Reply With Quoteplayed football and trained on the grounds many times lovely pitch and like you say cheap drinks
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With the thread about the BLUEBIRDS CLUB coming to an end, who used to use the GKN CLUB, on Sloper Road ?
My brother, who introduced me to Cardiff City, used to park there, then partake of their cheap prices
Great club
played football and trained on the grounds many times lovely pitch and like you say cheap drinks
Yeah, used to work at GKN. Good club.
Originally Posted by BLUETIT
The Guest Dynasty - made their fortunes through Dowlais iron works.
Me too, later the name changed to ASW. I never used the GKN club or sports facilities. I was told that the football pitch was kept to a really high standard.
Football pitches, not pitch. All high quality, local cup finals were often held there. Many other sports catered for as well.
On the subject of work welfare facilities there were a few around Cardiff. Wiggins Teape had the Mill Ground on Mill Road, Ely, Spillers ground was where Caerau (Ely) play now, British Ropes on Western Avenue, British Airways on Nantgarw Hill.
I started at GKN as an 18-year-old. When I attended the induction day, at their impressive training centre, we mainly watched Health & Safety videos and of course, a bit about their product range and global positioning.
I was handed a piece of paper that had my job description of "warehouse operative". I asked my cousin, who was already working for GKN at that time, about my duties as a warehouse operative - he said I would probably be doing some 'burning'.
In my mind's eye, I had a vision of myself wearing a brown warehouse-style coat, walking alongside racks of boxes stacked on top of a racking system, and perhaps setting fire to cardboard boxes in a skip (the burning?).
How wrong I was... the burning involved cutting through steel bar up to 50mm thick with an oxy-acetylene lamp, sparks flying everywhere, I could smell my hair being singed, my nylon socks would have all holes in them and stuck to my feet!
The bending of the re-bar involved a lot of manual lifting, after the second day the skin was peeling off my hands even though we used thick leather gauntlets.
The noise was insane (no ear protectors back then!), you were supplied with steel-toecap boots and overalls. Never thought I'd stick it out but I did...for 23 years!
Ah, right. I never went there so was unaware of how many pitches they had. British Ropes on Western Avenue I remember well, being raised in Gabalfa/Llandaff North.
Used to work for GKN in the 70's. One of workmates asked if i wanted to play rugby severns down there and i turned it down. When he said there was free beer after i obviously changed my mind. You could order what you wanted and our table was full.I was about 17/18 then and wrecked that night to say the least.
I remember the rugby team went on an all-expenses-paid tour of Japan. They were kitted out with matching blazers,trousers and kitbags. The standard was quite high for selection, you can imagine the number of talented rugby players such a large company would have at its disposal.
Actually, thinking about it, that would have been when it became ASW.
Sadly i wasn't that good
What the team or the tour?
Edit: I thought you said 'it".
Ah, neither was I.
I wasn't that good. Frst time i had ever played rugby.What the team or the tour?
Edit: I thought you said 'it".
Ah, neither was I.
Wasn’t it something like a tanner a week stopped out of your wages towards the welfare fund? Great scheme if you worked for them and used the facilities.
Yes, it was something like that.
Why have the GKN club on Sloper Road? I worked in the nail factory and Somerset wire in Tremorfa always drank in the shed or the Grovenor.
Bet he had a sore head collecting his car the next day.
Why would you say that?
In the days of BT and the model t it was a lot more than five and drive
CleverWhy would you say that?
In the days of BT and the model t it was a lot more than five and drive
Played football there as a lad and also had my engagement party there - can`t remember what year that was but I have been married for 41 years so probably late 1970s
We used to manage 2-3 pints in either the Shed (nearest to the main gate) or the Grovenor, before hopping on the works' bus.
The Grovenor was a 10.30 stop tap managed to get there for 10.02 and sink 3 pints, thirsty work.
Wish the Grosvenor was still alive and kicking, i’d be in there now getting absolutely bollocksed instead of lying in my bed angry as f*ck.
I worked at the Tremorfa works about 1974-1976. I was maybe 18 or 19. The works bus from The Pendine at the bottom of Grand Avenue was so early I missed it many times.
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