Emlyn Hughes

Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE(28 August 1947 – 9 November 2004) was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool team of the 1970s.

From Blackpool to Liverpool

Emlyn Hughes, was the son of Fred Hughes, a Great Britain, Wales, Barrow, and Workington Town rugby league footballer. After being refused a trial by local side Barrow, Hughes joined Blackpool, who were then a top-flight side. He made his début for Blackpool in 1964 and played alongside the likes of Jimmy Armfield and Alan Ball. Hughes was then an inside forward, but Blackpool turned him into a left-half, and as such he made his début for them in the 1965–66 season.

In February 1967, after just 28 appearances for Blackpool, he signed to Liverpool for £65,000, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £1,940,000 in 2013). Manager Bill Shankly was stopped in his car by the police as he drove Hughes to Liverpool for the first time and said: "Don't you know who I've got in this car? The captain of England!" The policeman peered through the window and said that he didn't recognise the man, to which Shankly replied: "No, but you will!" In the future Hughes did indeed go on to captain his country.

Emlyn

Coordinates: 52°01′59″N 4°26′06″W / 52.033°N 4.435°W / 52.033; -4.435

Emlyn was one of the seven cantrefi of Dyfed, an ancient district of Wales. It became part of Deheubarth in around 950. It consisted of the northern part of Dyfed bordering on the River Teifi. Its southern boundary followed the ridge of the line of hills separating the Teifi valley from the valleys of the Tâf and Tywi.

The name derives from am (around, on both sides of) and glyn (valley), the valley in question being presumably the Cuch. Its area was about 217 km². It was divided by the River Cuch into the commotes of Emlyn Is Cuch (to the west) and Emlyn Uwch Cuch to the east. Its civil headquarters were divided between Cilgerran in the lower commote and Newcastle Emlyn in the upper. Its ecclesiastical centre (and perhaps, in the Age of the Saints, the seat of a bishop) was the church of St Llawddog at Cenarth.

The cantref was made part of the Norman March in the 12th century, and many castles were built, including those of Cilgerran and Newcastle Emlyn. Nevertheless, the area remained Welsh speaking, as it continues today.