A football-mad teenager was on cloud nine after winning a shoot-out competition.
Hot-shot Jac Edwards, 13, from Llangower, near Bala, won an iPad worth £399 thanks to his dead ball skills.
Jac, a pupil of Ysgol y Berwyn who had trials with Everton when he was seven, came out on top in a competition organised by Ifor Williams Trailers at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Flint.
The adult version of the competition was won by student Huw Harvey, 20, from Llanfairpwll, on Anglesey, who gave the £500 cash prize to his old school, Ysgol David Hughes in Menai Bridge who will be using the money to buy keyboards for the music department.”
The whole stand had a football theme to support the Wales team at the Euro 2016 tournament and provide a backdrop for the announcement the company will be the main shirt sponsors for Wrexham AFC next season.
As well as having a giant foosball game made from a trailer, they created the football skittles competition won by Jac.
With unerring accuracy, he was one of a small number who managed to knock down five out of five of the footballer figures and his name was the one to come out of the hat.
Those taking part were invited to make a donation of a £1 and the proceeds will be going to the Wales Air Ambulance.
Jac capped off a successful visit to the Urdd Eisteddod as a member of the school’s boys’ singing party which won third prize on the pavilion stage.
He was presented with the iPad by Gerallt Parry, a shift leader at Ifor Williams Trailers, who lives in Bala and is a former pupil of Ysgol y Berwyn.
The Liverpool-supporting youngster was thrilled and is planning to use the tablet mainly for games and apps.
He said: “I love football and I play for the Bala youth side and will hopefully be going into the under 15 team next season.
“At the Urdd Eisteddfod we made it to the main stage and won third prize so it was a successful day.
“In the football competition, we had to kick the balls at the targets with players who are playing in the Euros. You had seven balls and if you got five down, then you had succeeded.
“I got five down and I was very chuffed. I tried it a couple of times beforehand and so I’d perfected my technique.
Mum Shân Edwards said: “Jac has loved playing football ever since he was a little boy and he had trials with Everton when he was seven, although he didn’t get any further.
“It’s in his blood. His grandfather loves football too. His great grandfather played in the Bradley cup in Bala a long time ago. He played in his strong farm boots. He lived to be 101 years old so the DNA is very strong here.”
Gerallt Parry was delighted the iPad was won by a pupil from his old school.
He said: “Jac has done exceptionally well. I gave the football skittles a go and it’s a lot harder than you think. The first time I tried it I didn’t get one hit.
“It was for a very good cause in the Wales Air Ambulance. A lot of families in this area are grateful for this service and have some connection to it so everyone’s a winner.”
A talented music student from Anglesey was on song with his football skills when he secured a cash prize for his old school.
Huw Harvey has just completed his second year at Bangor University where he is studying music and Welsh.
He was presented with the £500 cheque for the school by David Arwyn Jones, an after-sales co-ordinator at Ifor Williams Trailers.
Appropriately, he is a former pupil at Ysgol David Hughes where his father, Idris Alan Jones, had been deputy head.
Huw, a former head boy of the school, supports Arsenal and played football for the sixth form team at school.
He attended the Urdd Eisteddfod to compete with the university choir.
Although the choir didn’t win anything, Huw had a lot more luck on the football front.
He said: “A group of us were walking past the Ifor Williams Trailers stand and we saw the football competition. We all like a challenge so we went there and paid a £1 and had a little competition between the six of us.
“We had fun doing so and as it happened, I was the one who won between the six of us and I was the one who won the whole competition too. I don’t want to say too much but I must be a bit of a hot shot!
“They asked us to put the name of the school down when we were competing. I didn’t think much of it at the time but I got a phone call about a fortnight later to say that I’d won £500 for the school.
“Ifor Williams Trailers were also raising money for the Wales Air Ambulance. The fact that the money can contribute to such a good cause is fantastic.”
Headteacher Emyr Williams recalls Huw as a model pupil.
He said: “He was a very special pupil who contributed fully to all aspects of school life. He was academically bright but also contributed socially and took part.
“He’s a very good singer and took part in solos and choral activities. He took a leading part in school life.
“II don’t recall him being a star on the football field but he was obviously on form at the Eisteddfod.
“We’re very grateful to Ifor Williams Trailers for the contribution and we’re going to use the money for the music department to buy keyboards and such things as Huw contributed so much to the department.”
According to David Arwyn Jones, he has fond memories of his time at Ysgol David Hughes.
He said: “It’s very nice to be back here and it’s great that this money is going back to the school.”
The children’s version of the competition was won by Jac Edwards, 13, a pupil of Ysgol y Berwyn, Bala, who received an iPad worth £399.
