Hundreds pack church for Tegwyn funeral

22/10/2013 @ 01:06

Wales manager Chris Coleman, Welsh FA officials and town councillors joined family members and hundreds of friends to pay tribute to the late Tegwyn Evans on Monday.

Hundreds of mourners packed into St Mary’s Church for a funeral service for the local businessman and national football administrator.

Over 500 people sat and stood in the church for one of the town’s biggest ever services as famous faces from the world of Welsh football stood alongside people from the town in the packed congregation to hear tributes paid to the former president of the Welsh FA, who died on October 8 after a short illness.

Mr Evans, 85, who was awarded the MBE for services to the community, was the former owner and founder of Welshpool Printing Group.

The former Mayor of Welshpool sat on dozens of committees connected with football and was the chairman of the Central Wales FA and president of Welshpool Town FC.

Dai Alun Davies, vice president of the Welsh FA, praised his former colleague and friend but said he was presenting “an inadequate eulogy to a very remarkable person.”

“Tegwyn Evans was a man of his word, who would never say “no” to anyone, despite the size of the request,” said Mr Jones.

“He always started at the bottom, whether in business, football or his community life but always reached the top. We have all lost a very special person.”

He said Mr Evans was respected as a football administrator all across Europe and in 2000, UEFA made him one of their “magnificent seven” for his work with Welshpool Town FC.

He read out an amazing list of the organisations served on by Mr Evans, which included being made a Bard at the Powys Ineternational Eisteddfod.

Readings were also given by Gwyndaf James of Welshpool’s Welsh Chapel and Reverand Sue Lawler of Welshpool Methodist Church.

Current and former Welshpool Town players, Russell Cadwallader, Andy, Morris, Ian Evans, Malcolm Harding, Dan Bowen and Ian Jones were the bearers.