Rodda Williams

One of four well-known and respected Newlyn brothers, Rodda first appeared for the Pirates in the late forties.

He soon became a popular player and our club history book interestingly mentions his name first in the 1952/53 season when listing a number of ‘great characters’, who were hard working, loyal and happy to do their ‘party pieces’ at away matches or in the club at home.

He and his comrades were proud of what was being achieved and they built up a tremendous team spirit.

Rodda was club captain in 1953/54 and, two years later, was presented with his 300 games tankard – Jimmy Hosking, Jack Gunn and Rodda were the first players to reach this milestone.

From 1957-60 he was Team Secretary, before becoming Fixture Secretary and then Chairman (a role undertaken later by brother Ken).

In 1968 Rodda left the district to become headmaster at St. Cleer, near Liskeard, but he still kept in touch.

It was expected that he might have returned back in Penzance, but his untimely death in 1982 at the age of 57 was a great loss to his family and many friends.

Throughout his life a sense of fairness, fun and sportsmanship shone through.

A story from Peter Michell suitably reflects on an occasion when Rodda was dropped from the first team.

He was picked for the Reserves away to St., Day, but typical of ’this wonderful sportsman’, on studying the teams with a group of players, he simply turned and said, ‘I presume I am being sent to St. Day as a missionary’. Well, they could not have had anybody better!