council for Wales, "this event has now become the foremost in the Welsh sporting calendar". It is normally attended by major figures from the political, sporting, commercial and media fields, and a total of up to 400 persons with interest and involvement in Welsh sport, and is covered by the main television and newspaper companies.
WSHF is conscious of its responsibility to preserve and research Welsh sporting history as part of the social fabric of the rapidly disappearing personal memories of the 19th and 20th centuries and is establishing a library of video interviews by Messrs Onllwyn Brace and David Parry Jones. The Hall of Fame has a permanent exhibition at the Museum of Welsh Life in Cardiff and in 1998/99 co-operated with the National Portrait Gallery in its Winter Exhibition of British Sporting Heroes.
The Committee is currently in discussion with the Welsh Assembly Government abouot the provision of a new and permanent home.
The Committee currently includes Lord Brooks of Tremorfa (Chairman); Mr G F Bray FCCA, CPFA, BA (Hons) Acting Hon. Sec); and representatives of sport, the media, universities and museums.
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